Xbox 360: Which System Is Right for You?

Choosing whether to buy an Xbox 360 at launch will be tough, especially since there will be two very different bundles: a full bundle equipped with all accessories for $399, and a more-basic system for $299. Find out which is right for you.

The basic $299 Core system will include a console, a wired controller, and standard composite AV cables.

Xbox 360 Core System

The core Xbox 360 package may not have all the accessories that the full system package does, but for some consumers, the options may be sufficient. In order to cut costs, Microsoft had to pare down the Xbox 360 to its core elements to offer a more-affordable, mass-market consumer-level package. For $299, the core system includes the console, a force feedback wired controller with nine feet of cable, and composite AV cables. Should you decide to play a game that will require you to save your progress, you'll also need to pick up a separate memory card, but as mentioned, the hard drive is optional, so it's implied that developers will be optimizing their games for the Core system, without requiring the hard drive. Currently, Microsoft plans to offer a first-party memory card that stores 64MB of data. According to Microsoft, "every 360 owner is a[n Xbox Live] Silver subscriber," but you won't get a headset. The package lacks many of the full system's features, but it's also $100 cheaper.

Andrew Park/Senior Editor

When Microsoft first announced it would release two different 360s, most of us made up our minds to get the hard drive version for the extra 100 bones. Most of us probably also agreed that the Core system, which will come with only a wired controller and a composite video cable, will be for so-called "mainstream" users, like uninformed friends and relatives who will buy the system for their soon-to-be unpleasantly surprised loved ones. However, the unit will cost $100 less, almost enough to buy two games (or one new game and a 64MB memory card). And for those of us who don't need the hard drive's functionality to keep track of things like multiple saved games or streaming in huge environments, the $300 bundle may actually make sense. It's also true that the cheaper system also doesn't come with a headset, but for those who aren't looking to immediately jump into Xbox Live, this isn't a problem either.

Some of us are only looking forward to a few games, and some of us will be playing them on the PC anyway.

But who's crazy enough to not want to play games with huge environments, or online? Maybe those of us who don't have broadband; those of us who already acutely feel the sting of the new $60 price tag for 360 games; and those of us who aren't convinced that the 360 is right for a long-term investment, especially if only a few of the launch games seem appealing. (As well as those of us who own good PCs and prefer launch-window games like Oblivion and Call of Duty 2 on our computers instead.) And anyway, a good portion of the launch lineup will be sports games that are still enjoyed the old-fashioned way: on the couch with friends. If all you want is the next Madden with your pals, just with better graphics, you might need an extra controller (or just tell your buddies they need to BYO). If you'd like to also play career mode, then you can grab a memory card to save your season and you're set. If you need more games and accessories, you can go out and get more...but considering the wide-open launch window, some of the most sought-after games might not be available for a while, and several will make an appearance on the PC anyway.

James Yu/Senior Hardware Editor

Since Microsoft announced that 360's hard disk drive would be optional, it seems reasonable to assume that developers will cater their games to the lowest common denominator by making games that work just fine without a hard drive. Not many developers will bother to add that support to improve game performance or augment gameplay when they know there will be a large group of system owners that don't even have a hard disk. The console landscape is littered with hardware accessories that were marketed as expensive add-ons or only packaged with the most expensive system bundles. Remember Nintendo R.O.B., the Sega CD, and the PlayStation 2 hard disk drive?

Beware. We all know what happened the last time a hardware publisher tried to add a hard drive to a console.

With all the uncertainty surrounding the hard disk drive, the basic Xbox 360 Core system just might be the best refuge for gamers that want an Xbox 360 but don't want to buy a hard drive attachment--at least until Microsoft can actually prove that the hard disk is a worthwhile accessory. The lack of storage will make saving games and maintaining a gamer profile an immediate problem, but the Xbox 360 memory card won't stay at $40 for very long.

I'm sure my colleagues have stressed the $399 system's value proposition, and I can see how a lot of people will want the extra accessories. However, if you're limited on funds, you can put that extra money you save from buying the Core system into a memory card and an actual game. Better yet, just forget the memory card and put all the money toward your first game purchases.

As for the accessories, I'm willing to bet that accessories of a higher quality or at least of lower cost will be available soon after launch, and it's possible you'll end up replacing a lot of the bundled accessories over time anyway. The Xbox 360 controller works with corded Xbox headsets and should also be compatible with cell phone headsets. If the hard disk actually takes off, you can count on seeing larger Xbox 360 hard disks on the market. Don't get stuck with a 20GB hard disk; even the iPod has more storage than that. Keep your options open with the Xbox 360 Core system.