Xbox 360 Elite due "late summer", says HMV

While Microsoft is yet to announce an official release of the Xbox 360 Elite in Europe, High Street retailer HMV has indicated the new-spec console will be available by late summer.

"All we understand is that it's at some point perhaps around the late summer," a spokesperson told our sister site Eurogamer.net.

"We're expecting the product to be sold sooner rather than later, and obviously at that point we'll have a fuller idea of all their launch plans, precise timings, pricing and everything else from a retail point of view," added the spokesperson.

Tim Ellis, head of games at HMV, added: "I feel sure that there'll be demand for this product, and Microsoft now enjoys the level of brand penetration and player loyalty for it to be successful."

"There should be quite a few core gamers out there that may want to upgrade or who will at least want the extra capacity now on offer," he added.

The Xbox 360 Elite comes with a 120GB hard-drive and HDMI output and cable, as well as an all-black finish, headset, controller, component/SD cable and a one month subscription to Xbox Live Gold.

It is due to launch April 29 in the US.