Talking about all the features of the Xbox 360 is like trying to tell you briefly about what the computer can do. It's impossible. And the Xbox 360 console, in particular the new versions of the Xbox 360 Slim, is really a full-fledged PC, but geared for games, and even provided with the latest technologies in processor engineering, networks, various multimedia services and the like.
Xbox 360 Overview
Today, only the aforementioned Slim version is available for sale, and therefore our little review will be about it. The new series with the Valhalla motherboard is not only comparable in performance with the PS3, but also surpassed it in some ways: the dimensions decreased, cooling improved, the manufacturing process decreased, and with it the power consumption. Kinect support also becomes a big bonus, which allows you to do in some games without a gamepad, using only your own body. You can install the console itself either vertically or horizontally. The front panel of the device contains a DVD drive tray, as well as a touch button for turning on the set-top box itself. Behind a small curtain are 2
USB port standard 2.0. The flip side, of course, contains all the ports, including sockets for connecting the power supply and Ethernet cable, an audio output, a port supporting FullHD connection, three USB sockets and a jack for connecting the aforementioned Kinect. By the way, the Ethernet port makes it possible to connect the Xbox 360 to the computer, if you have such a desire. Along with the console there is a
wireless gamepad, which has repeatedly received all sorts of praises from gamers in view of its practicality and convenience. It also has a headset jack. In general, the Xbox 360 will be a great game console for the whole family, which will help pass the boring evenings.
How to connect Xbox 360 to computer?
We have already mentioned that the console can be connected to a computer, but how? Perhaps, we will break everything into points.
- In order to connect the console to your PC, you need to have 2 network cards. Of course, both must be ready to work, and therefore you must install the necessary software.
- Study the console case in detail - on its back panel you will find the network interface card, which is completely similar to the computer one. Next, you need to connect the 2nd PC network card to the Xbox 360 using the cable that comes with the console itself. If for some reason it is missing, you will have to buy it separately.
- The next step is to turn on the Internet connection on your PC, after which you should start the Xbox 360. You will see that the computer will detect 2 network connections: a private one and a console.
- Next, you need to open the Xbox Live service in the console, and then go to the Automatic section. After some time, the system itself will configure everything, as a result of which the console will be connected to the network. This allows you to connect your Xbox 360 through your computer.
- In addition, you will have the opportunity to configure viewing files from the Xbox 360. Windows Media Center will help you with this. If not, download it from the official Microsoft support site. Follow these steps after how the prefix will be connected directly to the computer.
- Launch WMC, where select "Settings" => "Connect Entertainment System" from the menu. Click on the "Search" item, after which a message should appear to allow the connection of the console. Follow the instructions and enter your Live password at the end.
- That's all. If all the recommendations are followed correctly, then your PC will synchronize with the console. Well, with how to connect the Xbox 360 to a computer, we figured it out. We go further.
How to connect Xbox 360 to your PC monitor?
Of course, if you decide to connect the console to the monitor, you will have to sacrifice turning on the computer itself. If you do not have the ability or desire to connect the Xbox 360 with plasma, then you will have to adhere to the following simple rules:
- First, you need a monitor itself, which ideally should be
widescreen, where the picture will look much better than usual. If possible, buy devices with a large diagonal (24``, 26 ''), because on them everything will look more colorful and spectacular. - Secondly, choose with what you will connect the console. There are several cable options: VGA, HDMI, DVI and RGB. The latter is not recommended for use, because some defects in the image or sound are possible. The rest are fundamentally not much different. The only significant difference will be the possibility of better sound transmission in HDMI, which is the most popular.
- The last step is to connect the sound, which should not cause any problems. It occurs using an RCA cable (red and white inputs). This completes the connection of the Xbox 360 to your PC monitor.
How to connect Xbox 360 to a computer via Wi-Fi?
With this, there should not be any troubles, because in the latest versions of the Xbox 360 a Wi-Fi module is already built in, which will help you realize the undertaking. For a computer, you can purchase a wireless adapter in any electronics store, and in most laptops it, like in consoles, is already built in initially. Next, we connect the Xbox 360 to the computer using Wi-Fi. So, the algorithm will look like this:
- Turn on the power of the computer and the console itself.
- Further, it is recommended to disconnect the network card, because the saved settings may be lost, which will lead to undesirable results. To do this, go to "My Computer" => "System Properties" => "Device Manager" => "Network Adapters". Turn off the card.
- The next step is to create a wireless network: "Start" => "Network" => "Network and Sharing Center" => "Add" => "Create a network" (Computer - Computer). Then just follow the instructions.
- On your Xbox 360, the network you created should be detected, to which you need to connect. After that, you need to check the connection of the Xbox 360 with the computer. If there is one, then in the settings you need to check the private placement. That's all, test the connection with the Xbox Live service and enjoy the beauty of Wi-Fi connection.
So, with how to connect the Xbox 360 to a computer via Wi-Fi, we also figured out. We move on to the next point, the solution of which will please many gamers. Well, go ahead!
How to connect an Xbox joystick to a PC?
Video games are becoming more and more popular in the world today, because what could be better than a spectacular holiday after a hard day's work? If you have the opportunity to run games on TV, lying on the sofa, or just got tired of the mouse and keyboard, then you just need to purchase a joystick for your Xbox 360 computer . But how to connect it? To perform this simple operation, follow the following algorithm:
- First you need to get an adapter compatible with your computer. The gamepad itself is connected to the console using a special socket, and therefore, in any case, you will have to buy an additional gadget. If you prefer a wireless controller, then the main role here will be played by the "Xbox 360 Wireless gaming receiver for windows"; There is a special wire for the wired model. If you are not able to purchase an adapter, then you can always buy a computer gamepad, which was released by Microsoft as an analogue to the console.
- For Windows XP, you will need to install a huge driver package in order to create direct compatibility between the OS and the gamepad. For the "seven" do not need to install software. As soon as you connect the joystick to the computer, it will be recognized automatically, however, in the event of a failure, driver installation is still useful.
- Sometimes some games do not recognize the gamepad, which will require the installation of emulators, which can be found on the Internet.
The main advantages of the Xbox 360
This game console for 8 years does not get tired to please the happy owners with its many advantages. The Xbox 360 is a great multimedia system where you can watch movies, listen to your favorite music, or follow the latest news. However, the main advantage, of course, are the wonderful games, where they find their place and high-quality exclusives.
These include the Halo series, Gears of War, Forza, Fable, and others. Why is the Xbox 360 better than a computer? Firstly, this is a large network of games, because some developers now often bypass the PC side, preferring only consoles. Secondly, it does not need to be upgraded annually, because the hardware was originally intended for the entire life cycle of the console itself.
How to display the image on a laptop?
Unfortunately, this action will fail. The thing is that the laptop has only HDMI and VGA ports for output, because of which the image will not be played on its monitor. Therefore, in any case, you will need to buy a monitor or plasma, which have input jacks.
Kinect
Kinect is a kind of revolution in the video games section, because even compared to the controllers from competitors Wii MotionPlus and PS Move, it gives much more freedom of action. However, there are no intermediaries between you and the game. All this is really impressive. The Kinect sensor itself looks like a slightly mutated webcam, which has become larger and wider. Its surface is glossy, but you will rarely touch it. On the front side there are 3 sensor elements: a volume sensor, an infrared sensor and the camera itself. There is also an indicator of the controller. The upper part has the ability to tilt to automatically adjust the angle. Kinect’s cable is quite long, so installing it in a convenient location will be easy. As for the games, especially for the device, quite high-quality projects have already been released, including Kinect Star Wars, Disneyland Adventures, Dance Central and many others.
Xbox one
On May 21, 2013, the announcement of the new generation Microsoft console took place, which was already positioned as an integrated multimedia center. The emphasis of Xbox One is now aimed not only at games, but also at various services: talking with friends and relatives on Skype, broadcasting movie channels and voice control, distributing music and video between users. The developers themselves focused on the fact that the console should become an entertainment platform for the whole family, and not just for avid gamers. It is worth noting that the mandatory gadget to the Xbox One is the Kinect controller that comes with it. The price of the Xbox One in Europe will be 499 euros, but for Russia it has not yet been set, because it will appear on sale only in the second quarter of this year. As for the games, a lot of interesting exclusives will be released for the console, including Quantum Break, Ryse: Son of Rome, Killer Instinct and, of course, the continuation of the Halo series.