New Xbox One console and controller for holiday season

Fans at the Xbox FanFest on Sept 9, 2015. PHOTO: MICROSOFT SINGAPORE
Fans at the Xbox FanFest on Sept 9, 2015. PHOTO: MICROSOFT SINGAPORE PHOTO: MICROSOFT SINGAPORE
Fans at the Xbox FanFest on Sept 9, 2015. PHOTO: MICROSOFT SINGAPORE
Fans at the Xbox FanFest on Sept 9, 2015. PHOTO: MICROSOFT SINGAPORE

Mark your calendars Xbox One fans, as the new Xbox Elite Controller, which has additional features such as extra paddles on the underside of the controller, optional trigger stops and a changeable D-pad, is landing here for the year-end holidays, together with a new Xbox One console.

Both devices will form the $739 Xbox Elite bundle, which comes with a 1TB solid state hybrid drive console that loads games up to 20 per cent faster. The new Elite controller will not be sold individually during the launch period.

Otherwise, gamers can also pick up two new limited-edition Xbox One bundles, which feature the 1TB console in new designs and colours.

To mark the release of Halo 5: Guardians on Oct 27, a silver and grey bundle will be available on Oct 20 for $739.

For the 10th anniversary of the Forza Motorsport racing series, a $639 dark blue console will be released on Sept 15.

Both bundles come with a limited-edition controller, a digital copy of the game and in-game content.

These new hardware were announced at the local Xbox FanFest gaming event on Wednesday (Sept 9), alonside game previews of upcoming game titles such as Rise Of The Tomb Raider and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege.

The latest title in the Tomb Raider franchise, which is set to go on sale in November, will see explorer Lara Croft travelling through Siberia in search of an ancient city.

In addition to the usual puzzles and combat, there are new crafting mechanics that allow players to create weapons and skills from salvageable materials.

Fans who prefer the puzzle-solving elements of the original game series can also choose to complete the game through stealth, instead of shooting their way past levels.

Gamers hoping to lead a combat squad as the iconic Master Chief in the hotly anticipated Halo 5: Guardians, only have to wait until Oct 27.

The new sequel, by 343 Industries, sees the introduction of two multiplayer modes, Arena and Warzone. While Arena is similar to the classic multiplayer mode found in earlier Halo games, Warzone will see two teams battle it out on a gigantic map, versus each other and AI-controlled combatants, to capture strongholds and defeat enemy bosses.

Launched in Singapore in September 2014 , the Xbox One will receive an update in November, to make it compatible with select games relased for the previous Xbox 360 game console. It is also compatible with Microsoft's new Windows 10 operating system.

Though the console was announced alongside Sony's PlayStation 4 machine in 2013, the PlayStation 4 has outperformed the Xbox One in global sales. Sales of Sony's machine has crossed 22 million, compared to the 11.6 million sales figure of the Xbox One.

lting@sph.com.sg

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