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--- Sunday, January 07, 2007

Break-down: XBox 360 [versus] Playstation 3 ... and Game Console Consolidation.

Permalink: 1/07/2007 01:50:00 AM | << Back Home

I have Playstation 1, Playstation 2, and now Playstation 3 games. I also have Gamecube, Nintendo 64, and Wii games. I have three XBox 360 games that I never play. Today, I decided to ditch the PS2 and 360 for a Playstation 3.

Since my PS2 was "modded" (to play bootleg/burned games), I realized I'd have to actually purchase some of the discs I didn't have legit copies of and still wanted to play. Lucky for me, they had either Greatest Hits or Used copies of the four games I planned on keeping.

The old:

Four PS2 Games, Two PS3 Games, One PS3 Controller (extra), and a PS3 later... I was getting rid of a Microsoft product that I never used (which will hopefully eBay with the games and controllers for around $350 or more), cleaning up my TV area (especially with the single HDMI cable, versus like 40 other hookups, and built in Wireless), and replacing the old console(s) with a better DVD player... all in one box.

The new:

Price/Features

A fully loaded XBox 360 is the same price as a Playstation 3, but the XBox 360 has options to break that number down... where as the PS3 only offers minor reductions.

XBox 360: $598
(-) external HD-DVD player ($199)
(-) "pro" version (hard drive, wireless controller) ($100)
= $299
[ without a wireless controller, hard drive, high-def. DVD player ]

Lacking:
(-) HDMI port (although it supposedly will receive one in the future)
(-) Built-in wireless internet
(-) Built-in high definition DVD player (only an external add-on.. for $199) Also, keep in mind, that Playstation 3 uses the high-def DVD format to store more Video Game data.. something the XBox 360 cannot, even with the external add-on.
(-) Bluetooth peripheral networking
(-) No hard-drive included for cheaper version, which is required for reverse compatibility with XBox games

Playstation 3: $599 (... $1 more, haha)
(-) 20 GB Version ($100)
= $499
[ ... you loose 40GB of hard drive space, wireless internet (wired only), and media card slots ]

Lacking:
(-) Early adopters, introductory price range
(-) Good games, the starting launch really sucked. (somewhat typical)
(-) Although it can play PSOne and PS2 games right out-of-the-box... you cannot import your data from your old memory cards without an adapter ($15, if you can find one), or use your old controllers for things like Guitar Hero... which would also require another adapter... which doesn't ship until February. Lame!

Interface

The XBox 360 is built-around its XBox Live online service... where as the PS3 is a fairly simplified approach in comparison. (offline targeted, with some online features to-the-side) The 360 offers movie trailers, game downloads (demos/arcade classics), and can interface with your iPod or Media Center PC. The PS3 can basically only interface with your Playstation Portable, but also copies songs/pictures from CDs and provides some content from its own Playstation Store. The PS3 also features a built-in web browser.. something the XBox 360 does not. (probably due to lack of hard drive on some models)

Other Notes
(+) HD-DVD versus Blu-Ray ... comparison at Wikipedia
(+) Since every PS3 includes Blu-Ray playback.. I immediately cruised over to Netflix. They support both high-definition formats... you simply have to enable it in your account under "Format Preferences".
(+) Playstation 3 doesn't support WPA2 wireless networking encryption (yet), and those utilizing it will need to use Wired networking or revert to plain WPA.
(+) PS3's game cases are smaller than the traditional DVD-style used by everything else. Cool? Not if you have a DVD rack. Luckily I utilize a shelf with the Wii and PS3 as bookends. :)
(+) EDIT #1: My favorite feature so far is the L2 and R2 buttons have been changed to analog paddles.. which feel like car pedals. (gas + brake) This is awesome for driving + shifting with the (R) control stick in Need for Speed Carbon.. very realistic.
(+) More to come...

Labels: playstation 3, xbox 360