Xbox 360
Wi-Fi Adapter

The rear of the unit has a power connector, an AV connector, Ethernet port, and a single USB port. The system also has connection points that let you easily mount the official Wi-Fi adapter on the rear of the unit. Installing the adapter is as simple as snapping the device into place and plugging in the USB cable.

After installing the Wi-Fi adapter, our system could automatically detect all the open wireless networks in the area. The console can automatically configure itself to connect to open networks, but you can also edit your settings from the Dashboard menu in case you wanted to configure the system for a more-secure private network. The system runs fairly hot, so you'll want to keep the back of the system clear of any obstructions because all the heat exhaust exits from the rear.

Xbox 360 Hands-On Report

By James Yu

The Microsoft Xbox 360 is scheduled to hit store shelves November 22, but we managed to get a system for a little hands-on testing. We've seen the 360 system at countless press conferences and numerous hands-on events, but it's still an incredibly gratifying experience to actually get a system into our offices for some quality testing without having to worry about a PR representative watching our every move.

The $399 Xbox 360 system comes with chrome trim, and a super-sized power brick.

The Xbox 360 system has a clean face, and all the front elements incorporate curved edges and rounded buttons to fit in with the console's modern design. Looking at our system, we immediately noticed that the DVD media tray and eject button feature chrome highlights. In comparison, the media tray on the Core system only has a plain plastic exterior that matches the rest of the case--yet another reason to choose the full Xbox 360 system over the Core model. The 360 isn't that much smaller than the original Xbox, as the footprints are roughly equal, but the 360 system's elegant lines make the unit look much smaller than its bulging predecessor.

The console unit itself weighs about 8 pounds and has a nice substantial feel when you hold it in your hands. The solid feel of the system is reassuring. Maybe we've been exposed to one too many mediocre third-party controllers, but we're wary of hardware equipment enclosures that have an excessive amount of empty space. The system is also well balanced, since it's designed to sit vertically or horizontally. But the one notable weakness in the design has to be the system power brick. Microsoft was able to slim down the size of the system by switching to an external power brick. We've made fun of oversized laptop power supplies in the past, but they're practically svelte compared to the 360's power unit.

The console power button is surrounded by a green "ring of light" that lights up according to how many active controllers are being used with the system. One quadrant will light up for each controller present, and the system knows if it's oriented vertically or horizontally so the first controller light will always be in the upper left. The ring also functions as a system indicator to let you know when the console is working. You can plug controllers or portable media devices into two USB ports hidden behind a panel to the right of the power button. We plugged an Xbox 360 controller for Windows into the 360 and the system recognized it as a normal controller. However, we recommend going with wireless controllers, since the system only has three USB ports in total, and the rear USB port looks like it's positioned for the 360's USB Wi-Fi adapter.

The Controller, HDD, and Backward Compatibility

The controller itself looks like an evolved version of the basic Xbox Controller S. The D pad, two analog sticks, X, Y, A, B, and trigger buttons are all in the same locations, but the universally despised black-and-white thumb buttons have been replaced with left and right shoulder buttons that are easier to use. The controller also has its own "ring of light," and you can press the Xbox logo in the center of the gamepad to access the Xbox guide in the middle of a game. Plus, you can hold the button down to turn the system on or off. The Xbox guide is a great side menu that gives you immediate access to your messages, friends, and music. The menu also has a small battery indicator at the top to let you know how much power your wireless controller has left.

You'll need the hard disk drive accessory if you want to play legacy Xbox games.

Syncing the wireless controller to the system takes a couple of steps, but it's mostly just hitting buttons on the controller and the console and then waiting for the two devices to find each other. First you press the small, circular "connect" button to the right of the memory slots, and then you press the "connect" button on top of the 360 controller. The lights on both units will dance for a bit before matching up. The wireless controller uses a sealed rechargeable battery pack, but it can also use a plastic battery sleeve that holds two AA batteries.

Chrome highlights aside, most console gamers will pick up the full $399 Xbox 360 system because it includes the 20GB hard disk drive. The HDD attaches to the left side of the console, or top depending how the system is oriented. The drive actually lies against the side of the unit rather than sliding directly into the body. A small connector is the only part of the HDD that plugs into the system. The system resets if you remove the HDD while the system is running, and it resets again when you reinsert the HDD. The HDD comes preloaded with a couple forgettable HD videos, the Xbox Live Arcade game Hexic HD, and a small music sampler. However, it still struck as odd that the system only reported 13GB of free space when we checked the HDD.

Xbox 360 owners will need the optional HDD to maintain backward compatibility with Xbox games. Our early retail unit could play Halo and Halo 2 right out of the box because the emulators come preinstalled on the 360's HDD. However, Microsoft has just announced that the console will be backward compatible with over 200 Xbox games at launch including popular franchises like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Ninja Gaiden, but users will need to connect to Xbox Live to download the free software update. 360 owners without Xbox Live access can download the software from Xbox.com and burn it onto an installation CD, or Microsoft can ship you the upgrade CD for a small shipping and handling fee. Microsoft expects to adds more Xbox games to the compatibility list on a regular basis with a particular focus on top-selling games and games that have a large Xbox Live player base.