The latest redesign of Microsoft’s Xbox console is their most drastic yet they have added a few tweaks and a new shinny wrapper but is it worth handing out your hard earned cash?

The XBOX 360 250GB or XBOX 360 Slim has a couple of additional features which improve on previous versions.

·         Built in Wireless 802.11N Wireless adapter : One of the biggest additions to the console is that the wireless adaptor is now built into the actual console. These where quite pricey in the past costing up to 90 euro as an optional extra. But they are not essential and may be an unnecessary cost if you plan to have your 360 wired in anyway.
 

·         5 USB Ports : These are essential with new add ons coming all the time, Camera, play and charge kits, Kinect, USB flash drives the amount of USB ports where fast becoming a very sought after commodity. 5should be more than enough.  

·         250 GB Removable Hard Drive : Big is better. Now installing games to the hard drive is an option you need a lot more space on your hard drive. Kinect will also use up quite a large % of your HHD space so this is a massive plus.

·         Special Kinect port.

·         HDMI connection for HD Gaming

Probably the most talked about feature of the XBOX 360 Slim is the “whisper” quiet fans. While still not absolutely whisper quiet it is still a massive improvement over its predecessors.  No longer will you need to worry about you XBOX 360 taking off and flying out the window when on full load. The previous incarnations used two small fans to provide the cooling power needed. With the introduction of a more advanced CPU and GPU one fan is more than enough, this drastically reduces the sound produced by the XBOX 360 Slims single fan. Allowing you to enjoy movies and gaming without having to compensate for that loud hum.

Microsoft has also gone to town on re-design. Much smaller than the original, the XBOX 360 Slim measures in at 270 X 260 X 78mm (h X w X d). At these dimensions you can actually fit the XBOX 360 Slim into an original XBOX 360 chassis. The piano black glossy finish coupled with the new contoured case adds a classy touch making the XBOX 360 Slim fit right into any entertainment centre.

 The designers also went for a button less look, that’s right, no buttons.  The disk eject and power activations are touch sensitive. Simply run your finger over them to open the disk tray or power it up. While not an essential or even required feature we think it’s a nice touch.

So the ultimate question, is it worth the shelling out your hard earned cash for the new XBOX 360 Slim?

Current XBOX 360 Elite owners may think that shelling out the €250 for a new one may seem a bit excessive, especially since the Elite does still pack a punch providing you with HD gaming and ample storage capacity. For those still using the core system this will definitely be an enjoyable upgrade and the move to HD gaming is something to be a part of, although be warned if you suffer from motion sickness.