The world of Xbox 360 is here, advancing the online gaming community with one of the most sophisticated, and mind-blowing gaming systems on the planet. Taking the world by storm since it’s introduction on MTV in the summer of ’05, the platform introduces the gaming world to one of the most advanced, sophisticated and mind-blowing platforms ever!

The Xbox 360 platform was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SIS, and according to Microsoft, has sold over 22 million units worldwide as of September 30, 2008. The Xbox 360 is available in three console configurations: the “Arcade”, the “Pro or Premium”, and the “Elite.” Each of these consoles comes complete with its own collection of Xbox 360 accessories, including wired and wireless controllers, faceplates for customization, headsets for chatting, webcams for video chatting, Gamercize and dance mats for exercise, three different sizes of memory cards, as well as three sizes of hard drives–120GB, 60GB, and 20GB–each of which are designed to match the console.

With a myriad of Xbox 360 peripherals available on the market, and in a wide variety of styles colors and configurations, Xbox gamers will have their hands full, building the perfect gaming system. Here are just a few of the top categories of Xbox 360 accessories along with their descriptions:

* Consoles

At the heart of the Xbox gaming system, the console is the “heart, soul and brains” of the platform. It’s sleek, ergonomic desktop design looks great in either horizontal or vertical placement. The Xbox 360 console is the component into which nearly all other accessories are attached. The unit measures 3.3 by 12.2 by 10.2 inches and weighs a mere 7.7 lbs. It’s power comes from a custom IBM PowerPC-based CPU with three symmetrical cores each running at 3.2 GHz. Furthermore, the console contains a custom ATI graphics processor having 10 MB of embedded DRAM, 48-way parallel floating-point dynamically scheduled shader pipelines and Unified shader architecture. As a point of reference, this is enough power to enable the system to draw 500 million triangles per second….more than needed for great looking games in standard TV definition, which is made even more awesome thanks to built-in support for HDTV 1080i televisions. The console even supports the widescreen 16:9 format. Out of the box, the Xbox 360 console employs a 12x dual-layer DVD-ROM drive, which plays both games and progressive-scan DVD movies. For game-save and media storage, users can select between the detachable and upgradeable 20GB hard drive, or a 64MB flash Memory Unit (sold separately). In addition to storing files, the hard drive makes the Xbox 360 backward-compatible with part of the existing Xbox game library.

* Controllers

The hand-held Xbox 360 controller allows gamers to access and navigate any and all on-screen activities. With its boomerang shape, the controller is iconic of the Batman symbol. The Xbox 360 controller fits very comfortably in both hands, and its ergonomic design provides two analog pressure-point triggers and vibration feedback motors, a left and right should button and an eight-way directional pad. Wired and wireless models of the controller are available. The wired controller comes with a 9-foot break-away controller cable. At the center of the controller, there is a glowing Xbox Guide button which allows user to quickly access their music, digital movies, and game libraries. They can access Xbox live to contact their friends, or customize their gaming experiences. Also included in the controller is a port for a headset. Since the dawn of all controllers, the standard Xbox 360 controller ranks among many users as the best one ever made.

* Adapters

Wireless network adapters let you configure your Xbox 360 system to your home wireless network to quickly get online and into the game. These adapters are easily configured, seamlessly synchronizing with the Xbox 360 system. Once connected, you can easily transfer videos and music to your system from your Media Center PC, chat with friends, play games via Xbox Live and more, all without the clutter of wires.

* Batteries & Charge Kits

It is highly recommended that you use rechargeable battery packs and charge kits with your wireless controllers. These battery packs will eliminate your need to buy disposable batteries. The packs last over a year with its normal rechargeable life, and will recharge your batteries even while you’re using your system. When your Xbox 360 system is shut off, the unit can still be recharged by connecting it to the USB port on your computer.

* Hard Drives

With the Xbox 360 Hard Drive, you can expand your Xbox 360 experience with downloadable content. These devices let you save your games, Xbox Live gamer profile, game demos, and custom soundtracks from your own music collection. The device also lets you play an assortment of original Xbox games and even comes preloaded with an Xbox Live Arcade game, music, and videos.

* Headsets

A wide variety of different Xbox 360 headsets are now available which work in harmony with your Xbox 360 system. These headsets are available in a number of styles: over-the-ear, earbud headset…even wirless headsets are now available. And as you’d expect, each style is flexible to meet the specific needs and requirements of every Xbox 360 gamer. As you’d imagine, you will get enhanced clarity and performance from these stylish headphones, along with comfort and ergonomic design. Included in each headset is state-of-the-art audio technology that will provide you with years of clear, clean and crisp reception and audio delivery.

* Remotes

A wide assortment of Xbox 360 remotes–from the Light Up Wireless Remote to the Universal Media Remote–will enhance your gaming experience. Functioning as an integrated control center for the entire Xbox 360 experience, the Universal Media Remote is a crowd favorite. You can even play DVD movies and music, or control both your TV and Media Center PC via single button control on this single remote. If you’d prefer a self-programming remote that learns the functions of the other remotes, then the Intelligent Remote 360 may be just the ticket for you.

* Faceplates & Skins

Faceplates and console skins are sticker graphics that allow the Xbox 360 gamer to customize their hardware components towards their own personality traits and characteristics. The typical faceplate and skin designs range from the psychedelic to iconic representations of favorite Xbox 360 games like Halo and Guitar Hero II.

* Cables & Wiring

Enhance your Xbox 360 gaming experience with the right cables and wiring. By upgrading your cables if/when you upgrade your television, you can retain the sharp, crisp details you’ve come to enjoy from your Xbox 360 system. If you were to convert from a CRT television to a 60-inch plasma, for example, you could lose a tremendous amount of resolution in the process without having the right cables. Upgrade to Xbox 360 VGA HD AV cables, and you will quickly see that game images became crisp and intense. The details will appear sharper; fonts displayed during a game character’s conversations will become significantly clearer and more legible. With the right cables, you will certainly notice the quality difference you get through something as basic and fundamental upgrading the wiring.

As you can see, the Xbox 360 system is hardly a generic, one-size-fits all platform. Rather, it is a highly sophisticated, multi-component gaming system allowing users to customize their game play based upon style, preferences, and performance needs. These features make the Xbox 360 one of the most advanced, unique, and customizable gaming systems on the market today.

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