Console owners - XB360 or PS3?

The Game Room
1

Some friends and I were recently on a vacation which pretty much devolved into staying up until 3am each night drinking and playing Rock Band and Guitar Hero. So I’m kicking around the idea of getting a console system, either an XBox 360 or a PS3. Any thoughts/recommendations/words o’ wisdom?

This will be getting plugged into my home theatre - big screen TV via HDMI and pipe the sound through my a/v receiver. I imagine that the first game I’d buy would be something like Rock Band 2 or Guitar Hero World Tour; I have phases of lots of gaming every so often and that’s always been on my PC. I favor first-person shooters - I just like to blow stuff up :slight_smile: So availability of other games for the console is a factor but not necessarily the critical one.

Pluses and minuses I’m aware of:

PS3:
Blu-Ray DVD player. Not a critical thing but certainly would be nice.
Has optical digital output. This is nice since my receiver isn’t an a/v switch, I can run digital sound to the receiver and video to the TV via separate HDMI cable (I don’t use the TV speakers).
Built-in wireless. My living room is far from my broadband router, wireless would be handy.

XBox:
Looks like there are more games available in general, including the MS titles (Gears Of War, Halo 2/3, etc) that I assume will never come out for a competing console.
Cheaper…but missing the big hard drive, wireless, optical audio out, etc.

What do the Teeming Millions think, any deal-breakers that you’re aware of with one or the other?

2

Dude, you can game with Dopers if you have an Xbox 360. I trust you’ll make the right decision. Uncle Cecil would get an Xbox.

3

Hell, baby Jesus would get an xbox.

4

Much to the chagrin of my many XBox Live card-carrying friends, I just bought a PS3. I’ll be buying GH World Tour when it comes out because I think I’ll prefer the hardware. I’ll pick up Rock Band 1 and 2 (software only) for the extra songs, since the instruments are compatible.

Anyway… I’ll share with you some of my thoughts during my decision making process.

Most of my gaming, both online and off, is done on the PC. Currently playing Crysis Warhead, with some Civ4 thrown in, on the PC. Upcoming titles I’ll probably buy are Fallout 3, Red Alert 3, and Starcraft 2 (eventually). I’ll definitely be playing those on the PC.

I’ve never been a big Halo fan, but a point in XBox’s favor… Gears of War was great, and the sequel should be as well. XBox Live is also better than the PS Network, but again, most of my online gaming (CS, COD4 for example) is done on the PC since I prefer first person shooters with mouse and keyboard.

I don’t think I’m a Sony fanboy, but I have owned the PS and PS2, so I am partial to the dual shock controller’s feel. Plus Blu-ray was a big draw for me.

So now that I’ve got it, no regrets so far. I have it hooked up to my Samsung 1080p DLP via HDMI, and audio receiver via optical, just like you mentioned. It looks and sounds amazing. It even made Speed Racer worth watching (well, almost, but Iron Man was cool). I have Resistance Fall of Man, and while fun enough that I’ll probably get the sequel, I still prefer 1st person shooters on the PC. I’ve played NHL 09 online over the wireless connection and was very impressed.

So to make a long story short (too late), I would say take a look at what existing games you would play on each system, and which games are coming out. If you will still be primarily a PC gamer but would benefit from Blu-ray (which is my case), go with the PS3. If you like the XB360 line-up and existing catalog, and like that XBLive is definitely better for online gaming, go with the 360.
One more note: The PS3 blu-ray remote is Bluetooth, so if you want to use a universal remote, you’ll have to do what I did and buy a NYKO bluwave remote ($15 on amazon) that gives you an IR dongle that you plug into the PS3 USB port. If you don’t have a universal remote… never mind.

5

Well, if Uncle Cecil would get an Xbox, then baby Jesus is a foregone conclusion.

6

I have a 360 - but it’s my second one. The first one died a death within 5 hours.

As Yahtzee says (in dog terms); The PS3 is a big black lump, reliable if a bit thick, and the 360 is a good all-rounder that only occasionally pisses itself and dies.

7

I work at a game store, and I get this question all the time, and I hate it.

As many, many, many comparison videos have shown, there’s currently very little difference in the systems’ visual capabilities. Microsoft requires all their games to be renderable up to 1080p, while Sony offers a more laissez-faire approach, so maybe 30-50% of games on PS3 only go up to 780p. Some developers have said it’s markedly more difficult to develop games for PS3, which has certain third parties delaying their PS3 releases for months after their 360 and PC (recent examples: Eternal Sonata, Bioshock, Half-Life Orange Box, Vampire Rain, Left 4 Dead), if they release them there at all.

That said, there are plenty of excellent games that see releases on both platforms. Companies like Ubisoft, EA, Activison, Capcom, etc. who have the financial muscle to get enough developers to release a game universally will always do so, unless MS or Sony manages an exclusivity contract. Around half the AAA titles, by reviewing standards, end up on both systems. Microsoft has been much more aggressive with exclusives, however, which is why there are so many of them on Xbox 360 this time around.

Sadly, even though Sony has a history of great RPGs, Microsoft has scored some incredibly critical exclusives this time around - two classics by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the 15-year director of Final Fantasy, called Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey; more recently, Tales of Vesperia, a beautiful action RPG and Infinite Undiscovery by Square-Enix, then Mass Effect and Fable 2 from western developers. They’ve also managed to score a cooperative release of Final Fantasy XIII, previously one of the most premium exclusive titles for PS3. To counteract this, the PS3 is the only place to find Disgaea 3 and Folklore, although those are somewhat niche titles.

There’s also the fact that the PS3 is pretty much the best Blu-Ray player for the money, since it includes every premium feature of BL including downloadable trailers and online access. If you have a nice HDTV and love movies, you’ll likely be impressed by the extra fidelity, and you can find Blu-Rays on sale if you know where to look.

In the end, I’ll defer to what I tell to every customer who asks this question - what are your friends playing? This generation of games is defined by its online content, and being able to play cooperatively or competitively with your friends online is a huge bonus to any game’s value, as is the downloadable content for games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Connectivity is where it’s at, and don’t forget that playing on Xbox Live has a $5 per month fee, but it also features more exclusive downloadable games.

8

The premium version has a bigger hard drive and I thought it had wireless controllers? I know my friend has them, so maybe you have to buy them after the fact, but you can get them.

I think the 360 wins because the online/downloadable things are so much better. There are a TON of great games on the XBox Live/Arcade/Marketplace/Whatever the fuck they call it.

9

I’ve got a PS3, and I love it. I actually don’t play a lot of games on it, though- I use it primarily as a media center. I’ve got my computers set so that I can stream movies, images, and music to it (and thence to my TV), and I can of course play BluRay movies on it.

Like Another Stranger Me, I also attached an IR dongle so that I can control the PS3 with my Logitech universal remote. It pretty much rocks.

One thing I don’t like too much about it- I’ve got it hooked up to my 46" plasma, which (sadly) only does 1080i. I suspect that my upstairs TV, a 42" LCD which can display 1080p, would display some things a lot better (like websites). Either that, or I’ve got some setting screwed up somewhere.

I kind of want a 360… but primarily so that I can get Fable 2. I’m going to try to force myself to wait for the PC version (which is where I do the majority of my gaming, anyway).

10

My ‘normal’ 360 came with a wireless controller. Get a charge n play kit if you’re gonna go with the 360, it’ll save you a fortune on batteries.

11

I think it’s got wireless controllers but not wireless ethernet - that’s an $80 add-on.

I’m not sure if the online gaming is a big draw for me - when I play shooters with my buddies we are all in the same place. This may sound silly but the optical audio output on the PS3 may be more important - since I’d be using this as my DVD player as well I’d like something that makes 5.1 audio available (with the xbox I’d have to get a new receiver with an HDMI input so I could route it all through there).

My current TV is a slightly older Samsung DLP that is 720p as opposed to the newer 1080p sets, so getting full 1080p isn’t a concern right now. No intention of replacing the set any time soon.

How does the downloadable content work? For Xbox live it’s just a $5/mo fee and “download what you want”? Is there something similar for the PS3?

12

Dude. Seriously. Xbox and Live. Play with Dopers. You’ll get hooked to playing online.

I’d happily pay double for Live.

13

Yes, but on the PS3 it’s free- no monthly charge. You do have pay for the individual games and such, of course, but many are free.

14

I should point out that currently, no AAA title (or in other words, no 3d intense game) on consoles actually renders at 1080p. You gotta get a PC for that :wink: Most render at 720p or less, and are upscaled, which is really not the same thing.

That being said, the xbox 360 complements PC gaming best, IMHO. Not just because xbl might one day unite with Windows Live, but also because you can use your xbox 360 as an extender, allowing you access to media files, TV tuners, etc on your PC.

15

Bah. It plays video games. It plays good video games. That’s all I need.

16

Xbox360 all the way, and for many reasons

The only real reason to get a PS3 is for a blu-ray player

Basically PS3 has been dropping exclusives titles left and right, they’re all going to the x360 (Final Fantasy XIII is just another of the latest disappointments. There are even rumors that MGS4 will be seeing an x360 release). X360 has a LOT more exclusives (Halo, which I don’t particularly like, Gears of War, Fable II, Last Remnant, etc) and even Squaresoft seems to be favoring the x360 this time around. In fact it has outsold the Wii at least one or two of the past few months here in Japan. That, with the inclusion of Mistwalker studios (home of Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series) which is owned by Microsoft, x360 is easily the console of choice from RPGs as well, which is ridiculously surprising considering how sparse they were on the original xbox.

I used optical audio output on my x360 no problem back in the States with 5.1 surround headphones, quite nifty I must say (was living with my parents for awhile saving money to move to Japan). I also have a 120 gig hard drive and wireless controllers, of course. Plus the Xbox doesn’t make you pre-install games like some games for the ps3 require (Devil May Cry 4) with absolutely no rhyme or reason (or benefit) to doing so (literally 1-2 seconds less per load time for a 20 minute instal. Why?!) Oh and you can very easily stream music and videos from your PC/Mac to your xbox360, even play music during games (which pauses during cutscenes and such. VERY nicely done)

plus xboxlive is a HELL of a lot better than PSN, totally worth $50 per year.

That said, Microsoft has a bad rep since they ditched OG xbox support right after the 360 came out, and may very well do the same with the x360 when they launch there next system. Whereas Sony has a great track record with supporting old systems. Plus there’s the whole red ring of death thing that barely needs reiterating here :wink:

17

I don’t know anything about the x-box, but I have a PS3. It is absolutely awesome.

Blue-ray is spectacular on a hi-def TV screen. Really.

The little things in the built in software, like the photo display program (anyone else tried that slideshow where it lays down the shots like actual prints being thrown down on a table?). It’s cool.

I like everything about the machine.

18

Meh. You don’t get the same DLC and sweet ass games that you do with the 360.

19

Ass games. No one told me about the ass games. :smiley:

20

I own both systems. I’d say get both, quite honestly, but I realize that is very expensive so not everyone can do that.

Positives PS3:
Built in Wireless internet: Don’t underestimate not having this one. Right now, my entertainment center is set up too far away from my router (and I refuse to run wires) to plug my 360 in, so I’m internet-less. The wireless dongle for the 360 costs about 80 bucks online currently. The PS3 also supports bluetooth for it’s controllers and for a keyboard/mouse if you want one.
Blu-ray support: As others have said, the PS3 is arguably the best blu-ray player. It fully supports the latest profiles as Sony updates, supports decoding all of the major high-definition audio formats (True-HD, DTS Master HD, DD+) as well as passthrough of 7.1 LPCM streams (all over HDMI), AND supports AVC-HD discs if you’re into recording high-definition video yourself.
PSP connectivity: You can stream movies you may have saved (including videos rented via the PSN store) to a PSP, as well as remote play certain games (Lego Batman is my current game of choice for this) over most internet connections.
Game exclusives: Uncharted, Ratchet and Clank, and MGS4 are the big ones I currently own. All are fantastic games.
Larger hard drives standard: Currently, an 80GB hard drive comes standard in the PS3. This is useful if you want to install Linux on your PS3, or if you want to install games to the HD for slightly better/faster access speeds.

Positives 360:
Volume of games: Let’s face it, the 360 has the larger library of games at present. Most of the games one can find on the PS3, one can find on the 360. In addition, RPGs are better represented on the 360 at present (Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon, Fable II, and until recently Eternal Sonata, were all exclusives). Then we have the 360 exclusives: The halo games, Gears of War. Not my cup of tea, but plenty of people love that first person action stuff.
X-Box Live: Again, not my cup of tea, but Live is leaps and bounds better than the PSN in a lot of ways when it comes to multiplayer connectivity.
Rock Band/Guitar Hero instrument compability: Currently, the 360 has more complete universal support for instrument compatibility than does the PS3, due to MS requiring said compatibility whilst Sony does not. The issue is less important than it once was, now that rock band supports the GH Les Paul guitar, but GH3 for the PS3 still does not support the Rock Band Fenders, while the 360 version does.

Disadvantages PS3:
Really, the only huge ones I can think of are the smaller games library (which should decrease over time) and the instrument compatibility issues.

Disadvantages 360:
Live Gold costs money on a per month basis. The PSN does not.
Smaller Hard drive standard (20GB), though that may be changing now that microsoft has released a 120GB hard drive attachment.
No built-in wireless
No high definition playback (thanks to the failure of HD-DVD). Even if you managed to snag an HD-DVD add-on and an Elite console, the HDMI output from the Xbox 360 does NOT support high definition audio output (only the core DTS, DD, or AC3 streams get sent to a receiver).
Multiple discs: Since the 360 only reads DVDs, some games require multiple discs compared the PS3 requiring all games come on a Blu-ray disc.