Microsoft console · Generation 7
Xbox 360
Xbox 360: Microsoft's second console (2005). Core, Arcade, Elite, S and E models, motherboards, the Red Ring, special editions and timeline.
History of the Xbox 360
Microsoft began planning the Xbox's successor in early 2003, with working names such as Xenon and Xbox Next. ATI handled the graphics chip and IBM designed the Xenon processor, with three PowerPC cores. Early development kits ran on Power Mac G5 computers. The console was due to ship with 256 MB of memory, but Epic Games persuaded Microsoft to double it to 512 MB with Gears of War in mind. It was unveiled in May 2005 and detailed at E3 that year.
It launched on November 22, 2005, in the US and Canada, December 2 in Europe and December 10 in Japan. Production began only 69 days before launch, and it sold out everywhere except Japan. It reached 36 countries in its first year. There were two versions: one with a hard drive and the cheaper Core. Early units failed often, showing the so-called Red Ring of Death, and Microsoft extended the warranty to three years.
Its strength lay in its games and in Xbox Live, which combined online play, downloads, achievements and Xbox Live Arcade. Gears of War and Halo 3 were its biggest hits, and several games first planned as PlayStation 3 exclusives also came to Xbox 360. Kinect, the motion sensor released in 2010, extended the console's life. In Japan, however, it never managed to challenge Sony and Nintendo.
Microsoft released the Xbox 360 S in 2010 and the Xbox 360 E in 2013, the year Xbox One arrived. Production ended on April 20, 2016, although the last games, FIFA 19 and Just Dance 2019, came out in 2018. Many of its games can be played on Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles. The console's store stopped selling new content on July 29, 2024.
Milestones
2003
Development begins; ATI signs on in August to make the GPU.
2005
Unveiled in May; launches on November 22 in North America, December 2 in Europe and December 10 in Japan.
2007
The Xbox 360 Elite arrives, and the Arcade replaces the Core.
2008
The New Xbox Experience interface is released on November 19.
2010
The Xbox 360 S launches in June, followed by Kinect later that year.
2013
The Xbox 360 E is unveiled at E3 on June 10.
2016
On April 20 Microsoft announces the end of production.
2024
The store stops selling new content on July 29.
Models and revisions
The hardware variants of the Xbox 360 and their model numbers.
Xbox 360 Core · 2005
The entry launch version: no hard drive, a wired controller, a composite video cable and a white disc tray. Replaced by the Arcade in 2007.
Xbox 360 (Pro / Premium) · 2005
The launch version with a detachable 20 GB hard drive (60 GB from August 2008), a silver disc tray and a wireless controller. Dropped in 2009.
Xbox 360 Arcade · 2007
The Core's replacement from September 2007: adds HDMI, a wireless controller, a 256 MB memory unit and five Xbox Live Arcade games.
Xbox 360 Elite · 2007
The 2007 matte black model with a 120 GB hard drive, HDMI output and a matching controller and headset.
Model historyXbox 360 S · 2010
The 2010 redesign: smaller and angular, CPU and GPU on one 45 nm chip, built-in Wi-Fi, a Kinect port and lower power draw.
Model historyXbox 360 E · 2013
A revision of the S unveiled at E3 2013, with a two-tone Xbox One-style case, one fewer USB port and no optical or component output.
Xbox 360 Xenon · 2005
The original motherboard: 90 nm CPU and GPU, no HDMI and a 203 W power supply. It is the board most affected by the Red Ring of Death.
Xbox 360 Zephyr · 2007
A redesigned board from April 2007 that adds HDMI and the HANA chip; it keeps the 90 nm chips.
Xbox 360 Falcon · 2007
A September 2007 board with a 65 nm CPU, running cooler and quieter; it uses a 175 W power supply.
Xbox 360 Opus · 2008
A 2008 board briefly used to replace Xenon boards sent in for Red Ring repairs: like the Falcon, but without HDMI.
Xbox 360 Jasper · 2008
A November 2008 board with 65 nm CPU and GPU, a 150 W power supply and 256 or 512 MB of internal flash in the Arcade.
Xbox 360 Elpis · 2009
A repaired Xenon board with an updated GPU, used from mid-2009 in consoles returned for the Red Ring.
Xbox 360 Tonasket · 2009
A September 2009 board with 65 nm eDRAM, the Kronos GPU revision and a new RF module.
Xbox 360 Trinity · 2010
The Xbox 360 S board (June 2010) that merges CPU and GPU into the 45 nm XCGPU chip; 135 W power supply.
Xbox 360 Corona · 2011
An August 2011 S board that removes the HANA chip and folds its role into the southbridge; 120 W power supply.
Xbox 360 Waitsburg · 2012
An early 2012 S board that removes the CPU's POST_OUT traces.
Xbox 360 Stingray · 2013
A slightly modified Waitsburg board for the Xbox 360 E, from June 2013.
Xbox 360 Winchester · 2014
The last board (August 2014): a 32 nm chip with eDRAM on die, a simpler board and a fix for the Reset Glitch Hack.
Special editions
Limited editions, colours and commemorative bundles.
- 2005
Launch Team Edition
A white console with green trim given only to the launch team, with an engraved hard drive plate.
- 2007
Halo 3 Special Edition
A green and gold Xbox 360 Pro with HDMI, released alongside the game.
- 2007
The Simpsons Movie · Estados Unidos
A yellow Xbox 360 Pro promoting the film; 100 were made and given away in a sweepstakes.
- 2009
Resident Evil 5 Limited Edition
A red 120 GB Xbox 360 Elite with a red controller and the game.
- 2009
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Limited Edition
An Elite with game branding; the first Xbox 360 announced with a 250 GB hard drive.
- 2009
Forza Motorsport 3 Limited Edition
A black 250 GB Elite with two controllers and the game.
- 2010
Halo 3 y Halo 3: ODST · Canadá
A black 250 GB Elite with both games, sold only in Canada.
- 2010
Final Fantasy XIII Limited Edition
A white 250 GB Elite with an extra faceplate themed on the game.
- 2010
Splinter Cell: Conviction Limited Edition
A black 250 GB Elite with two controllers and the game.
- 2010
Halo: Reach Special Edition
A silver 250 GB Xbox 360 S with Halo sounds on power-up and tray eject.
- 2011
Gears of War 3 Limited Collector's Edition
A metallic red Xbox 360 S with 320 GB and sounds from the game.
- 2011
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Limited Edition
A 320 GB Xbox 360 S with game artwork and sounds.
- 2012
Kinect Star Wars Limited Edition
A 320 GB Xbox 360 S styled as R2-D2, with a white Kinect and a gold C-3PO controller.
- 2012
Kinect Family Bundle
A glossy white 4 GB Xbox 360 S with a white Kinect.
- 2012
Halo 4 Limited Edition
A 320 GB Xbox 360 S with a translucent case and blue lights.
- 2014
Xbox 360 Special Edition Blue Bundle · Estados Unidos
A blue 500 GB Xbox 360 E sold at Walmart and the Microsoft Store.