Reviews// The Xbox 360 Slim

So, we've got a new Xbox 360 Slim! – I say “We” as in SPOnG but I mean “I” as in “MINE”! It's small, it's shiny, it's quieter and most importantly it was free because Microsoft gave me this new Xbox 360 Slim just for being at its E3 press briefing. The question you may be asking is “Should I buy one?” Well, the short answer is, “Most likely” but there's a lot to be weighed up.

First things first, if you already have a perfectly functional Xbox 360 (well as functional as those things have ever been) then chances are you don't “need” a new one. You most likely don't need the built in 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, though it sure is nice to have. You don't need the extra inch or so of space it will provide your entertainment centre, though if Microsoft hadn't made it at least a little smaller people would have pitched a fit. You certainly don't need its shiny black exterior and ever so cool (overly) touch sensitive surface power and eject buttons, but man are they shiny? Yes, yes they are.

The Xbox 360 owners out there who will be first in line for this new beauty are the ones who are probably tired of having to crank up their surround sound to hear over the fans in their current console. They are the ones who have either run a 50-foot Ethernet cable to their Xbox 360 or begrudgingly shelled out $100 for the absurdly over-priced Wi-Fi adapter from MS. For those of you, who like me, have a love/hate relationship with it, this is the Xbox we were always meant to have.

Now for anyone else who has maybe been waiting on the sidelines, biding their time for the price to come down and all those pesky manufacturing defects to finally be worked out after five years, this is also very likely the Xbox for you. The built in Wi-Fi is a breeze to set up. The unit itself is indeed quiet. It uses less energy both on and on standby. Not only is the machine itself smaller but that damned power brick is now more of a power burrito. It's still pretty big and noticeable (though mercifully black now) but not so large that you have to give it its own shelf. It should be noted that there is a new “Arcade” version coming out this Fall that will most likely be $200. While I can basically guarantee it will have a much smaller HDD (if at all), I've no idea at this time what other features will be trimmed or cut off completely to shave off that extra 100 beans. So, waiting and seeing may be the way to go.

If you're the sort of person whose been biding their time on the Xbox 360 front but couldn't resist the siren call of the Wii in the meantime this is also most likely going to get you to get your credit card out. Besides its superiority to the old Xbox 360 in every way (except for its slightly annoying incompatibility with the old HDDs and memory units) it's also “Kinect ready”.

Now that may sound like a silly marketing term invented to be put on a Starburst foiled sticker, but if you're at all like me it's actually a verywelcome feature. The Kinect readiness comes from having a special Kinect port that is basically a normal USB port that carries enough voltage to power the Kinect without a separate plug. Hallelujah! Having been the proud owner of the Xbox HD-DVD drive (not to mention a 32x, SegaCD, and the thing for the Colecovision that let me play Atari on it) I have a long built-up hatred for peripherals that require a second plug. I've got enough wire in my entertainment centre even with Wi-Fi and HDMI utilisation. Any time I can keep one more out of there I'm a much happier camper.

So, hardcore Xbox 360 owners will probably want to upgrade. More casual 360 owners might like some of the features but it's not super-compelling. People who don't have an Xbox 360 yet but have been thinking about it should probably get one.

I suppose that only leaves people who aren't interested in Microsoft's console range at all. To you I say, “What the heck are you doing here? Trolling for Sony perhaps?” At any rate I would still recommend it. It's just a very solid system all around. It's much more pleasing to look at. It runs better and has basically every feature people have been wanting tucked nicely inside (though a Blu-ray drive would have been a good touch). I got mine free, but for those first five minutes that I knew it existed, before I found out I was getting a free one, I was already coming up with rationalisations to convince myself and my girlfriend that we needed one. For reference sake there are some pretty solid trade-in deals to be had but I'm not sure how well that works if you want to transfer all your info to your shiny new baby.

Long story short, I love it. No real complaints. The transfer was a bit of a pain but not dramatically harder than transferring to any other 360. I've seen some people complain that it doesn't feel solid in the hands. Like the panels are too thin and that makes it feel cheap. I have to say at this point in my life I'm always glad to see electronics that show a little restraint. It's not a handheld, and when I do carry it I don't want it to be heavy. Plus the last thing the world needs is few more pounds of plastic for the sake of it. Kudos to MS on a mighty fine redesign.