Microsoft Xbox 360 Pro 20 GB White Console (PAL)

I just wanted to share my experience with the XBOX 360. I have the old xbox and going for the new one I went straight for the XBOX 360 elite with the 120gb and improved chipset after seeing so many broken white 360's on ebay for spares and repair. The hard drives are mostly used for downloadable content like films and games downloaded from XBOX live. If you dont intend to download much you wont need a massive hard drive - 60GB is more than enough for most people!

I unpacked it all and set it up - its very easy to do but you will need to connect it to the internet to let it update itself to the latest software (you dont have to but its best to). You only get one controller (unless you buy a bundle) you will need a second controller for two player games. You can connect to the internet wired if you like by using the included network cable. If you want to play against other people online you then have to buy a xbox live gold membership - more money!! I suggest looking on eBay for xbox live scratch cards as I found you can buy a months membership cheaper on ebay than most shops.

XBOX's are prone to overheating which then causes the motherboard to warp and this is what causes the 360's to crash and get errors (known as the red ring of death or RROD for short). To stop this happening I bought a clip on external fan unit which is advised to protect your investment. Its a shame Microsoft havent improved the cooling system if heat is such a problem and built in wireless would be a massive bonus (like other consoles now have). I didnt find the fans / console noisey like some people have mentioned but i guess that depends on how close you are to it, ambient noise and size of the room etc..

You can play most original old xbox games on the 360 - there is no need to buy one of the "xbox 360 update disks" advertised on ebay, these dont do anything important. If it needs to the 360 will download an update / patch automatically the first time you play an original old xbox game. Playing old xbox games is a bonus if you dont want to fork out full price for a 360 game. You cant play the original xbox games over xbox live on te 360 - only local play.

A good point of the 360 is most of the games are full 1080p HD (or at least 720) so you get a nice crisp gaming experience. A good quality HDMI cable is included and you also get component leads should you want to use those. Colin McCrae Dirt is an amazing HD racing game. Overall an OK console but the constant spending on extras and XBOX Live membership is annoying and you cant help like you are being fleeced for every penny.

To save money on the wireless adapter dont buy a £50-£60 official xbox adapter buy a wireless bridge (about £25) this gives you a wireless access point to which you can connect any wired device so just buy the bridge and connect the xbox to it with the included cable and you are done.

I hope you will vote "YES" for my honest review. I like to write proper reviews not ones saying "great item now visit this website and get one for free!" which if you dont know are a con!

Bought this off of ebay, as my son wanted me to get one due to him having one at his home. Got for a great price and it is a great machine. Fantastic graphics and so much better than my Wii. Easier to understand how to use, controls are great, really clear picture, and using older style TV. All round I can find no fault at all in the system, graphics, sound quality and ease to use. 10 out of 10 and to me much better than the PS3. Just need to get a kinnect for it now and will totally replace my Wii for good. Best games machine I ever purchased and total value for money

The Xbox 360 console is great the "20 GB/60 GB PRO CONSOLE" is great if you just want the console for games but if you want to watch live TV from sky player in the United Kingdom or watch netflix in the usa then you would be better with a little bit more juice like the elite console which comes with a 120 GB hard drive or the Xbox 360 slim which has a huge 250 GB Hard drive which is fantastic for the good game and using the wireless internet connection that most people have.

I know I have moved off of the item I am supposed to be reviewing so lets move back to the pro console okay so the pro console has child lock settings so that your child can have set times like if you say go to bed at 8pm you can set the Xbox not to work again till 9am or to be off from 3pm-7pm or your own time.

The pro console is light in weight yet does not lack in efficiently it can have a wireless controller or wired depending on preference it comes with 3 USB slots and space for an Ethernet cable to connect to the internet and most consoles come with a slot for an HDMI cable. It is also read to connect your Kinnect into.

Well it is time to end my review to I will end by saying thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope that it helps you with your decision to buy an Xbox 360 Pro console or other Xbox 360 console.

In my opinion it is the second best gaming console in the world, PS3 only slightly better with BLU-RAY playback. The 360 has better games like HALO (not on PS3) etc. The graphics are brilliant even on SD tv. It is quiet compared to consoles like PS3 Original and Nintendo Gamecube. The only thing I am not happy about is the fact MICROSOFT didn't include a BLU-RAY drive like SONY. Overall a brilliant console and would recommend to all my friends!

The elite X-box is a great console and just as good as a PS2. I bought it off ebay,as i used to have one but unfortunately it stopped working. There are a huge variety of games available to buy new or 2nd hand for this console available at great prices on-line and also in gaming shops. The graphics of the games are brilliant for the hard drive it entails.

I would recommend the x-box elite console to all**