New Xbox 360 SKU Shows Up Online

Following the rumor from Ars Technica's usually accurate "mole" about a new Xbox Live Arcade-focused 360 SKU replacing the Core model, online retailers Amazon.com and Toys "R" Us have each put up listings for an "Xbox 360 Arcade console." The listings have retail dates of October 23 at Amazon and October 25 at Toys "R" Us, in line with the original rumor's prediction of a late October release. The model is expected to replace the existing Core model, and will supposedly retail at the same $279.99 price point, corroborated by the two listings. Ars Technica's mole predicted the new SKU would feature an HDMI port, wireless controller, memory card, and five Xbox Live Arcade games on a pack-in disc: Boom-Boom Rocket, Pac-man, Uno, Feeding Frenzy, and Luxor 2. Concerning HDMI, Microsoft's main console page for Xbox SKUs was recently updated to include information about HDMI AV cables for the Core model, saying these would be sold separately. Despite this, a Microsoft rep told Shacknews the Core model would not ship with an HDMI output, implying a new model is on its way.