There's still no word on the Xbox 360 Elite's UK debut - we know nothing, the reps claimed again - but the none-more-black games console will be coming to Japan on 11 October to give - Microsoft hopes - a much needed boost given its June sales performance there.

Xbox 360 Elite: big in Japan?

The Elite was launched in the US in April, packing in a 120GB hard drive and an HDMI port into its beetle-like carapace. The console can pump out 1080p HD pictures thanks to the general Xbox 360 update Microsoft released earlier this year, and it'll upscale DVDs too.

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The Elite retails Stateside for around $480. Japanese gamers will pay ¥47,800, Microsoft said - which converts to $390, €286 and £193, give or take the taxman's cut.

Microsoft needs a lift in Japan. Figures from local market watcher Enterbrain show some 122,565 Xbox 360s were bought in the first six months of 2007, compared to 503,554 Sony PlayStation 3s and a whopping 1.78m Nintendo Wiis.

When it comes to the Japanese market at least, the Wiis clearly have it.