Xbox 360S hits UK shops today

Hundreds queuing

Microsoft's updated Xbox 360S went on sale today and one retailer is reporting that 'hundreds' of people are queuing to get their hands on the new console.

The new, slimmer version of the gaming hardware, imaginatively named the Xbox 360S, went on sale in a number of key shops at midnight last night with reports of "amazing demand".

The £200 console comes with a 250GB hard drive, built-in Wi-Fi and a slimmed-down case. The notoriously noisy Xbox has been hushed up with a new, quieter fan and comes with a dedicated port for Microsoft's forthcoming controllerless controller, Kinect.

Old School Xboxes were notorious for overheating leading to the Red Ring of Death which, in some cases, rendered the hardware permanently useless.

Microsoft says it has added a safety feature to the latest iteration which will shut the unit down if it gets a bit too toasty for comfort.

Some users have complained that the Xbox platform is getting a bit long in the tooth and that the update is nothing more than a cosmetic makeover hastily cobbled together to support the Kinect controller. They may have a point.