Complete Xbox 360 Model Timeline

 

The Complete Xbox 360 Model Timeline

If you collect, repair, or simply play on older consoles, you need to know which Xbox 360 you own. Microsoft shipped seven retail board revisions in eight years. Each one tweaked power draw, cooling, or ports, and each rolled out in response to real-world failures. Let’s move through them in release order.

Launch Era (2005 – 2007)

Xenon (November 2005)

  • No HDMI port
  • 90 nm CPU and GPU draw 200 W combined
  • High failure rate and the infamous Red Ring of Death

Zephyr (April 2007)

  • Adds HDMI 1.2a and larger heatsink
  • Same 90 nm chips, so heat issues linger
  • Ships in the first Xbox 360 Elite

Mid-Life Improvements (2007 – 2009)

Falcon (September 2007)

  • 65 nm CPU slashes power to 175 W
  • Lighter PSU shrinks from 203 W to 175 W
  • HDMI now standard on most bundles

Opus (2008 refurb-only)

  • Falcon board in Xenon shell—no HDMI
  • Built solely for warranty replacements

Jasper (September 2008)

  • 65 nm GPU + 65 nm CPU drops power below 150 W
  • Built-in 256 MB NAND removes external memory card need
  • Lowest RRoD rate among “fat” units

Slim Revolution (2010)

Xbox 360 S / Trinity (June 2010)

  • Total redesign with touch buttons and internal Wi-Fi N
  • 45 nm CPU/GPU combo die (“XCGPU”)
  • No memory card slots; adds dedicated Kinect port

Corona (August 2011)

  • Removes on-board HANA chip; simpler motherboard
  • Final 16 MB NAND variant in later runs

Final Refresh (2013)

Xbox 360 E / Winchester (June 2013)

  • Case matches Xbox One styling
  • Cuts composite video port; keeps HDMI
  • Soldered 4 GB eMMC replaces NAND on entry model
  • Winchester APU blocks glitch hacks, making homebrew tougher

Legacy and Today (2014 – 2025)

Sales and Trends

You still buy roughly 1.6 million used Xbox 360 consoles each year, according to 2024 resale data. In 2025 iFixit guides remain the top resource for DIY repairs, while Digital Foundry calls the Jasper “the sweet spot for retro gaming” in its 2025 hardware roundup.

Expert View

Hardware engineer Andrew “Bunnie” Huang sums it up: “Each die shrink forced Microsoft to rethink cooling, yet community hacks kept pace.” That push-and-pull shaped console security research you use today.

FAQ

Which Xbox 360 model is most reliable?
Jasper and all Slim/E units run coolest and rarely red-ring.
Can you still sign in to Xbox Live on a Xenon?
Yes, but you need the final 17559 system update from 2019.
Do all Slim consoles have Wi-Fi?
Every Trinity and Corona board includes 802.11n wireless.
Which revision blocks the RGH exploit?
Winchester boards in the 360 E disable glitch timing points.
Does the power brick change between models?
Yes. Xenon/Zephyr need 203 W, Falcon/Jasper use 175 W, Trinity/Corona use 135 W, and Winchester uses 120 W.
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