[Updated: Information from official press release added]
Xbox chief Don Mattrick has announced the long-rumoured slimmed down version of the Xbox 360.
“Sleeker, smaller and whisper quiet,” he said that it will come with a 250GB hard drive, in-built 802.11n wi-fi and cost $299, the same as the existing high end model. The Elite Xbox 360 will drop by $50 to $249 and the Arcade by the same amount to $149.
The new console is shipping to US stores today and will be available to purchase later this week. Everyone attending Microsoft’s E3 conference is being given a free one tonight.
The producer of Xbox Live show Inside Xbox said via Twitter that the device will launch in Europe on July 16.
We'll update this story with more details as they're announced.
Here's the information regarding the console straight from a Microsoft press release:
"Microsoft also surprised the world with a new Xbox 360 console designed for the future. Back in black, the new Xbox 360 is sleek, silent and sexy. Connect in seconds to the always- expanding world of Xbox LIVE through built-in Wi-Fi N and store twice as many games and entertainment on a 250GB hard drive.
"The newly designed console is whisper-quiet, so the silent tension of a game or movie is never broken. The new Xbox 360 system also comes with everything you need to get started, including an Xbox 360 wireless controller, Xbox 360 headset, HDMI input, USB flash drive storage capabilities and more, and a one-year limited warranty on the console, available this week and priced at $299.99 ERP."
