The good: Excellent selection of games, including many 360-only exclusives; all games are in native high-definition; user-friendly Dashboard interface; supports wireless controllers and accessories; Xbox Live service offers online multiplayer (with matchmaking and voice chat) and content downloads for most games; backward compatible with many--but not all--original Xbox titles; doubles as a superior digital media hub and Windows Media extender; online Marketplace allows easy purchases of mini games, addon gaming content, high-def movies, and TV shows.

The bad: The Elite fails to correct most of the annoyances of the original 360 version: The noisy DVD drive and cooling fan; a gigantic, oversized power supply; no built-in wireless networking; only three USB ports; a substandard DVD player; support for next-gen HD-DVD movies requires a bulky external accessory; online gaming requires a paid subscription to Xbox Live; proprietary wireless format limits third-party accessories.

The bottom line: While it's neither a must-have upgrade for existing 360 owners nor as feature-packed as the PS3, the Xbox 360 Elite's combination of top-notch gaming and digital media features make it the current game console of choice.

Read full review of the Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite »