Buying a XBox360

Online Forums XBOX Live!
1

Hey everyone !

I’ve been playing SF4 on PC ever since its release and I just can’t stop :slight_smile:
Sadly, the PC SF4 community is getting very small rather quickly and I really want to play online against good players. Also, the release of SSF4 on PC will most likely be delayed from the console release.

So I’m thinking of buying a XBox360 and play on XBox Live.

I bought a XBox360 TE fightstick ( which works great on PC ) so PS3 is not an option ( I know I could dual mod it but I’m going with Xbox360 ).

This is where I need your advice. There several options when it comes to buying a XBox360 and I just don’t know which one to chose.
I plan to play on my computer monitor using the VGA Cable (sold separately) fox Xbox.

Here are the options :

Xbox 360 Arcade
Xbox 360 Pro [REFURBISHED]
Xbox 360 Elite

You can get more info on each model on xbox.com and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/xbox_360

I’d like to know your experience with the different models, should I avoid refurbished ? arcade ? … is the elite’s price tag worth it ?

Thanks a lot :slight_smile:

[EDIT]

If this belongs to the Tech Forum, please move this post. Sorry.

2

If you ONLY plan on playing SF4, I would vote get a 360 used off CraigsList. You can find’em pretty damn cheap, and usually bundled with a few games. If you intend on playing some of the many other amazing games, I’d vote get an Elite. Last I heard, they don’t even sell the Arcade bundle anymore… I use my 360 primarily for SF4 and Netflix. If you have a Netflix account, you’re gonna really like the setup on the 360.

3

I’ve had an Xbox 360 Pro w/60GB hdd for over a year now and it’s been treating me great; no RRoD yet thankfully! I typically have 4-5 games installed on the hdd at any one time and rest is for Rock Band DLC and XBL Arcade games.

Having said that, I could do with even more hard drive space so I would definitely recommend you getting a new Xbox 360 Elite and not an Arcade nor a Refurbished system.

Amazon actually has a decent deal right now for the Xbox 360 Elite as seen below.

Xbox 360 Elite Winter 2009 Lego Batman / Pure Bundle - $293.99 w/Free Shipping + $50 Amazon.com Gift Card

[LIST]
[]Includes LEGO Batman: The Videogame and PURE
[] 120GB hard drive
[] Sleek black console with matching wireless controller and headset
[] HD ready - with an HDMI port (HDMI cable sold separately)
[*] Ethernet cable
[/LIST]

As for hooking the 360 to your computer monitor via VGA, I use this for my personal setup (standard 19" Acer LCD, works great!):

Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable - $32.49 w/Free Shipping

Although it might seem pricey, I would stick with the Microsoft brand so that you’ll experience no compatibility issues.

Next, if you want to use your headphones, you’ll need one of these (which attaches onto a plug that comes with the VGA cable, as seen here):

3.5mm Stereo Coupler F/F - $5.02

To play online, you’ll need an Xbox Live Subscription:

12-Month Xbox 360 Live Subscription Gold Card - $39.99 w/Free Shipping

And don’t forget your 360 copy of Street Fighter 4 - $27.99 w/Free Shipping!

In summary, here are all the essential items you need to be playing SF4 on Xbox Live with your current computer monitor.

Xbox 360 Elite Winter 2009 Lego Batman / Pure Bundle - $293.99 w/Free Shipping + $50 Amazon.com Gift Card
Xbox 360 VGA HD AV Cable - $32.49 w/Free Shipping
3.5mm Stereo Coupler F/F - $5.02
12-Month Xbox 360 Live Subscription Gold Card - $39.99 w/Free Shipping
Street Fighter 4 - $27.99 w/Free Shipping

Total Price: $293.99 + $32.49 + $5.02 + $39.99 + $27.99 = $399.48 w/Free Shipping + $50 Amazon GC

Subtracting the $50GC, you are essentially paying only $350 for everything!

To be honest, if you shopped around for a cheaper priced 12-Month XBL Subscription and cheaper copy of SF4 (i.e - Used), you can probably save another $10-20.

But considering the convenience of getting all this in one go validates the purchase more.

Hoped my post gave you an idea of all the costs involved to make your decision.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

Good luck!

4

Great post ^^

I would also like to add that once you get your 360 and you sign up for Xbox Live that you select that you want SILVER membership not gold.
This gives you a 30 day trial so you have more gaming time 8)

5

Hey guys !

I finally bought a X360 Elite.
The community is MUCH more active than on PC and players are overall better.
I’m glad I did it :slight_smile:

Thanks for your help everyone !

6

Hopefully you got a 360 with a Jasper unit in it.

7

THIS!
Your best bet for a jasper model 360 is buying the arcade model.

8

Congrats, great decision on the Elite!

Hopefully someone else finds my long post useful!

9

I love my Jasper 360 because my launch ran out of warranty and was a RROD veteran.

The Jasper runs alot cooler and is pretty quiet compared to my older 360 that I towel trick and use in the garage.

10

I am clueless when it comes to XBOX. I have a PS3, and its ok, but frankly, I’m sick of getting booted out of rooms, and random disconnects. Is the network for XBOX better? Does anybody here have both XBOX and PSN, and can give me an opinion on both?

11

The best way to go

12

I can’t speak for SF4, but the unanimous consent of HDR players is that LIVE >>>>>>>>>>>>> (To the infinte power) than PSN

Also whoever made the CL comment, words of great thrifty wisdom. Just make sure you see it in person first :smiley: