X-Box + GTA = ?

April 29, 2008 10:23 AM

Which X-Box should I get?

OK, so Futureshop has the X-Box 360 in Elite, Pro, and Arcade variations. E-Bay also has the Premium X-Box, like wtf man? How about I get the chipotle version?

I want to buy an X-Box 360 to play the new GTA, which one should I get considering I want to get good quality but at a good price?

My last console was a PS2, and I am a PC gamer at heart, but the new GTA wth multiplayer just looks too sweet to pass up. Help!

posted by Vindaloo to computers & internet (22 comments total)

Previously
posted by chrisamiller at 10:26 AM on April 29, 2008

Don't buy the Arcade; it lacks a hard drive.

Get the Premium/Pro, unless you really think you'll use the extra HD space of the Elite - that's the only advantage it offers.
posted by Tomorrowful at 10:27 AM on April 29, 2008

For GTA, you want a system with a hard drive. The Xbox 360 without a hard drive is less than optimal for the game, people report slower load times and more glitches on the Core/Arcade.

No Hard Drive Versions:
Xbox 360 Core
Xbox 360 Arcade

20 GB Hard Drive Versions:
Xbox 360 Premium
Xbox 360 Pro

120 GB Hard Drive Versions:
Xbox 360 Elite

Get a Pro or Elite, and make sure it is a Falcon version.
posted by curse at 10:27 AM on April 29, 2008

You should also consider whether or not you want an HDMI port. All Elite SKUs and the newer Premium/Pro ones have this (there's a label on the box to look for). I don't think the Core or Arcade do, but I could be wrong.

Minor nit: It's "Xbox", not "X-Box"
posted by 0xFCAF at 10:32 AM on April 29, 2008

I don't think any Core system has HDMI. Arcade systems do. But no hard drive should be a deal breaker here anyway.
posted by curse at 10:38 AM on April 29, 2008

Get a Pro (what I have, and it's great) or an Elite (would I have bought if they'd had them at the time).

Once you've had enough of GTA, try buying a used copy of any of the following: Gears of War, Bioshock, Halo, Call of Duty 4, Rainbow Six Vegas 2.
posted by misha at 10:49 AM on April 29, 2008

No Hard Drive Versions:
Xbox 360 Core
Xbox 360 Arcade

20 GB Hard Drive Versions:
Xbox 360 Premium
Xbox 360 Pro

120 GB Hard Drive Versions:
Xbox 360 Elite

The Elite and Premium/Pro are essentially the same, assuming you get a brand new one, the only difference being:
The Elite has a bigger HD
The Elite is black

You'll manage well enough with a 20GB HD if you're just playing games and downloading the odd Arcade game or content pack; if you're planning on storing lots of music/photos/whathaveyou and downloading hi-def movies (or if you just really like black), get the 120GB.

But yeah, def get one with a HD, no hard disc means much much smaller space for saved games, extra content, Arcade games, and some games with perform noticably worse due to the lack of HD cache space.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 10:55 AM on April 29, 2008

Don't buy used. You want that warranty. (Not a bashing: I love my xbox!)
posted by nitsuj at 11:16 AM on April 29, 2008

this is a repost of a comment I made a while ago:

         | Color | HD Space | HDMI? | Price | Extras

Arcade   | White | none     | yes   | $279  | 5 Arcade Games

Pro      | White | 20GB     | yes   | $349  | Headset, network cable

Elite    | Black | 120GB    | yes   | $449  | Black paint, headset, ethernet and HDMI cables

Microsoft did a spot of rebranding when the consoles started coming with HDMI ports, so any one of the three varietals of XBoxen 360 currently available will have HDMI. The old XBox 360 "Core" and "Premium" won't.

figure out if you need the bigger hard drive BEFORE you buy the system; adding on a hard-drive is always more expensive than upgrading your model.
posted by heeeraldo at 11:21 AM on April 29, 2008

Another vote for the Pro, which is what I have. You definitely want the hard drive, but the 120 GB drive is totally unnecessary unless you are downloading HD movies from xbox live, buying lots of Xbox originals, or you have a strange phobia of deleting game demo's.
posted by utsutsu at 11:37 AM on April 29, 2008

Yes, but one with a hard drive. FWIW, I have the lowest level 20 gig version and haven't filled it up. But I'm 37 and don't have that much time to mess with it.

My understanding is the HD improves the performance of some games (Oblivion, for one).
posted by jeff-o-matic at 11:39 AM on April 29, 2008

to jump on. Which version of the Ps3 Should I be getting to most enjoy GTA3?
posted by JonnyRotten at 12:14 PM on April 29, 2008

JohnnyRotten: Do you mean GTA4 (2008) or is that a question about the backwards compatibility to play GTA3 (2001) from the PS2 on the PS3?
posted by ALongDecember at 12:24 PM on April 29, 2008

Argh.
Too many numbers. Yes. GTA4. I am quite interested in backwards compatibility though.
posted by JonnyRotten at 12:31 PM on April 29, 2008

On the PS3 note: If you want a new system, the answer is simple. Of the two models currently in production, only the 80GB can play PS2 games.
posted by ALongDecember at 12:55 PM on April 29, 2008

Wasn't there word of a price drop for 360's soon? Or was that just in Europe?
posted by pilibeen at 1:35 PM on April 29, 2008

Actually, I'd reccomend getting an elite if you can afford it. The movies on live expire, but the tv shows don't and my wife and I run out of space a lot because we like to have things like all the Sarah Silverman shows on hand to re-watch. Plus, you'll probably end up buying those accessories anyway, so you'll pay less in the long term.

But, that's only if you can afford the cash up front.
posted by lumpenprole at 1:51 PM on April 29, 2008

Microsoft introduced a new motherboard design using a 65nm process CPU which is supposed to help with the overheating/red ring of death defect--details on what to look for here--some stores may still have older stock, so look it over carefully before you buy.

Regarding HD size: The 360 can apparently play mp3s and videos off an external USB drive as well, so the small drive on the 20gb models need not be a deal-killer. I understand that Xbox Live Arcade games & demos don't work on external drives, though, and without knowing otherwise I'd assume the same is true of the videos sold on Xbox Live. Anyone with actual experience of this, feel free to chime in...
posted by arto at 2:14 PM on April 29, 2008

Get the Arcade and buy a hard drive on eBay. Retail, the hard drives go for US$99, but you can get them on eBay refurbished with warranties for around US$30.

This is exactly what I did about two months ago, and I'm very happy with my choice and awaiting playing my brand new copy of GTA IV when I get home tonight.
posted by joshrholloway at 2:52 PM on April 29, 2008

After going back and re-reading:

1. Yes, indeed the Arcade has HDMI. It's the same box as the Pro and the Elite, just different accoutrements.

2. You can always play music and video from a flash drive or external hard drive as well as a standard Xbox 360 hard drive. You can also stream media from a PC (or Mac using Rivet), so you're still flexible there.

3. Yes, definitely buy new.
posted by joshrholloway at 2:55 PM on April 29, 2008

I bought the Elite, simply because of the hard drive space. You can, of course, swap out for a bigger hard drive later if you don't get the Elite. I just didn't want to worry about it, and I wasn't sure how quickly the drive space would get used up with game saves, extra game materials, and multimedia content.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 3:06 PM on April 29, 2008

Thanks for all the great answers.
posted by Vindaloo at 6:19 AM on April 30, 2008