Black it seems is back. Harking back to the days of the Sega Megadrive, Microsoft is rumoured to be launching a limited edition black Xbox 360 with HDMI support and bigger harddrive to go up against the PlayStation 3 according to gadget blog Engadget.

The website say they have confirmed with trusted sources that the black Xbox 360, dubbed the Xbox Elite, will be landing in stores sometime in April in the US.

"Currently Microsoft is worried that hard core games will turn to the PS3 because of the graphics capabilities and the HDMI support", one insdustry insider told us.

The website says that it has confirmed a number of features of the new offering including that the case, controller, and Live headset will all be black and that although previous rumours have suggest Microsoft will be bundling a HD DVD drive in the box, the system won't be coming with one or Wi-Fi connectivity.

The new console is expected to launch for $479 in the US, sold alongside Premium and Core packs, with the premise that it will eventually replace the premium model.

There is nothing in the rumour that determines whether or not the console will be available in the UK.

Microsoft refused to comment on the story when we phoned their press office in the UK.

We will keep you posted.

>> Via - Engadget.com