Xbox 360

The Nyko Intercooler 360 is designed to reduce the internal operating temperature of the 360 and as a result, to prolong lifespan of the console. It connects to the exterior of the Xbox 360. I. There is no internal modification of the Xbox 360 required. A pass through power connection utilizes the existing Xbox 360 power supply negating the need for an extra AC adaptor. The unit also powers on and off automatically with the 360 and the Intercooler’s small size will fit in tight spaces like entertainment centers with the 360 displayed in either horizontal or vertical format. Many consumers, as well as the press, claim it scorches their consoles, “steals” power from the system and even cause the red ring of death.Yet Nyko created the Intercooler EX which has a new AC adaptor made of metal and therefore solves the problem with power “stealing” and the plug falling off.

Two exergaming accessories are designed for the Xbox 360, Dance Dance Revolution Universe and Gamercize, are currently available. Through backward compatibility the Yourself!Fitness instructional game for the Xbox can also be used.

The Wi-Fi (802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g) adapter is sold separately for an MSRP of $99.99 or £59.99. There are also many third-party adapters which are connected through the ethernet port, and recognized by the Xbox 360 as a wired connection. Using an official or third-party wireless bridge the console will automatically detect and link up with other Xbox 360 consoles that are within range and form a mesh network. When setting up a connection to an unlisted access point, there is an option titled ‘WPA2′ that is currently greyed out on the ‘Edit Wireless Security Settings’ screen. It is unknown whether or not Microsoft has plans to enable this feature through a future firmware or software update through Xbox Live.It is also possible to connect an Xbox 360 to a Windows XP wireless-enabled laptop or PC via an ethernet cable. If Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) is enabled on the laptop’s or PC’s wireless connection and the laptop’s LAN connection is enabled, the Xbox 360 should be able to share the laptop’s/PC’s internet connection.

The default faceplate (black or white) can be replaced with a range of custom designs, each sold separately. The prices of these custom designs are typically around $20 with more to be released by third party manufacturers. Microsoft has also distributed three promotional faceplates, one for those present at the E3 2005 unveiling, one for those at the Zero Hour launch event and one for VIP X05 attendees. While faceplates exist mostly for aesthetic reasons, it still serves several other functional roles like airflow direction, dust and particle deterrence, and protection for the DVD-tray and memory slots. Note that only the faceplate on the Xbox 360 can be easily replaced and not the other parts of the casing.

Optional detachable SATA hard drives are used for the storage of games, music, downloaded trailers, levels, demos, player preferences, and community-created content from Xbox Live Marketplace; it may also be used to transfer such content between Xbox 360 units. It is required to play original Xbox games and a select number of Xbox 360 games. The total capacity of the Xbox 360 Hard Drive is either 20 GB or 120 GB. Of this amount, approximately 6 GB is reserved for system use. Approximately 4 GB of that portion is reserved for game title caching and other hard drive-specific elements in games that support the hard drive, and an additional 2 GB is reserved for use by the Xbox 360 backwards-compatibility software.[17] This leaves users with almost 14 GB of free space on the 20GB HDD or 114 GB on the 120 GB HDD, to save game files, downloadable content and music, and other media. Depending on the market, the hard drive comes preloaded with content, such as videos and Live Arcade games or demos. There are two HDD sizes:

* 20 GB hard drive (US$99.99, GBP£69.99), available by itself or as part of the Premium package
* 120 GB hard drive (US$179.99, GBP£129.99), available by itself or with the Xbox 360 Elite SKU. As a separate product it comes with a data exchange transfer cable for moving content from a previous hard drive. The drive that is packaged with the Elite comes in black, while the separate drive comes in grey and includes a transfer cable.

The hard drive inside the casing of both 20GB and 120GB drives are standard 2.5″ (laptop sized) SATA hard drives.

The Xbox Live Vision camera was announced at E3 2006 and was released in North America on September 19, 2006, and Europe and Asia (except Japan, as the release date has not been confirmed yet) on October 2, 2006.At present there are 11 Live Arcade games which have camera functionality included, some of which are: UNO, TotemBall, Texas Hold’em, Spyglass Board Games, Pinball FX, Hardwood Backgammon, Hardwood Hearts and Hardwood Spades. The ability to create an in-game representation of a player is possible using this camera and a suitable game, similar to Sony’s EyeToy for the PS2. The retail games Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas and Vegas 2 allow players to create an in-game version of their face with this feature. The dashboard software released on June 13, 2006 added an option in the system tab to support its functions.

* Headset: allows gamers to talk to each other when plugged into the controller’s expansion port and connected to Xbox Live. The headset can also be used with a PC but requires a controller to do so. Some upcoming Xbox 360 titles may benefit from voice command. It has an in-line volume control and a mute switch. An official headset is not needed for a controller; any standard 2.5 mm socket handsfree set from a mobile phone will work as a headset. However, not all hands free headsets have volume control or mute functions.
Wireless Headset
The Headset can be used for in game voice chat, private chat, audio for video chat and in-game voice recognition. Up to four wireless headsets simultaneously on a single Xbox 360. The headset features a built-in rechargeable battery, which lasts up to 8 hours, and comes with a charger and an instruction manual. The headset fits over either ear and comes with two sizes of removable ear grips for a better fit. The headset uses the same 2.4 GHz wireless technology as the wireless controller and functions within the same 30 foot range and can be used with or without a controller connected to the console. The headset’s suggested retail price is GB£34.99, US$59.99 or AU$69.95.

Adapters and cables are available for TOSLINK, RCA (audio and video), S-video, Component video, VGA, D-Terminal, and SCART connections, depending on regional standard.On March 28, 2007 Microsoft officially announced the Xbox 360 Elite which includes a built-in HDMI port and a bundled HDMI cable. Currently all Xbox 360 models have an HDMI port.

Produced by Hori, it was only made available for purchase in a special-limited edition package of Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation. The Ace Edge package was only officially released in North America and Japan.

Guitar Hero II features a special guitar shaped controller (known as the Guitar Hero X-Plorer Controller, and modeled after the Gibson Explorer guitar) that is plugged in via the USB ports. The controller works just like a normal controller and may be used with other games, however it does not have the same number of buttons or joysticks which may limit other games. The controller is sold bundled with Guitar Hero II, some bundles of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, or available separately. It is also bundled with the PC and Macintosh releases of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock comes with a new designed controller that is wireless (called the Les Paul controller and shaped like a Gibson Les Paul), that works in the same way as its predecessor. Both these controllers also feature the expansion port which allows users to equip a wired headset for voice communication. The wireless Les Paul guitar controller has been tested to work on the Microsoft Windows operating system using the Wireless Gaming Receiver for use with the PC version of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, however, the wired X-Plorer is the only guitar controller officially supported by Aspyr Media (developer of the PC and Macintosh release).