Gamers now have another to reason to buy an Xbox 360, after the recent $50 price cut and the generous, three-year warranty period: Microsoft decided to add an HDMI port to the Premium version of the console.

Up until now, only the Elite version of the gaming rig and the upcoming Halo 3-themed version have been confirmed to sport the long-expected HDMI (high definition multimedia interface) connectivity.

When contacted by GameSpot, a Microsoft official confirmed the addition: "Yes, we are offering an HDMI port for Xbox 360 simply as another choice in Xbox 360 owners' games and entertainment experience," the representative said. "Retailers are gradually introducing HDMI-enabled Xbox 360s into the channel to meet demand."

All HDMI-enabled Xbox 360 Premium consoles will be marked with an HDMI logo, visible on the external packaging. Microsoft will not however include the same functionality for the low-end Core system, which, after the recent price cut, sells for $279.

"We have not announced any plans to add HDMI to the Xbox 360 Core System."

HDMI delivers better image quality for high-definition video (at up to 1080p resolution) than can component video (limited to 1080i output on the non-HDMI Xbox 360) or VGA (at 1080p).

The Premium Xbox 360 is now a better deal than the PlayStation 3 with the 60GB hard drive, since to many gamers a 20GB HDD is enough for downloading demos and trailers and the price ($100 less than the PS3) is not to be neglected. Add to this the extended, three-year warranty period (that will apparently cost the company more than 1.12 billion dollars) and the great line-up of games for this fall and you get the picture…

There have also been rumors that the “red ring of death” problems have determined the Redmond giant to speed up the inclusion of the advanced 65nm chips in the console, which consume less power and thus eliminate less heat. As usual, Microsoft declines to comment:

"We are constantly updating the console's more than 1,700 internal components and therefore will not comment on details of specific components or manufacturing processes," a MS spokesman said.

The ironic fact is that Microsoft’s fierce rival on the gaming market, Sony, is among the owners of HDMI-related patents, and that means MS must pay consistent amounts of money to Sony to use the HDMI interface in Xbox 360…