Microsoft announced the latest Xbox One bundle. Dubbed the “Xbox One Elite,” it will include two notable upgrades from all previous models in the form of a 1 TB solid state hybrid drive and the company’s upcoming Elite Wireless Controller.
The interesting part here is not that the Elite console comes equipped with 1 TB of capacity; it’s that, unlike all of the previous Xbox One models, this one comes with a solid state hybrid drive. The data on the drive is stored on magnetic platters like a standard drive, while frequently accessed data gets cached onto the solid state partition within the drive. Microsoft said this results in 20 percent faster boot time when using energy-save mode (read: when the console is turned off entirely). If the performance increase of a hybrid drive on a PC is any indication, load times in some situations could be improved as well.
The Xbox One Special Edition Lunar White Controller is a standard Xbox One Wireless Controller with a special paint job. It features a bright white body, paired with a black upper section (including the shoulder buttons) and black underside. Both joysticks are black, as are the X, Y, A, and B buttons, and the D-Pad and triggers have been painted a shimmering gold color.
Microsoft has set the price of the Xbox One Elite at $499.99, and pre-orders for the console are now open. The Elite console will be available on November 3, but for the first month of U.S. sales, it will be exclusive to GameStop and Microsoft Stores. The lunar white controller will be available in late September for $64.99, exclusively at GameStop.
