Out: Xbox 360 with gloss.

Should home electronics come in glossy or matte? OK, so it’s not exactly the weightiest debate of our time, but it does matter to people who care about the appearance of that jumble of stuff under the TV screen in the living room.

And Microsoft is now weighing in definitively, saying that it’s putting its Xbox 360 firmly into the matte camp.

“We are actively transitioning all our Xbox 360 S consoles to a matte finish,” confirms Xbox Live’s Larry Hryb, better known as Major Nelson.  “The consoles will start to arrive in stores over the coming weeks, so if you really love the idea of a glossy console don’t wait much longer.”

The 4GB console already has a matte finish, and other models will now be getting it, as well. The word from inside the company is that the shift is meant to simplify the Xbox 360 retail lineup and manufacturing process.

The finish of the console isn’t generally a major factor in purchasing decisions.

As noted by CNet News.com, the glossy finish isn’t as popular among some people because it’s more susceptible to fingerprints. Microsoft debuted the glossy finish when it released the restyled Xbox 360 Slim last year, which has contributed a strong showing for the Xbox business so far this year.

Sony has also moved away from a glossy finish on the PlayStation 3.

Here’s what the matte finish looks like, compared with the glossy version above.

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