Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on

Looks like the Japanese will be first off the blocks to receive the HD DVD player peripheral for the Xbox 360 this November, with other countries around the world receiving stock some time later. The add-on will cost approximately $170, which is much cheaper than going out to pick up a brand new HD DVD player. It is a rather strange move on Microsoft’s part as Xbox 360 sales in Japan are nearly non-existent despite being launched twice. On a side note, Microsoft has upped the ante in the next-generation console war by introducing a software update that allows for 1080p resolution. One question though: is this true 1920×1080 pixels support or just an up-scaling on 720p (or 1080i) content to 1080p?

The difference in cost compared to a stand-alone HD-DVD player is explained by the fact that you only really get a drive. The processing movie decoding is provided by the console, obviously. In the short term, it’s good for current Xbox 360 owners as it is truly cheaper than buying real HD-DVD player. In the longer term, it’s better to have everything in one box rather than two.

Some people are asking if Microsoft would ship an updated Xbox 360 with an integrated HD-DVD. I personally believe that they won’t simply because new games won’t be able to rely on it because so many consoles have already shipped.