The End of The Red Ring of Death?

With the new Xbox 360 S model on the way, gamers everywhere are wondering...is this the end of the infamous Red Ring of Death?

In a word, yes. But not for the reason you'd think.

As part of the redesign, the dreaded red error lights that have plagued an estimated 30 to 55 percent of 360 consoles sold (depending on who you ask) have been removed entirely. In their place is what Kotaku has taken to calling the "Red Dot of Death." In the event of an error, the central power indicator will switch from green to red. RDoT has a nice ring to it, don't you think?

Time will tell whether the redesign, which boasts a combined CPU/GPU, larger cooling fan, new heat spreader, and some pretty spiffy looking cooling vents on the sides will eliminate the error, which has plagued 360 owners since its release entirely.

Personally, I hope so. I talk a lot of smack on the 360 because of its ridiculous failure rate on Twitter, Facebook, and in person, but the fact of the matter is, I want one. Really, I do. There are a ton of great exclusives on the system that I'm anxious to get my hands on. I have just chosen not to do so up until now because I don't want to shell out for a console that has a good chance of breaking on me. My fingers are crossed that the new S model 360 has put the problem to bed once and for all, so that I can finally pick one up and catch up on some of the system's amazing titles.



UPDATE: 1Up is reporting that the new 360 S has a new feature that should prevent the RDoT from occurring. If the system isn't venting properly, it will display an error message (pictured below, image courtesy of Engadget and NeoGAF) saying as such, and will shut down your console. Granted, it will be mighty annoying to have your 360 shut down on you in the midst of an extended gaming session, but it's better than the alternative.