At the Tokyo Game Show, Microsoft announced that they would be launching the Xbox 360's HD DVD drive on November 17th. The drive will retail for 19,800 yen and will come with a remote control.
The basic Xbox 360 doesn't come with high-definition DVD capability. The new Microsoft peripheral, to be launched in Japan on Nov. 17, is based on the HD DVD standard, a rival technology to the Blu-ray format Sony is using for the HD player built into its anxiously awaited upgrade to the PlayStation line.
The attachment will cost 19,800 yen ($170) in Japan, bringing the combined cost of the basic Xbox 360 and the HD-DVD player to 49,600 yen ($420) -- compared to 59,800 ($510) for the basic PlayStation 3 in Japan. The higher-end Xbox plus the HD-DVD player will cost 57,700 yen ($490). Sony has left it up to retailers to set the price for its higher-end PlayStation 3.
Microsoft also announced that they will be releasing a software update later this year, that will enable full 1080p output. Without an HDMI interface though, it is unclear whether it will be able to play HD DVD movies at this resolution. If you'd like to read more, the entire article can be found here.
