Report: Xbox 360 Arcade on Deck

After weeks of rumors, some pretty legit-looking pictures of a replacement for the old Xbox 360 Core system have surfaced. Engadget has a series of snapshots of the new "Arcade" console, which looks set to arrive later this month.

The long-simmering rumors of the Xbox 360 Arcade heated up earlier this month when both Amazon and Toys 'R' Us launched product pages for the purported console (both sites have since yanked their respective Arcade pages), so it looks like just a matter of time before this bad boy gets official. Anyway, the Arcade appears to be a re-branding of the old Core system with some extra goodies inside, including a wireless controller, a 256MB memory card, an HDMI port (no cable, however), and a disc with demos of various Xbox Live Arcade titles. No hard drive, but that was the case with the original Core, as well (you can always buy a snap-on 20GB or 120GB drive, of course).

The latest (rumored) word is that the Arcade will hit stores on October 23 for $280. I'll keep my eyes peeled for an official announcement.

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Xbox 360 Arcade unboxed [Engadget]