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Microsoft Xbox 360 250GB gets UK release date

The Microsoft Xbox 360 250GB has been officially unveiled, but you'll have to wait to get your hands on it

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
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Richard Trenholm

Microsoft officially unveiled the new Xbox 360 250GB at gaming show E3, and it's a chip off the old block rather than a blazing departure. The new model packs a 250GB hard drive and 802.11n Wi-Fi, as leaked yesterday, but isn't the slimline version many hoped for. It will connect to Kinect, Microsoft's new name for motion-sensing webcam system previously known as Natal.

Microsoft reckon the 250GB model is 15 per cent smaller. It's slightly shorter than the current model, as the picture by our mates from GameSpot shows, but still has a similar waistline to the Xbox 360 Elite. Click here for GameSpot's hands-on first impression from the show floor at E3.

Differences include a new glossy black case, extra cooling vents, and a new external power supply. It has a total of five USB sockets, Ethernet, HDMI and an optical audio port so you no longer need a proprietary adaptor for sound. Microsoft also reckons it's whisper-quiet.

The console comes with wireless controller and headset. US customers get the new Xbox 250GB today, while online stores are offering the Xbox 250GB to UK gamers for £200, for release on 16 July.