5 Things to Do When You Get Your Xbox 360

By: Sarju Shah - Posted on October 20, 2008

Microsoft recently slashed prices for the Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 Arcade bundle tumbled to $200, and the Xbox 360 with a 60GB hard drive fell to $300. Without a doubt, late adopters and early holiday shoppers will hop aboard for some fun. To make the experience even better, we've compiled a top-five list of things to keep in mind after purchasing the console.

HDTV

Any TV would work fine with older generations of gaming consoles. However, the Xbox 360 thrives in an HDTV environment. The added resolution that an HDTV provides takes advantage of the processing capabilities found within the machine. Many games output amazing visuals at both 720p and 1080p. Higher resolutions make the games appear more crisp, detailed, and vibrant in comparison to a standard television.

HDTVs cost as little as $300 these days, and prices on larger screens continue to drop. A few years back you could expect to pay $2,000 to $3,000 for a 50-inch screen. Nowadays you can find one for a little more than $1,000. To properly use an HDTV, make sure to connect your console with an appropriate cable, an HDMI cable if possible, or component video cables if that isn't an option. Feel free to penny-pinch on the cables. Unless you need tremendously long cables, the cheapest set will likely work just fine.

Xbox Live Gold

Online play sets the Xbox 360 apart from the other consoles. Microsoft's Live service defines what online gaming should be on a console by providing a seamless online-gaming experience, voice communication, quick access to servers, and skill matching that works brilliantly. Once the New Xbox Experience rolls out, you'll be able to form groups and easily hop from game to game. The only problem: You have to buy an Xbox Live Gold membership to get your anonymous beatdown on. Most retail outfits sell 3- or 12-month subscriptions for $20 and $50, respectively.

Games

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In case it wasn't abundantly clear, no gaming system is complete without games. Each console has its share of indispensable exclusive games. Exclusives bring out the best that a particular console has to offer. Shooters such as Halo 3 and Gears of War are obvious picks. Both games have huge followings, great gameplay, and an enormous amount of replayability. On the racing front, you can't go wrong with Forza Motorsport 2. Don't forget about all the great cross-console content, including (to name a few) Grand Theft Auto IV, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, The Orange Box, and Rock Band 2.

Live Arcade

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Check out Xbox Live Arcade for great games with low price tags. For the most part, you'll find simple offerings with high replay value. Classic games such as Uno, Texas Hold'em, and Pac-Man won't cost more than $5 or $10. Modern games such as Geometry Wars (and its sequel, Geometry Wars 2), Castle Crashers, and Braid offer an amazing experience for marginally more money. However, Microsoft requires you to buy points for use in Xbox Live. Hop over to the store and grab a card; $25 generally gets you 1,600 points.

Netflix

As of November 19th, the Xbox 360 will stream movies from Netflix queues. Netflix's online library has popular old movies, and newer content is coming. The company offers two hours of online streaming along with two DVD rentals a month for $5 a month. For $9 a month, you'll get unlimited streaming and one DVD at a time with unlimited exchanges. Larger plans offer more DVDs at a time with added cost.

Consider the list as more of a starting point. There's plenty more to do with the Xbox 360, and there are certainly more games, peripherals, and features to explore.