In Pictures: Xbox 360 Elite

The Elite's wireless controller is the same as that of the Xbox 360 Pro, except that it comes in black, to match the Elite console. Microsoft rates the controller's wireless range at up to 30 feet. It claims battery life of up to 30 hours on two AA batteries.

The High Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) is new to the Xbox. The HDMI 1.2 port allows you to pump high-def video at up to 1080p. You can also bring multichannel surround sound from your Xbox to your TV set or audio-video receiver via a single cable connection.

The included HDMI cable connects through the unit's HDMI 1.2 port.

The Elite expands the Xbox's hard drive capacity from 20GB to 120GB. The hard drive is removable. The big drive gives you more room for gaming content, as well as for all of the content you can purchase and download at the Xbox LIVE marketplace, including high-definition movies, TV episodes, and music.

This cable provides composite audio inputs and an optical audio input. The best (and default) digital audio output option is Dolby Digital 5.1.

The Elite includes a standard gaming headset with microphone. At the base of the headset's connector is a microphone on/off switch and a built-in volume dial.

The Component HD AV cable has component video, S-Video, and composite audio inputs.

The hard drive transfer cable is not included in the $480 price. But you'll want one if you plan to transfer your downloaded content from your existing Xbox to your shiny new Elite. A few catches: You can move data from only one 20GB Xbox to one 120GB Xbox; you can move data only once; and some data may not play due to digital-rights-management issues.

Like all Xbox 360 systems, the Elite has three powerful core processors. It creates a video image with a 16:9 cinematic aspect ratio and anti-aliasing for smooth textures, and produces full 5.1-channel Dolby Digital surround sound. The Xbox HD DVD Player remains a separate peripheral, though; that's an extra $200.