320GB Xbox 360 hard drive launching late October

Microsoft has already announced plans to pepper retailers this holiday season with various limited-edition 320GB Xbox 360 configurations for games like Gears of War 3, Kinect Star Wars, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Gamers interested solely in the expanded hard drive are in luck, as the publisher said today that a stand-alone 320GB accessory will also be available in late October.

The Xbox 360's new top-tier hard drive will be priced at $129.99 when it launches later this month. Microsoft plans to sweeten the deal by including an Xbox Live download code for a free copy of Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars in all regions save Japan, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, and the UAE.

Microsoft has a history of introducing larger capacity hard drives in special edition console bundles before stand-alone retail availability. In 2009, the publisher revealed a number of limited-edition 250GB Xbox 360 hardware bundles, for such games as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Forza 3, before offering that hard drive as a stand-alone product in late 2010.

The Xbox 360 320GB hard drive will be compatible only with S model Xbox 360 consoles.