Microsoft is giving its home console a gamer focused upgrade this fall. Earlier today the company unveiled the new Xbox One Elite Bundle as well as a new 'Lunar White' colored controller.
In a post on Xbox director of programming Larry 'Major Nelson' Hryb's website they showed off these new offerings.
On the surface, the new elite Xbox One looks the same as the original variant, save for a new matte black finish. Under the hood however, the console sports a few upgrades that are sure to entice the gaming faithful to Microsoft's console.
The big change coming to the Elite is a new 1TB solid state hybrid drive that will allow games to load up to 20% faster. The console will optimize system performance to ensure your games load faster via a feature called 'energy saving' mode.
Each Elite console will also come with 1 Xbox Elite Wireless Controller. The new gamepad impressed many when Microsoft unveiled it at the Electronic Entertainment Expo last June. It offers hardcore gamers a host of customization features like swappable D-pads, interchangeable paddles, hair-trigger locks, and superior build and construction. It also gives users the ability to switch between wired or wireless use.
The controller alone has a rather steep retail value of $149.99, but the entire Elite Bundle comes in at $499.99 total, which translates to about a $50 savings. Prospective buyers must note that the bundle does not come with the Xbox One's Kinect Camera.
The new lunar white controller is simply a different color variant of the standard Xbox One gamepad. No announcement was made on whether or not the Elite Controller would be getting the lunar white treatment as well.
The announcement adds another strong retail option for Microsoft's 2015 holiday slate. The company is betting that big marquee titles like Halo 5: Guardians, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Forza Motorsport 6 will push the Xbox One to the top of the sales charts.
