Updated: Don’t buy that console: Falcon Xbox 360 to land by September
If you’re in the market for an Xbox 360, it may be in your best interest to wait. The refreshed model to the 360 hardware, codename Falcon, is coming soon and it may hit stores as early as late August.
Last month, we came across a rumor implying Microsoft is speeding up Xbox 360 redesign efforts in order to end problems causing the Red Ring of Death. This month, Ben Kuchera of Ars Technica reports his Microsoft source indicate the refreshed Xbox 360 will soft launch (launch without announcement) in late August or early September.
The new machines should take the place of the Core and Premium models and make HDMI standard since those are the only two lacking HDMI.
Kuchera asked about the HDMI connection in the Halo 3 themed Xbox 360 at E3 and was told: “HDMI will probably be standard moving forward,” supporting his Microsoft source.
The source also indicates the new Core and Premiums will feature the 65nm process for the CPU, making the cheaper, quieter Falcon Xbox 360 a reality. The packaging shouldn’t change much at all except that there will be some kind of indicator on each box pointing out that you’re getting an HDMI equipped machine.
Ben Kuchera believes much of this makes sense as it all lines up with what he’s heard before about what’s happening behind the scenes at Microsoft headquarters and factories, but he points out that, despite how solid this seems, that it could just be a rumor in the end.
On the other hand, I believe this is bound to happen, and this is why: Currently, when you buy a 360, there’s a one in three chance that the one you’ll receive will break. This is unacceptable and it’s costing Microsoft a lot.
Microsoft doesn’t have a choice but to redesign Xbox 360 internals, and the Falcon Xbox 360 (or something similar) will happen very soon (before the Holiday rush) if Microsoft wishes to benefit from the 360.
Until then, find out how to tell if you’re current Xbox 360 is likely to break here.
Update: The redesigned Xbox 360 is slowly making its way into stores, although it is still possible to buy the one of the older units. The new ones have HDMI ports, although they don’t come with HDMI cables. The internals are redesigned to prevent the red ring of death, but they don’t have the 65nm process chips. These are Microsoft’s answer to the red ring of death problem. The Elites don’t have this problem, so if you’re going to buy an Elite, don’t worry about what “version” you get. Basically, just look on the box to check if it has an HDMI port, and, if it does, you’re good to go.
Update: It turns out, according to SlashGear, that at least some of the Halo 3 edition Xbox 360 units are shipping with the 65nm CPUs. The GPU remains the same, but the smaller CPU should theoretically increase reliability.
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35 Responses to “Updated: Don’t buy that console: Falcon Xbox 360 to land by September”
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August 8th, 2007
i feel like a real b*tch having bought my 360 last year in december..lucky i haven’t seen any red rings yet, but every time i play it i feel very tense.
hope it doesn’t get bust before i get halo 3 though, that would suck *ss. until the 25th of september i’ll be sticking to my PS3…however, if my 360 does breakdown, i don’t think it will be the end of the world, i’ve always been a Playstation fanboy!
August 8th, 2007
Too many versions!
I’m aware that the ‘Red Ring of Death’ is an issue that needs fixing, but Microsoft need to stabilize their line-up to make it easier for the consumer: one version – one price. Perhaps the purpose of this Falcon model is to bring some stability, but if it is indeed being released toward the end of the summer it will undoubtedly cause confusion. There would be a total of FOUR different SKU’s available unless retailers can shift all the Core units by then. And Microsoft could pretty much do without any confusion around the time Halo 3 comes out.
August 8th, 2007
“…toward the end of the summer…”
Sorry, or winter of course
August 8th, 2007
So, 2 years after the xbox 360 launch it becomes obsolet, thats faster that the 4 years of the xbox.
“Video component is enough, not hmdi needed” thats words gone with the wind since the elite launch…
“With the core we gave the consumers options” now they say some games will need a harddisk to play them, so you will need buy it from microsoft for more than the $100 you save with the core, the core always been a rip-off…
“You can play the next generation now, we are the first in the market” well, all we know how the ended, and many have played less with the time their console was in repair…
“HD-DVD add on, because we dont want to forze an unproved technology” lol, unproved technology result the xbox 360, if you want give the consumers real option why you dont release a Blu-Ray add on too, you indeed forze th HD-DVD to xbox customers and that format is in agony.
SO AFTER ALL THIS LIES, WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE THE NEW XBOX WONT RRD… i know xbox 360 elites that went the RRD and the elite is 65nm (falcon)
August 8th, 2007
the 4th line of the last post should be:
“You can play the next generation now, we are the first in the market” well, all we know how the RUSHED CONSOLE ended, and many have played less with the time their console was in repair…
i guess the post dont allow show TAGS
August 8th, 2007
Dude – this is very old news. A UK 360 site broke this story about 3 weeks ago.
http://www.xbox360wire.co.uk/2007/07/18/redesigned-falcon-xbox-360-coming-sooner-rather-than-later/
August 8th, 2007
To Grimble:
I wrote a similar story around the same time that the Xbox 360 wire story came out, but this story is updating the rumor with inside info from Ben
Kuchera of Ars Technica which the Xbox 360 wire story didn’t feature.
Apparently, Ben has an inside source who told him about the plans of a 360 hardware refresh. Ben also adds that it may come out earlier than suggested in your 360 wire article article, hitting in late august or early september.
Obviously it’s based on the same rumor, but this story adds info (and some new info) from a other sources to the mix.
August 8th, 2007
LOL silly people who buy microsofts CRAP! To bad cause the PS3 is way better
It is such a pitty that everyone is so damn CHEAP cause the PS3 IS a much better system and it made much better.. YES BUY A GAMING SYSTEM from a company that brought us the ZUNE, WINDOWS VISTA ( Which is a piece of shit operating system that is laggy and full of bugs! It is the new windows millenium of now ) What else did they bring US OH YEAH! ( THE INFERIOR! HD-DVD Format ) This piece of crap format holds less space and it is cheaper to make ( LOL WELL GO FIGURE! ) Im sure everything microsoft makes is cheap! God Im so sick of Microsofts half efforts I cannot wait for GOOGLE TO COME OUT WITH THERE NEW OFFICE SUITE AND SMASH THE HELL OUT OF THEM! Not to mention many other companys including APPLE that is going to thrash MICROSOFT in the long run! I just hope I get to see it sometime soon..
August 9th, 2007
christ on a cross, i didn’t know monkeys could type.
August 10th, 2007
does that new black xbox have wifi straight out the box or yet again do you get fleeced for a crappy usb adapter to un lock it?.
$ for $ PS3 is better value if you spec up a 360 (hd dvd add on ,charging pack for controlers wifi, card readrs , bluetooth, motion sesing , it doesnt break ,free online play , free downloads form ps store, you have all its features from the out the box .
i still like the 360 every console has its good games but i just cant help thinking once sonty get their act together the games churned out will be as succesfull as the PS2 was. that ninja gaiden sigma kicks ass.
August 10th, 2007
ps sorry about the spelling above
August 10th, 2007
i totally agree with FINESTGAMER. Google should bring out an operating system and smash microsoft off everyones pc. to be honest, can you think of a microsoft product you havent had problems with.
August 11th, 2007
I totally agree that the PS3 is the best gaming system around that has virtually no games to play on it. So does the fact that it’s meant to play games and has none available make it the best gamming system? I know, I know in the “future” it will have lots of games, but until then everyone will be stuck with their ugly looking PS3 paperweight.
August 20th, 2007
For real, that would be an amazing idea by Google to come out with its own office suite or even operating system. Vista is crap it is like the millienum addition, do u know how much ram u need to run it normally, without lag. 360 wins console race right now untill PS3 can get some games. I am leaning toward getting the 360 elite, even with all the crap it has, once they change that chip size that is. If PS3 offered all the same stuff, at 475.00 i would buy it, i hear no one complain about the size of ps3, unlike the first xbox’s size, which came with a bigger Hard Drive then the 360 does. Microsoft tries to take short cuts turns out with crap, hopefully they realize this and fix it before it becomes the dreamcast. Which i did like the dreamcast was a much better system the ps2, and N64.
August 23rd, 2007
I myself am waiting for the “Falcon” Machine to be in circulation, and wait and see how many of them fail before purchasing one! I used to be a fan of the original playstation, but i think the purple ps2 put me off, and went down the xbox route! I still find myself now wanting an xbox 360 more than a PS3, but only time will tell, Microsoft has shown us what we may have to come in the future, but lets see if Sony can pull anything out of the bag!? On the discussion of Google bringing out own office suite or OS… do none of you people use Linux yet? Open source is the way forward! We won’t have corporations screwing things up then eh!
August 25th, 2007
Halo 3 is comming out so I decided to get a Xbox 360. But does the Xbox 360 have the falcon chip in it?does it have the same problems as premium and core do? If someone could answer these questions id apreciate it.
I am Australian if that makes any diffrence.
August 29th, 2007
As of the time you bought your console, The falcon Xbox 360s hadn’t come out yet. So, the one you bought doesn’t have the new chip in it. I hope you saved your receit.
August 30th, 2007
Vista is a pretty amazing operating system – even in beta it was significantly ahead of Apple’s system. I wonder why so many of these Sony fanboys people just hate MS without any real reason – MS have made computing affordable and reached everyone with year by year better and better products. I must have brought about 1,000 MS products in my life, software and hardware without a problem. Maybe the RRoD is because people actually play on the Xbox 360 and have been doing so for a long time – whereas the BS3 has only been out a little while, hardly anyone has one, the games and grpahics are second-rate and they only use it to play inferior Blur-ray discs
Plus they try and make you pay a fortune – so really MS is about choice and afforbablity and Sony is overpriced and forces you into buying their system only. Remember the RootKit!
September 16th, 2007
I am on my 4th XBox 360, each on failing with red rings. I am totally hacked off. Selling it on ebay, whilst it still works, and picking up a PS3, now the good games are coming.
September 16th, 2007
@Mike, you really have been brainwashed by Microsoft havn’t you.
You post shows signs of desperation, trying to defend Microsofts 11 million faulty consoles, and even making crap up about the PS3.
Face it, you jumped in early, and Microsoft screwed you over, with a cheap and nasty unreliable hunk of junk.
PS. Read up on Rootkit, before making yourself look a fool, Sony “rootkit” was not actually a rootkit at all,.
September 17th, 2007
Xbox is crap and will always be crap. They never last more than a couple years. MS always has to come out with new one.
Good luck buying your MS that you have to replace every 2 years. If they didn’t have Halo the first system would have been their last console.
September 18th, 2007
I Think all Xbox 360 users with the rrod or any other problem should sue M$. They completly screwed people over yet 360 fanboys are still defendind them. Just get over it. Crap happens. Get M$ back for all the crap they put you through. i sure would but i don’t have to because my ps3 is still working since launch day. Just like all the rest. Sorry M$ Fanboys something needs to be done or else M$ will continue pulling this crap off. its pretty sad
September 19th, 2007
You know why MS made a Core right??? so you’d have to buy it when the premium 360’s RRod …then all you have to do is swap your HDD and other crap to the cheaper one!!
September 22nd, 2007
Danny, any update on the Falcom Xbox 360 circulation? I’m asking because I have a buyer for my current 360. I am wanting to by a new one for the HDMI feature, but want to wait for the new chipset.
September 22nd, 2007
The redesigned Xbox 360 is slowly making its way into stores, although it is still possible to buy the one of the older units. The new ones have HDMI ports, although they don’t come with HDMI cables. The internals are redesigned to prevent the red ring of death, but they don’t have the 65nm process chips. Basically, just look on the box to check if it has an HDMI port, and, if it does, you’re good to go.
September 23rd, 2007
Danny: So is the 65 nm chip not going to be used at all? Or are the “redesigned internals” as far as they are going to go?
I’ve been wanting to buy a 360 for a long while, but wanted to wait for the Falcon model … should I go for it now, or will i have better luck waiting for the 65 nm chip (if it is coming at all?)
October 1st, 2007
If you want the 65nm CPU now, the only units shipping with with it are the Halo 3 Xbox 360s (check the update to the article). You won’t see any difference in performance with the new chip, but it should theoretically increase reliability.
October 10th, 2007
Is there a sticker or something on the packaging for the Halo 3 Xbox 360 that says it has the 65nm CPU? Just because it has the HDMI port doesn’t mean it has the 65nm CPU. For those claiming the Halo 3 units have the 65nm CPU, how do you know before purchasing?
October 11th, 2007
ok after hearing all of you complain and dis one another i had to comment. First of all I have both the PS3 and the 360. I really like both but to tell you the truth i really like my 360 more then the ps3. why? because the 360 has alot more games. it integrates with your network. The games look great(as do the ps3’s). The biggest thing the 360 has going for it is Xbox live. Xbox live is perfect. Sure you have to pay for the service but you get what you pay for. The ps3 has alot of potential for performance in the future but i currently feel like it was a waste of money. There are absolutely no good games (except for resistance) but even then it doesn’t justify the money i spent on it. I have had it for a while now and still no good games.
P.S how many times have you heard someone talk about the great online gaming on any Sony consul. I haven’t heard anything about the great online play because it sucks just like the PS2’s online play sucked. It’s free but it is not an enjoyable experience.
Xbox 360 all the way.
October 12th, 2007
I’m blown away by the percentage of ps3 fanboys here. What do you even use it for? If you’re going to be a sony fanboy, do it with a playstation 2. At this point, playstation 3’s are just status symbols that do little more than show off how poorly you read the market. I might get a playstation 3 someday but only when I know I’ll be getting what I paid for. For now there are two other great consoles with a much more interesting game lineup.
October 18th, 2007
I have a Halo 3 Limited(Special) Edition XBox 360, and I have the updated cooling fin and copper tube. I didn’t take it apart, but when you shine a bright light in the bottom of the console, you can tell the added cooling fin, with copper heat pipe end. Both the CPU, and GPU have copper pipes which help alot. My XBox runs warm after a few hours playing Halo 3.
**Wipes Forehead**
January 6th, 2008
I totally agree with Surg. I the ps3 is in no way better than then 360. whoever said blu-ray disks hold more than hd-dvds should read more b/c that margin is virtually nil. The formats even use the same codecs. Besides 8.5 GB DVD can hold about 85 minutes of 1080p video encoded with VC-1 or AVC at an average bitrate of 13 Mbit/s. Anything over 20 GB is just wasted space. HD-dvd has been approved for up to 51 GB with if i am not mistaken is greater than blu-ray disk with only supports up to 50 GB.
The ps3 is not even technically superior to the 360. Three multipurpose processor cores will ALWAYS beat one multipurpose processor with six DSP/SPEs. The ps3’s single multipurpose processor core is even burdened with the task of controlling the DSPs. If we take for example the type of processing required for games we notice that only around 20% of the calculations can even be done on the DSPs. Why on earth would someone develop a processor for an application that it is not physically suited for? The CELL processor is meant for modeling and server farms where multipurpose processors are not needed, not for video gaming. The Cell just makes ps3 games harder to develop than 360 games.
The falcon is the final nail in the coffin as far as the xbox 360 vs ps3 fight is concerned. Now the xbox’s only original weakness of having a really high failure rate has been curbed. The new 65 nm process is even ahead of your beloved sony. Nothing will topple the rule of the mighty xbox 360, not the weak wii with its gimmicky motion sensing terrible graphics, and certainly not the poorly designed ps3 with its very slow access blu-ray drive and its lame processor.
XBOX RULES.
January 14th, 2008
You know what sucks? If ms cant make a core system that works, then how on Gods green earth are they gonna make one with wifi, endangered hd-dvd, and a 320gb hd? My 360 gets played once every week whereas my ps3 gets turned on everyday. Hey finest gamer, my ps3 tag is Deusthousand hit me up if you want a new friend and anybody else on here who has a cutting edge ps3. Go Sony!
January 14th, 2008
You know what sucks? If ms cant make a core system that works, then how on Gods green earth are they gonna make one with wifi, endangered hd-dvd, and a 320gb hd? My 360 gets played once every week whereas my ps3 gets turned on everyday. Hey finestgamer, my ps3 tag is Deusthousand hit me up if you want a new friend and anybody else on here who has a cutting edge ps3. Go Sony!
March 17th, 2008
I was a proud owner of a 360 for 9 months, and lat night i go to play some oblivion, and BAM. I bought a 2 year warranty from best buy. I took it in today, replaced my old hunka junk, with a new one, right off the shelf, with hdmi and falcon chip. Hooray. I go to plug it in, turn it on, and it sounds SOO MUCH QUIETER THEN MY OLD ONE.