New Xbox model and new SKU most likely in the Q2 of 2008

Mar 10, 2008 08:43 GMT  ·  By

The PlayStation 3 keeps coming with lots of hardware changes and rumors, like the introduction of the 120GB console and so on. No words on the Xbox 360 until now and things needed a change - that's what Microsoft probably believed, since it's been quite a while since the 20GB console is available for purchase.

According to TrustedReviews.com, which claims to have a "rock solid" source, Microsoft will be replacing the old hard drives on their consoles with brand new ones, able to hold 60 GB of data. There is no date set for that yet, but it seems that the Q2 would be the best guess for a release date. Even more, the website doesn't even consider this a rumor - it is absolutely sure this will happen and goes to the point where they invite everybody who's been saving for an Xbox 360 to wait a little bit more and get the new version. Or maybe they're just hardcore PS3 fans (just joking).

Back to the Xbox, it seems that, together with the introduction of the 60GB model, we might get a new SKU (most probably, if this is to happen, we're talking about built-in Blu-Ray, since the format war is over). Trusted reviews also suggests that an external HDD could be another possibility, but knowing Microsoft's strategy, this is unlikely to happen.

Of course that an increase in the storage capacity would be a great thing for both the gamers and the company, since more DLC and games could be purchased without anybody worrying (at least for a while) about reaching the limit. On the other hand, the Xbox Arcade would suffer even more - and it's not doing too great at the moment, either. The hard-less console was the only one available on store shelves during the January Xbox shortage - and stayed there. Offering an even better alternative to it with a 60GB console would probably mean its death. Not that anybody would miss it to much. Maybe that's the exact reason why Microsoft is planning a price cut for it.