Xbox 360 Complete System reviews

I own a 360 & PS3.

Overall my impressions of the 360 were positive. The only downside that I would have to note would be the loud noise the ROM drive makes as it's streaming off the game disks. It is quite noisy, so playing quietly at night (with the sound turned down) really isn't an option. I personally didn't notice the console getting hot, but only ran it for about 4 hours when playing with it. As with all consoles during their initial release the developers are still exploring the limits of the hardware. Though this should be faster with the 360 as it's based on PC hardware. “Lost Planet” which is an RPG trailer included with the console was an example of this. It certainly punishes the console as a number of in game screens were noticeably dropping frames, still it does look nice and appears to have an interesting enough plot (graphics aside). If asked whether I'd buy a 360? Yeah, I probably will, but not until their price has come down considerably. Of course by this time, the console will be into it's n'th iteration of hardware revisions and with luck the ROM drive will be a lot quieter. Of course coupling it with Windows Media Center would be interesting to provide a more complete entertainment centre experience.

Pros

• Next generation console, with more “visually” appealing games
• Wireless controllers out of the box
• HDTV support
• Hard disk expansion add-on

Cons

• Noisy ROM drive
• Requires Windows Media Center edition to stream movies from another computer

My 360 has never had overheating problems, keep the power brick above the ground and it will not overheat. Why do people buy consoles? To play games of course. Yes, the PS3 has better specs. But does it have better games? It may have better graphics and more hard drive space, but it has no interesting games such as Halo or Gears of War. Most of the games the PS3 releases are also going to be on the 360 too. In terms of price, the 360 is cheaper, and of course, the better option. Who wants to pay lots of money for a games console? As I have said, PS3s and 360s will mostly share the same games, eg GTA 4. Why pay hundreds more to get the PS3? Because it has an HD DVD player? Wow. You get the same movies on HD DVD as normal DVDs. Why pay more, just to get a small little difference in the picture quality?? So I choose the 360 over the PS3, because of the price and amount of games. In the end, it does not come down to the graphics or the specs. It comes down to the games, as they are game consoles. If the PS3 and the 360 are releasing games that will be on both platforms, just get the 360. And anyway, if a game has excellent graphics, it may not have an excellent story and fun gameplay. It is not the graphics that count in a game. Choose the 360 if you want to play console games. Or if you prefer high specs and a higher price, get the PS3, even though in the years to come, they will probably have the same games on both platforms, and very little PS3 only or 360 only original games that are worth purchasing.

Dont get me wrong this is a great console, but it is very fragile and they overheat real easy.

If your into gaming then go for a PS3, I have had a 360 and i know have a PS3 and I enjoy the PS3 alot more then the 360.

At first glance the PS3 might look like alot more money but you get alot more in it.

To get the 360 to match the specs of a PS3 you'd be looking to spend up to $1400 on things like HDD upgrades, wireless adaptor, wireless controller with a play and charge kit, HD DVD player, Online memberships which are $90 a year, so that expense continues and it isnt for anything more.

Resistance has 40 players online ina room with no lag FOR FREE, no 360 game will ever be able to say that.

Not to mention the PS3 has blu ray, with 50gb of space imagine the detail games can be, imagine how big games can be, you thought San Andreas was big, thats was on DVD, times that by 10 and you'll see what i mean.

My recomendation is to save the pennies and get a PS3, but for those that want the 360 then have fun, but make sure you get an extended warranty, because chances are, you will need it.

i had a playstation 2 and was awaiting the playstation 3 when i bought my xbox 360, i decided to get the xbox 360 instead because the ps3 was too expensive for me and because i wanted the game gears of war. so far ive had no problems with the xbox 360, its big, but it looks great, its loud but its not that loud unless your playing games in complete silence, the sounds of the game drown out the noise of the console. the graphics are beautiful, and one of the features i really liked was the ability to connect your ipod and listen to music in the game. ive heard people talking about it freezing while they have been playing it, ive had it for a month and this hasnt happened once. the controllers are comfortable and function very well. it really is a great machine, and well worth the price, and playing gears of war is an incredible experience, the games that are out for the xbox 360 were a big factor when i was choosing which console to get, because the xbox 360 has some great exclusive games.

Pros:

• Xbox live is brilliant
• Best selection of games
• Xbox live arcade is the business
• All games look awesome with HD
• Microsoft has extended all console warranties (new and old) from one year to three years

Cons:

• Needs a bigger hard drive
• Over heats, I had a clip on fan and was very careful to not put it in enclosed space or on carpet & it still over heated and eventually got the “red ring of death”
• I know 2 mates that have had the same problem, apparently as much as 25% of Xbox’s built to date will have this problem hence the extended warranty
• Xbox servicing is not up to scratch, one of my mates waited 3 months for his xbox to be fixed, the other waited only a week and was sent a replacement console which didn’t even work
• Wireless controller played up about the same time as my console (6 months) and the disc drive always had problems opening you could not even open it if the console was in the vertical position.
• Very noisy, this is made far worse with a clip on fan.

Would have been 5 stars if it was of good build quality.

I own a PS3 but have played many hours on an XBOX 360 (while waiting for the PS3 to come out). Both are great consoles and with prices aside both desereve praise. When playing on the 360 I never noticed any over noise but then you wouldn't if you had the surround sound turned up. As for over heating so long as it is not suffocated with things cluttered around it it was perfectly fine. As for choice of games obviously the 360 has a huge selection which fans should be proud of. Given time the PS3 will catch up with a list of titles that will surely blow alot of people away. For someone keen on gaming now I would recommend a 360. With the XBOX LIVE facilities you would be hard pressed to loose interest. And with a range of games for any genre nut it easily wins. If you didn't mind waiting I would recommend going for the PS3. It has similar features to the 360 but online gaming is free. If you already have an internet conection its basically plug and play. Though the games are limited some of them are great.

Beware, anybody wishing to purchase an XBOX360, ensure you get a good warranty.

This is one of the crappiest consoles ever. Its overheats easily, is louder then my dryer and is bigger then my computer system (including the power source).

However, XBOX Live is the best online experience ever!!

Easy to find your friends, just push a button and you can see what they are playing, when they were last online and see what games they so you can buy them to play with them.

The games out are awesome, Gears of War, Rainbow 6 Vegas, Splinter Cell, and they all have brilliant graphics.

They run smoothly (most of the time).

This is definatly worth it if you have access to online play but if not, then I would wait to see what the PS3 is like before getting one.

This is a very unreliable console so like I said, make sure you get an extended warranty if you wish to get one.

Was waiting for ps3 but xbox 360 has:

1/ Gears of war
+excellent co-op
+beautiful graphics 2/ the right price
+two xbox 360's = 1 ps3
-wireless controllers are a bit expensive 3/ an excellent online service 4/ ability to play custom tracks (incl ipod playlists) 5/ system link, co-op, xbox live. 6/ great controllers. 7/ a years experience in the field 8/ ability to patch games and download extra's
-arcade games too expensive
-shouldnt have to pay for some extra's (eg. cheats) 9/ game achievements keep track records of your 360 gameplay.

Just waiting on killer rpg (that one by bioware) and camera to add player to game faces.

I have owned my Xbox 360 since it's release date. Ever since I upgraded from the original Xbox I have basked in the pure heaven of playing the console. Its high-definition output is beautiful, even on a smaller TV, and all the games have terrific graphics, especially the true next-gen titles.

Games like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Lego Star Wars II have captivated me for many hours. Never before have games been so effortless to become absorbed in.

Xbox live is also a great feature. The content available on the Xbox Live Marketplace is really useful, from game updates for Oblivion and new themes to music videos and game trailers. Playing against other gamers online is a huge thrill, and can often be even more fun than a game's single player aspect.

The controllers are very comfortable and have a great battery life. They also eliminate a lot of clutter because they are completely wireless.

Overall this console is an indespensible part of my living room, and is something everyone will enjoy for many years.

3 1/2 Stars actually…

Had mine for about 6months now and whilst G.R.A.W and Call Of Duty 2 (cant wait for COD 3)are outstanding the rested of the games aren't alot better than the PS2 I traded (HDTV aside).

I definately believe though that once PS3 is out we will see more next-gen only games, and then we see how good the 360 really is…

Had mine for a few days now. Not overly impressed at first, mainly due to lack of games but I needed it to play Dead Rising, so… Anyway after a bit of playing around, realised Xbox Live is awesome, Dead Rising is excellent and the control is actually better than I thought it would be. I wouldn't unreservedly recommend one at this point, but some good games are in the pipeline and Dead Rising is really fun. Also it looks like a fan heater and makes about as much noise too.

I was very impressed with this console all round, including the xbox live features and the Halo 1–2 backwards comp. improved graphics thing, plus the graphics and finnaly the USB 2.0 slots. I'm not a fanboy, but many of of my friends are, some PS2, Nintendo, xbox and PC, and they all make very good points, but I've already pre-ordered every next-Gen console (I already have a 360 and a $6,500 alienware PC) because I'm a gamer, not a fanboy. All consoles are good, buts it's games, killer apps., that make them indespensible. Get over it! Next-Gen is next-Gen. period.

The Xbox 360 is absolutely wicked!!! Being a Nintendo fanboy ever since I got into gaming nearly 20 years ago, thats saying a lot. With a bevy of gorgeous games, excellent media capabilities, and the best online experience yet, the Xbox 360 is a gamers dream come true (unless you're a Ninty fanboy like me). Bring on the Wii!!!

I've had my Premium 360 since May 8th. Thus far – I'm impressed.

It's essentially like playing high end PC games of around 6 months to a year ago (running at around a similar level graphics wise), only on a TV. I'm running it thru a Sony DRC TV which gives good picture results (not quite HD), but is close to HD. Looks a little sweeter on an HD Plasma or the like (have tried that too).

It's a good size I reckon – yes it does have a big power brick, but you jam this behind the TV anyway so not sure why everyone whines about? I mean who cares man if you can't see it?

The Xbox Live and dashboard functions are great. The dashboard is easy and enjoyable to navigate, as is the xbox live environment. Pretty cool being able to download full working demos, music videos, arcade games etc – she really can be the all in one entertainment centre.

I've had no major probs with mine, has only hung on me 3–4 times (mainly in oblivion which is software related). Checking out IGN though some folk do have probs.

Have played Call of Duty 2 and Oblivion. Both great games. I think with the additional graphical power over the old box, it adds to the atmosphere, ie Call of Duty 2 smoke is way better, better sound, more details in the clothing / environment etc, making a more emmersive experience overall.

Overall I'm very happy with the Xbox 360 and would recommend it to anyone wanting the sweetest graphics currently available on a console. I feel that mine will do me for many years to come :-)

Everyone take a second and read the review below mine. Now I cannot believe GPStore allows something like that to actually be posted on the product review. This is for stating your experience with the console to help consumers decide whether to buy it or not. Please keep the fanboyism to the forums. Comments like saying the Wii will be better has absolutely nothing to do with how the 360 is performing. Ignore all idiots like the one below thanks.

The 360 it should be batter than the PS3, but Nintendo Wii will be the best for the next G. can't wait to see it.

not much games can choice at the moment.!!!

So I've had this thing for about 12 hrs now, and have had at least 10 lockups. First hour last night had to do a system update and had 3 lockups. This morning the lockups make it completely unplayable.

Graphics are very pretty – you can see all the detail in the screenshots you are left with when it it hangs.

Given up playing, lockups on both NFS and Amped so it's not a game issue. Will call MS on Monday for a replacement or refund.

I give it 2 stars for being a little bit of fun while it worked.

This console is large. The cable that connects to the power socket on the 360 is heavy – this thing could possibly be used on suspension bridges (slight exageration). The power brick really is as large as what people were saying, and in fact it makes the brick for my notebook look tiny by comparison.

It is disappointing that this system does not come with a battery and charger kit as standard, but having said that the kit is quite cheap at under $40.

The user interface is really good, and is a huge step up from something like the PS2. I like that it is customizeable, so for example you can set a wallpaper and pick from three different “Blade” designs. Or perhaps you could splash out on a “theme”, although some are included with this purchase.

With the standard version of Windows XP you can stream music and photos over network to the 360. You can rip CD's directly from the console, but you have no control over audio quality settings. I really like the visualizer when playing back music, but some find it overrated.

One of the coolest things about the 360 is being able to download game demos to the HDD.

One more thing. The quality of the DVD movie playback is incredible, and it easily blows away my Panasonic RV-32 standalone player.

I really dont require much from a games console but a few things stand out for me about the 360 1: First and foremost the price is affordable

2:I like the amount of CD and DVD formats the 360 covers(more than PS3)

3:I like the fact its a dual layered dvd drive so with a modchip it should be cheap to backup those expensive games (god knows how much blu-ray disks for PS3 games will cost)

4:Love the fact the controllers are wireless if you choose (Same as PS3)

5:Like the fact you have a built in HD for saves or hacks.(very handy)

6:Like the free Xbox Live option

Thats pretty much it.In a few years when the next consoles are released Im sure Blu Ray will be standard and affordable so will upgrade to PS4 after my kids destroy their Xbox 360 lol

Out of Box Experience : Very good. The connectors are all colour coded and fit only the way right way

HD TV : It worked all the way to 1080i. Looks much better than the old XBOX

Media Cabability : Modest. Windows Media Connect is very basic (it is almost crippled) but at least it works. Plays iPOD music via USB

Age Restriction : Password control works for age restricted games :)

Live : The free Gold Membership for 1 month is interesting. Be prepared for big broadband costs !!! movies and demos are in the 500–700mb range

DVD : Works well as a player

Games : No comapatibility for Midtown 3. Halo 2 1 & 2 work well

Very good overall

xbox 360.

Is it a fine console? Yes. Nice controller? Yes User friendly? Yes Good Looks? Yes Does it provide the “New IT thing” buzz? Yes. Next Gen gaming? no. Hd Dvd Drive? Not yet.

When i heard of the xbox360 a while back now i thought of a great day when the windows creator would come up with a bug-free , not easy to hack device that didn't look like it would crush your car if you threw it out of a second storey window. And they delivered a great console complete with the “Next Gen” gaming tag. but when it comes to gaming they Failed. There is only one thing i will say in its defence. It looks good… in pictures. a)the controller doesnt come with a rechargeable battery or charger. b)it looks Massive next to my ps2 slimline and even my 21" CRT tv. c)NO HD DVD DRIVE MEANS MEDIOCRE GAMING AND EXPENSIVE ADDONS d)who wants to add a massive hd dvd drive onto their XBOX360 when it would kill the look of it?

i spent my $700 on my console just awaiting the $100-$300 hd dvd drive addon in which the xbox360 will truly perform as a NEXT GEN gaming console.

till then i give it 3 stars

unbelieveable graphics, awesome gameplay, endless media features, without a doubt the best console ever.

Geez, it's just games… why is everyone getting so worked up about uughh my 360 is so much better than the PS3, uughh the PS3 is going to be awesome… Don't you guys no that this nonsense is pointless?

Just choose what console/s you wan't and buy it based on YOUR opinion, not what others say.