Xbox 360 Elite bundle to take on PS3 Slim

By Mike Bantick
Tuesday, 25 August 2009 14:20

Entertainment

The best move Sony made recently was not so much slimming down the size of the PlayStation 3, but slimming down the price.  As a possible return shot it looks like Microsoft is readying a package that, at a nice price, includes the Xbox 360 Elite, the Wireless Network Adaptor and one of the most popular games of all time.

Gamezine.co.uk is reporting the possible sighting of a new Microsoft Xbox 360 bundle to go up against the PS3 Slim.

The PS3 Slim not only reduces the footprint both in size and power consumption, it also packs a 120GB HDD and Wi-Fi capability all for a new US$299 price tag.

One way Microsoft can immediately counter this shift was to bundle up the Elite Xbox 360 which matches the 120GB hard drive of the new PS3 model.

The link quoted in the report, is to online Canadian retailer The Source , the link is no longer valid seemingly due to it not being valid until August 28th.

When the link was available, it detailed a new Xbox 360 Elite bundle described thus:

"Limited Edition Xbox 360 Elite Halo 3 Bundle includes all the same features and accessories in an ELITE 120GB console (wireless controller included) but includes a bonus Halo 3 game and wireless network adapter!"

The price was listed as 325 Canadian Dollars, virtually matching the US$299 PS3 Slim pricing.

If this bundle does indeed emerge, and then makes its way out of Canada, it directly rivals that of the Sony offering, with a copy of Halo 3, extra USB interface and the very important inclusion of a HDMI connection cable to boot.

It smells like a new battle is brewing in the home console war as we countdown to the next generation of hardware.