Does the reality live up to the hype? The answer, it seems, is yes, for the high-octane graphics will blow you away.

The console will play on a standard television, and also offers high-definition picture quality. Either way, the graphics are stunning. They are certainly the leap forward we were promised when Bill Gates revealed the console in May.

The games are no longer two-dimensional, but fully interactive 3-D environments. The Times tested the console with four titles: Project Gotham Racing 3 (PGR3), Perfect Dark Zero, Condemned and Kameo: Elements of Power.

PGR3 from Microsoft is a city racing game that impresses. Tyre smoke, reflections of clouds on the car and glimpses of landmarks all give a sense of being there. Perfect Dark Zero’s graphics are impressive, too, with a glossy sheen that gamers will not have seen before.

Condemned was the best of the four, but comes with an 18 rating. The levels are dark and eerie and the tension is high.

Kameo: Elements of Power features trolls and elves, and is one for younger players but remains challenging as well as being great fun.

Microsoft has released two versions of the console, one priced at £279.99 and another at £209.99. The more expensive version — though you will probably struggle to find either — allows users to play others online with Microsoft’s Xbox Live service and also includes a wireless controller.

The console is larger than expected and bigger than the PlayStation 2, but will slot neatly under a television next to the satellite box or DVD player.

Like its Sony rival, the Xbox 360 acts as a “digital hub”, which not only plays CDs, DVDs and games, but can also be used to play music or video from a computer or camera.

This capability means that the Xbox 360 is much more than a games console and almost gives compulsive gamers a justification for its purchase — not that they will need one.

If you want to be certain of seeing grins on the faces of your teenage (or older) games fanatics this Christmas morning, you might find the effort needed to secure an Xbox well worthwhile.

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