Game Console Buying Guide 2009: How to Choose Wisely
By Jared Newman | Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 8:56 am
Should You Buy a Playstation 3 or Xbox 360?
If the Wii isn’t right for you (or you already own one), and you don’t have a preexisting love for Microsoft or Sony, now what? The Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 cost the same and offer mostly the same games, but there are a few important differences that could push you one way or the other.
PS3 On Value Alone
It’s weird to say this after so many years of price inequality, but your money goes farther with the Playstation 3. It includes a Blu-ray player, built-in wireless, a Web browser and, most importantly, free access to online multiplayer through the Playstation network. The Xbox 360 only plays DVDs, can’t connect to the Internet without a wired connection or $80 adapter and requires a $50 per year Xbox Live Gold subscription to play online.
So in terms of features, the PS3 is superior. I recommended it to my old man because I know he wouldn’t pay for an Xbox Live subscription, but might occasionally like to play online.
Xbox 360 For the Multiplayer Gamer
I’ve always felt that Xbox Live is worth the money, and the Xbox 360 is a better online console than the PS3 if you’re willing to pay. Xbox Live feels like a premium service, in that it just works better than PSN. It’s so easy to connect with friends—after you’re notified that a friend is online, just press the controller’s middle button, and you’ll get immediate options for chatting or sending a game invite.
The ability to chat with a friend who’s playing a different game than you is a huge plus, because you can convince that person to switch games or just have a pleasant conversation. And because the Xbox 360 Elite includes a headset, you don’t have to convince your buddies to splurge on an additional expense just to communicate. Extra features such as Last.fm and the online trivia game 1 vs. 100 are a nice touch.
Intangibles Are a Push
There are little things about the Playstation 3 that bug me, like long install times for new games and game-breaking firmware upgrades. I’ve never had those problems with the Xbox 360, but I did have to send in my console for the seemingly obligatory Red Ring of Death repair.
Future motion control plans are also worth considering. Microsoft is developing a motion-sensing camera, code named Project Natal, that does away with the controller entirely. It’s too early to tell whether Natal will be successful (Microsoft hasn’t even announced a release date), but the concept is more promising than Sony’s upcoming motion controller, which seems a bit derivative of the Wii and hasn’t generated the same level of excitement.
Verdict?
If I had to choose again between the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3, I’d choose the former, but that’s because I love Xbox Live and have no plans to build a Blu-ray library. If you asked me which console I’d more likely recommend to friends, that’s the Playstation 3, because it wins on value. The funny thing is that a year ago, the opposite was true. The Xbox 360 doesn’t strike me as any more casual than it was in 2008 — and that may change next year with Project Natal — but the Playstation 3 has become a killer on value and popcorn games like Uncharted and Killzone 2.
Looking back, all three consoles have been a pleasure to own. That is, after all, the point.
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16 Comments For This Post
December 1st, 2009 at 9:45 am
If I was buying a console today, I’d get a PS3, but when I was buying a few years ago I got an Xbox 360, simply because the PS3 wasn’t out yet and the expected price of €600 was simply too much to pay for a console.
However, some of the games that I have enjoyed the most on the 360 – GTAIV, Fallout 3, The Orange Box, BioShock, Batman: Arkham Asylum – are available on both consoles and the PS3 just seems to pack in more extras like Blu-Ray and built-in WiFi, so I’d go for it today if I was getting one. Exclusives like Halo, Gears of War, Gran Turismo, Uncharted and others for either console wouldn’t be deal breakers for me.
December 1st, 2009 at 9:46 am
I think you should add a paragraph about multiplatform game availability. You mention the unique titles available for each platform, but people who’ve seen the ads for games like Borderlands, Assassin’s Creed, and COD:Modern Warfare II might be wondering which console they need to get to be able to play those. (Answer, of course, is either non-Wii one.)
December 1st, 2009 at 10:50 am
Nintendo really dropped the ball when it comes to the online experience. The first sign of this was the lack of an ethernet jack. They couldn’t have expected gamers to do serious gaming over wifi.
The goal of MS/Sony is to sit one of their boxes in every home in America and sell, sell, sell that space. Nintendo has managed to accomplish this, but they are not selling the space. Where is Netflix Wii? Where are the Roku-like features?
The classic Nintendo fun has not died for me, but I can see why Nintendo isn’t getting as much hype lately. They started the race strong, but they didn’t have enough left in them to sprint for the finish line.
December 1st, 2009 at 11:55 am
This info might be a bit technical, but Blu-Ray has “profiles” that get updated, and the PS3 firmware updates may make these new features accessible. Another reason that the PS3, or any player that can update itself, are of the best to choose from. Here’s a CNET article that explains profiles: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9808376-1.html .
This is also a very well-balanced and multi-sided article. Five stars!
December 1st, 2009 at 11:59 am
For me, the deciding factor is what my friends have. Being able to play online with them, and swap games is vital.
I also don’t see the Wii as an alternative to the PS3 or Xbox 360. You either want a Wii, or you want a ‘serious’ console. They’re for different markets in my opinion, my Grandma on the one hand, and my 16 year old brother on the other. The 360 Arcade is trying to get into Wii’s territory but it doesn’t have the games yet, maybe Project Natal will change things.
The PS3 suffers from poor online play, which seems like it was tacked on at the end – whereas with the 360 online play and contacts and built into it, along with Windows Live integration. Microsoft haven’t fully realised its potential yet – you can’t have a voice chat between a PC and an Xbox, and some sort of cloud backup of saved games to Live Mesh would be nice.
Then there’s that fact that at the moment, many games are written for the PC or Xbox 360, and then later ported to the PS3. This means PS3 owners often get an inferior product months after other console owners. Microsoft started out making developer tools, it has developers in its blood, and so the 360 has great development tools available to it.
So based on that I went for the 360. I say that as a dedicated PS1 and PS2 fan, although I admit my last Nintendo console was the SNES 🙂
December 1st, 2009 at 1:12 pm
that’s easy: ps3
xbox 360 will last 3 months before it breaks and wii has no games or storage.
December 1st, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Now, I’d go with the PS3. When I got my X630 , the PS3 was much more expensive. However, I do not regret it. My X360 is still going strong, and no problems for me.
PS. as a ‘hardcore gamer’, I am glad that some of my friends got the wii, wii-parties do have their appeal.
December 1st, 2009 at 7:04 pm
PS3 motion control isn’t derivative of the Wii. If anything, Nintendo Copied Sony’s tech demos from over a decade ago!
Also A controller will always be better for motion controls since you can not only have motion sensing, but you can also input commands.
Natal looks very very weak in comparison.
December 2nd, 2009 at 7:51 pm
No fan boy crap… hu. sticking with game cube, Nintendo. don’t care for online play. want ps3 for Christmas please.
sorry y’all i had to try that 5 word thing.
December 3rd, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Good article, but I would put Little Big Planet in the “Killer App” category for the PS/3.
December 4th, 2009 at 10:38 am
@ Marc : Not really sure where you got your info on your porting claims. PS3 gets all the worthwhile multiplat games at the same time as the 360, the one exception I can think of is Bioshock.
Not really sure what you’re basing your claims about PSN’s online service on, either. PSN is a great service and I have no complaints about it.
I never have any problem playing online, and since online is a huge part of games like Killzone 2, Little Big Planet and Uncharted 2 among many, many others, I’m not really sure why you’d think it “seems tacked on.” Quite the contrary, it’s robust and intuitive.
O and it’s free of charge, which is a HUGE plus for working parents such as myself. XBL Gold subscribers who bought their 360s at launch have to date paid $200.00 just for the privilege of using their console’s online capability.
Now, I’m not trying to paint the 360 or XBL in a negative tone, rather I’d just like to set the record straight in light of Marc’s incorrect assessment of the PS3 multiplat games and online experience.
And as an aside, I’m skeptical about “Motion Control” for the PS3 and 360. Maybe it’s just me but I like to sit back and relax while I play games. The whole “Motion Control” thing is just a lame gimmick to me.
December 14th, 2009 at 7:13 am
I currently have an Xbox360 which was bought before I had children with the aim of playing the likes of COD online. Now, with two young children, I don’t have the time for any of that! To be honest, now that the boys want to play games too, I wish we had a Wii as I think that is a better ‘family’ console.
January 14th, 2010 at 9:49 am
I have all 3… The Wii is great for the family, the 360 is great for games (more games are in 1080p for 360 than for ps3) and playing online. My ps3 sits and collects dust (I did use it for blue-ray but wont buy blue ray because it does not play in all my other dvd players). Im even thinking about trading the ps3 in for another 360 so my son and I can play COD MW2 together. But I sold my ps2 so my wifes collection of karaoke games will be useless. Well who cares! Anyone wants to buy a 60g ps3???
January 22nd, 2010 at 5:59 pm
oviously, the ps3 is sweet dudes. Its awesome and fun games like modern warfare2, grandtheftauto and arkham asylum. so don’t be a dumb and get the ps3.
[idiots who like xbox and wii}
August 25th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
wow. this is just what i need thanks!
December 21st, 2010 at 10:10 pm
Great information guys. I agree with quite a gfew of you that the Wii is really a fantastic family/friends gaming console. Especially after a bit of partying we can all hang loose. But I have the Xbox360 for my serious gaming and specially with the Blueray games you can't beat the visual and sound quality.