Unless you've been living in a Buddhist Temple in the mountains of Tibet for the past few months you will be well aware that the Xbox 360 has launched in the UK. Although there has been a massive amount of coverage and speculation in the technology press regarding the 360, the general marketing has...

As the first next-gen console to hit the market (a full year before the Nintendo Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 ), Microsoft's Xbox 360 used its head start to build up a superior lineup of exclusive games and superior features.

Microsoft has revealed its new console, the Xbox 360. As can be seen from the picture opposite, the console is smaller, curvy and more stylish than the console before it, with the addition of being able to stand vertically or horizontally.

The Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system places you at the center of the experience. Available this holiday season in Europe, Japan, and North America, Xbox 360 ignites a new era of digital entertainment that is always connected, always personalized, and always in high definition.

When we first saw its face in a Italian ad, more than one Engadget editor called its bluff: "The top half doesn't line up with the bottom," some said, "that's got to be Photoshopped.

Whisper quiet; Energy efficient; Integrated 802.11n WiFi

Generates more heat; Still uses proprietary HDD system; No hi-def playback out of the box

Lots of nice features, highly recommended!

Excellent graphics

Two years on from its first outing in the UK, Microsoft brings us the Elite, a new take on the Xbox 360 console aimed at satisfying the gaming fraternity, but has the new additions to an old friend been worthwhile? We get gaming to find out.

HDMI socket; 120GB hard drive; great graphics

Power pack is massive; still noisy

Standing out has been an important part of Microsoft's philosophy with its latest console. Unique features that seem small and insignificant at first, like achievement points for in-game accomplishments, have taken off and proven to be a huge boon for the Xbox 360.

If you want the best then there is no contest: the Xbox One is faster and more powerful than its older brother. And it offers greater home-entertainment, connectivity and interface features.

The Xbox360 is by far the most enjoyable and most rewarding gaming machine I have come across. It uses minimal power, switches off automatically after 1 hour of inactivity and has heat sensitive buttons like an elevator. And what's more, it's from Microsoft!