Microsoft to Supply Wireless Controller, HDD with Xbox 360

by Anton Shilov
07/26/2005 | 08:29 PM

At a recent press-conference in <%BANNER[article]%>Tokyo , Japan , Microsoft unveiled the accessories bundled with the Xbox 360 and available at the launch. The main news is that Microsoft would still ship the new gaming console with a hard disk drive, something that was in doubt before.

The Xbox 360 packaging will officially include the console itself, a hard drive, a wireless controller, a headset and an Ethernet cable, according to IGN web-site. Specifications of the hard disk drive, e.g., capacity, speed, type of interconnection, hot-plug possibility are unclear just yet. Microsoft did not allow attendees to picture the packaging or hardware, possibly because they are subject to change.

In addition, Microsoft has demonstrated a number of accessories, which are likely to be available at launch of the machine later this year. The list of showcases items includes wireless controller; memory unit; wireless network adapter; hard drive, universal media remote controller; face plates; S-video AV cable; VGA HD AV cable; component HD AV cable as well as various batteries and charge kits, possibly for wireless controllers and universal media remote.

Microsoft Xbox 360 console is based around microprocessor developed by IBM, high-definition visual processing unit designed by ATI Technologies, I/O controller engineered by SiS and some other key components. The gaming machine will feature optional wireless network connectivity and will provide a broad set of multimedia capabilities, it is projected.

The Xbox 360 game machine from Microsoft is set to launch in early November in the U.S. and later this year in Europe and Japan . Final pricing of the console is unclear, but some analysts suggest that it would cost $399. Microsoft may be rather aggressive in terms of Xbox 360 sales and may ship up to 3 million consoles already this year, according to a report by Goldman Sachs.