Elite won't replace existing Xbox 360 units, says Microsoft

Microsoft has confirmed that the new, 120GB-enabled Xbox 360 Elite won't replace the Core or Premium systems, with both still to be available in the future.

"At the moment there are three models of 360. They are separate models, and the Elite will not influence the other models' availability," a spokesperson told our sister site, Eurogamer.net.

Only the Elite will feature a black casing while the Core and Premium will still be grey, with peripherals compatible with all versions of Xbox 360 available in either colour.

Microsoft unveiled the Xbox 360 Elite this morning, revealing that it will launch across North America on April 29 with a price point of USD 479. Along with a bigger hard drive, the new machine will feature a HDMI port for high-definition output.

The 120GB hard drive will be available separately priced at USD 179. According to Albert Penello, director of global platform marketing, Microsoft will continue to primarily focus on the 20GB Xbox 360.

Speaking to Microsoft's Larry Hryb in a recent Xbox Live podcast, he stated, "The 20GB is still a sweet spot, we're still going to make sure that's what we're optimised for."