New Xbox 360 Slim hits the UK on July 16th

Microsoft has tonight confirmed that the new Xbox 360 Slim will go on sale in the UK from July 16th.

It's expected to be the same price as the outgoing Elite model ($299 in the US/£199 in UK), has built-in 802.11n wi-fi, HDMI and optical digital outputs, and a 250GB hard drive (up from the current model's 120GB).

The new model is said to be "whisper quiet" and will ship to stores in America this week. Details were released at a Microsoft press briefing in Los Angeles this evening. We'll bring you more info as soon as we have it.

At the same time, Microsoft revealed that its long-awaited hands-free motion control system for the Xbox 360, originally known as Project Natal, will be rebranded Kinect.

Kinect will hit the shelves before the end of the year, when it will face competition from Sony's PlayStation Move controller and Nintendo's upgraded WiiMotion Plus.

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