Upgrading Xbox 360 Arcade

Right Out of the Box

Before you even think about upgrading your Xbox 360 Arcade, let's see what you get when you break that seal. The Arcade version comes with a wireless controller, which is what the other versions come with (except for the Core system). Inside the box, you get composite AV cables (the cable with the standard red, white, and yellow RCA plugs). The system itself is HDMI 1.2 capable and also has 256 MB of memory built-in to the system. Lastly, you get a disc with five arcade games that were originally available only to Xbox Live subscribers. The games are Boom Boom Rocket, Feeding Frenzy, Luxor 2, Pac-Man Championship Edition, and Uno.

The First Xbox 360 Arcade Upgrade

If you are going to play a lot of games, play online, or download the hundreds of pieces of online content available, then you are going to want to upgrade the storage capacity. The 256 MB found in the 360 Arcade just isn't enough to handle more than three or four games, especially if you are into sports game, which can take up tons of space.

Picture Quality

Since the Xbox 360 Arcade has HDMI support, you can ditch those RCA cables and purchase an HDMI cable provided your TV has that capability also. If it does, then you are in luck because you will get a superior picture (especially if the game developers used Hi-Def in the game) and superior sound. Now, if you don't have HDMI capabilities on your TV, then a major upgrade would be to purchase an LCD or Plasma with the HDMI input. The cable costs anywhere from $30-$50 and decent TV will set you back around $700-$1200.

An Easy Upgrade

Xbox 360 Core Arcade Bundle

Strapped for cash but need something extra with your Xbox 360 Arcade? How about just adding another controller to the mix? Not a system upgrade, adding a second controller will let your friends play. The games that come on the disc aren't solely single player games. Feeding Frenzy allows up to four players at once. One controller just isn't going to do it if you have friends.

Upgrading the Xbox 360 Arcade the Fun Way

Xbox Live is Microsoft's online gaming community. Since you have games included with the Arcade version that are made to mostly play online, why not upgrade your gaming status to Online? You can get a 12-month subscription or pay month-by-month if you desire. Of course, you must have a broadband connection. Dial-up will not work.

A subtle upgrade is to purchase a wireless adapter to plug into the Xbox so you can use an available router for wireless play. Plugging your Xbox in directly with an Ethernet cable gives you a more consistent speed, but your constrained by that same Ethernet cable if you need to place your Xbox in another room. A wireless router takes care of that.

HD Movies

Unfortunately, purchasing the HD-DVD peripheral for the Xbox won't do you much good since the disc format is not being supported anymore. One good thing though is that you can find the drive pretty cheap if you have HD DVD movies already. When it was announced that HD DVD lost the Hi-Def war, Microsoft dropped the price of the drive from $99 to $49. Some retailers even went lower. There will be a Hi-Def alternative soon for upgrading your Xbox 360 Arcade because Microsoft may soon be releasing a Blu-Ray player for it. This is, of course, just a rumor.

Make a Good Choice

Sure, the $279.99 price point for the Xbox 360 Arcade is attractive, but figure out what accessories you might need. You may realize that purchasing the Xbox 360 Premium or Elite edition would be a better fit for you.