In March, Microsoft has announced the new Xbox 360 Elite.

The new “Elite” Xbox 360 will feature all black plastics instead of the previous all white. The controller and headset too will be black.

The package will cost $479 which will include the following:

• 1 ethernet cable
• 1 wireless controller
• 1 Xbox Live headset
• 120 GB Hard Drive
• Xbox 360 Console

The new Xbox 360 Elite is expected to hit the shelves on April 27, 2007 in North America. The new console will fix the biggest current 360 flaw, overheating. The black console is said to be a cooler running system, thus eliminating the need for third party hardware for cooling, and will reduce or eliminate a system lockup. There will be a limited number of the “Elites” though the same specifications (except the color black) will presumably be available after the release of the Elite as a regular Xbox 360.

Same design, but in black!

The “Elite” is definitely a smart move by Microsoft as it addresses almost all concerns one may have in the decision to purchase the product. The only thing that Microsoft has yet to configure internally to the Xbox 360 is a high-definition DVD player. Though Microsoft will not incorporate this piece internally, the external HD DVD player will still be available for the $199 sticker price. Perhaps soon before the release of the Elite you will see many regular Xbox 360’s on auction sites, as those who have purchased previously may be wishing for these updates, which also may be a plus to some. It will be very interesting to see if there will be more people camping for days just before the release, waiting for the new and improved Xbox 360.

For those interested in the extra storage size, the 120 GB hard drive will be available for purchase at the price of $179.99.  Also, there is no need to be concerned about losing content as the hard drive will include a transfer cable to port over information stored on the present 20 GB hard drives.