Ever since the Xbox 360 game console from Microsoft switched over to its current slim design, there have been two different versions. The 250 GB hard drive version of the console always had a glossy black finish for its case while the cheaper 4 GB hard drive version of the Xbox 360 Slim had a matte black finish to its case. Now it looks like Microsoft has made the decision to make all the Xbox 360 consoles have the same kind of surface.
In a post on the Major Nelson web site, Microsoft"s Larry Hyrb confirms, "We are actively transitioning all our Xbox 360 S (250 GB) consoles to a matte finish. The consoles will start to arrive in stores over the coming weeks, so if you really love the idea of a glossy console don’t wait much longer." Hyrb did not reveal the reason why Microsoft is moving away from the glossy finish for the 250 GB model (although we suspect it might be to reduce manufacturing costs) but did say that rumors of a choice between picking either a glossy or matte finish for the Xbox 360 console was incorrect.
A glossy finish might be used for limited edition versions of the Xbox 360 console such as the upcoming models that will promote the games Gears of War 3 and Kinect Star Wars, according to Hyrb. However, it seems that standard versions of the console will all be with the matte black finish from now on.