The Difference Between the XBox 360 Arcade and Elite

Microsoft's Xbox 360 Arcade and Elite were both released in the U.S. in 2007. The Arcade was a basic version of the console, while the Elite was the top-end model. They were the same in terms of hardware, but had different peripherals and bundled extras. There were also cosmetic differences.

Storage

The Xbox 360 Arcade had no hard drive. Instead, it originally had a built-in 256MB memory card. Later versions had a 512MB memory card. This limited storage capacity prevented users from being able to download Xbox games and most content. The Elite had a 120GB hard drive, and later versions came with a 250GB hard drive.

Features

The Xbox 360 Elite came with an Ethernet cable, and early Elite models came with an HDMI cable. Neither cable was included with the Arcade. Later Elites did not come with the HDMI cable.

Considerations

Xbox Live gameplay generally requires a headset, which was included in the Elite pack. Arcade users had to buy a headset separately. The Xbox 360 Arcade came in matte white, while the Elite was matte black.

References

• CNET: Xbox 360 Arcade
• CNET: Xbox 360 Elite