[acSlayta]

I'm not much of a gamer, but I thought I'd pick up a console for the winter - something different to do. I'd love to know what people prefer between the 360 and the PS3. Here's what I understand thus far:

1) HDMI standard on the PS3 but only on the 360 Elite. An important feature for me.

2) PS3 80 gig and 360 elite are both $399 but some games included with the xbox right now, which is a plus.

3) PS3 has wifi built-in which xbox doesn't

4) Online gaming is free with PS3 but not the 360

5) Exclusive titles for each - so you win some, you lose some, with each console. I'm not sure which games will appeal to me so I'm open minded. I used to play WoW like crazy so I like MMORPGs...

You're thoughts and preferences are much appreciated!

 

[BGY11]

Just a clarification, but all 360s now have an HDMI port -- including the Arcade. The Elite just gives you the 120GB HDD (useful if you plan to install a lot of games to the hard drive.

 

[acSlayta]

Well that's definitely a plus. Thanks for the info!

 

[jvincent]

The biggest deciding factor between the two systems is game titles. If there is one system that has more of what you want, go for it.

As far as the other points, the Xbox online gaming is much, much better than the PS3. That's why it costs money.

Wifi only really matters if you don't have a wired ethernet port in reach of the box.

Don't forget that the PS3 will also play BluRays.

 

[Smorrow]

PS3 or XBOX360

Don't forget that PS3 has a Blu-ray built-in and it is widely considered to be more reliable over time. It's easy to swap to a larger hard drive if 80 gigs becomes too small. My vote would be (and was) for the PS3.

 

[Drainc]

I got both... I am big into the 360 however I wanted a blu-ray player so picked up the PS3 as well. Which one you buy depends on how you are going to use it. Yes the online portion of xbox costs you a bit, but if you are going to do multiplayer gaming there is no question that the xbox is the way to go.

Both of them have their RPG titles (although Fallout 3 is a PC/Xbox exclusive for now - no mention of when it will be ported to PS3), neither of them have anything that compares to WoW.

 

[Ruthless82]

Fallout 3 is available for the PS3, it was released at the same time as the 360 version. Maybe you mean Left 4 Dead?

 

[Eluder]

As an owner of both consoles, I would say get the 360 if gaming is your main concern.
I bought the PS3 mainly to be my Blu-Ray player, and that it definitely is.
The 360 has a bigger selection of titles and generally the version on the 360 is a little better than the PS3 (ie: a little better graphics, or it's 60fps vs 30fps sometimes, etc).
There's no comparing Xbox Live to PSN; even though you're paying for Live, it's far superior to the PSN in every aspect. If you do end up with a 360, I would recommend at least the 60GB unit, especially since now you can install games to the HDD which will improve load times, and more importantly quiet down the 360's DVD drive; although the newer drives aren't nearly as loud as the old ones. Although the PS3 has built in WiFi, it sucks! I've reverted to wired simply because the WiFi chipset in the PS3 is very lousy and pretty much ensures you'll have slow downloads; and for me, it's not a situation where the signal is week as my PS3 and router are in the same room; my iPhone actually performs better on WiFi than the PS3 does. Again, if gaming is your main concern, get the 360, if you also must have a BD player in one, get the PS3, but if you don't mind separate players, get a 360 and a standalone BD player.

 

[Gord Lacey]

I believe there are 3 or 4 MMORPGs in development for the PS3.

If you want to increase the size of your HD then you have to buy the insanely expensive HD upgrade kit for the 360. $160 for a 120 gig drive - I paid $70 for a 250 gig drive for the PS3.

Both systems have pros and cons, exclusive games, and promises for the future. You'll likely be happy with your purchase.

Gord

 

[jayoldschool]

As far as the other points, the Xbox online gaming is much, much better than the PS3. That's why it costs money.

Why is it better? Isn't it the same for games that are cross-platform? (coming from a PS3 owner that hasn't played on 360...)

 

[prufrock]

Live is owned and run by MS. Your fees go to cover the serves and people that maintain them.

With PSN, each publisher is running its own servers. Sony simply doesn't charge you a fee to connect to them.

MS has total control over the quality of its network. Sony does not.

With the ability to get 12 month subscriptions for about $3 if you watch for sales, I don't really see the problem with paying. I recently let my gold account lapse, but now with the hard drive install and Gears 2, I really likely go back to gold.

 

[jayoldschool]

So, how is it better? Or, are people just convinced it is better because they are paying for it?

 

[Eluder]

It's better because it's well organized and consistent. You can chat with your friends whenever you want with no issues, you can create parties and join games with all your friends in the party together. You can invite people to games with the push of a couple of buttons. With PSN it's hit or miss on a simple task such as chatting with a friend. You also can't invite friends to games if they're already in another game usually. Those are just a few of the reasons why Live is better than PSN.

 

[jayoldschool]

You can chat with your friends whenever you want with no issues

Same as PS3.

you can create parties and join games with all your friends in the party together

Same as the PS3.

You can invite people to games with the push of a couple of buttons

Same as the PS3.

With PSN it's hit or miss on a simple task such as chatting with a friend.

How is it hit or miss? Press PS, then invite your friend to chat. Or, send them a message.

You also can't invite friends to games if they're already in another game usually

Of course you can. In most games, they get the invite at the end of the match. If they are playing a different game, you just send them a message.

So, I am still not seeing the big difference...

 

[acSlayta]

I love the fact that PS3 is a Blu-ray player but my understanding is it doesn't bitstream audio I'd prefer to stick with my standalone player for that ability. Just a side question: does the PS3 decode DTS-HD Master Audio?

Interesting to hear the wifi on the PS3 isn't stellar. My router is in my office so I'd prefer not to run an Ethernet cable to my living room but I supposed I would have to anyways with the 360 (w/o buying the wifi adapter of course).

Sounds like everyone has their opinions about the respective portals for gaming online. What does it cost to join the xbox community? Do you get a free trial with a system purchase?

I think the PS3 is much sexier looking unit, and I know to buy one over the other based on aesthetics is pure vanity, but can you buy 'make over kits' to make your xbox black in color (w/o buying the elite)?

How do the wireless controllers for both systems work - IR or bluetooth? I'd like to put the system at the bottom of my shelving unit, which wouldn't have a direct line of sight given my seating position and the coffee table in between.

Another question - I understand you can download HD movies with both systems; is this a US only feature?


Some really informative replies, thanks guys.

 

[ronebouy]

I have found the PS3's wifi more than adequate. Plus I can remote play with my PSP.
the wireless controller is very good regards to range and battery life.
In addition to gaming, I use mine for playing DivX movies I have stored on a portable harddrive that I plug into the PS3.
My 9 year old son uses it to view pics he takes with our old digital camera. And he has lots of ps2 games he still plays on it.
We have a bluetooth remote which makes watching Blu ray easier than using the controller.
We are very happy with our Sony. I like the fact that a hard drive upgrade is basically a one screw operation.

 

[Eluder]

jayoldschool, not from my experiences or from my cousin's, brother in laws, and a good friend's. And you're talking about 3 professional tech heads, so we know our way around consoles.
The PSN and XMB just suck in comparison to XBL and the Dashboard, nothing works quite as it should. And often times the BT headset you have does not work ideally with the PS3; another issue I found with the PS3, it has a very poorly implemented BT IC.

acSlayta, the retail value of Live is I believe $60 per year, but often times it can be had for $40 during sales, I've gotten it for even less. You get I believe a month's trial of Gold service with the system, but also games generally provide some form of trial, be it 48 hrs, or sometimes a month as well. I do believe the PS3 decodes DTS-HD MA and does bitstream as well. There probably are kits to make over the 360, but I've never looked for them, I know there are faceplates out there for sure which can be used to customize the front facia of the 360. The PS3 uses Bluetooth for gamepad connectivity, the 360 uses proprietary RF. The downside of the PS3's BT is that you would have to get an IR receiver/remote for it if you wish to use a programmable remote, such as a Harmony with the PS3, not required for the 360 as it uses RF for the DVD remote. The downloads of HD movies for Xbox360 is not US only, but Netflix is currently a US only feature which basically gives Americans 2 choices for movie downloads vs ours of one only.

 

[prufrock]

I hope people understood that I meant $3 per month in my previous post.

PSN has been making big strides in terms of the quality of the network, but the fact is that it's been playing catch-up with Live since its inception.

There is a trade-off in terms of users. You pay for Live, so that cuts down on some of the immature garbage (although there is still plenty). With Sony, there are usually more mature gamers but noticeably fewer people playing the games overall.

I also hate that Sony has no direct way of reporting offensive behaviour, unlike the Live system.

 

[Lynx281]

As far as the other points, the Xbox online gaming is much, much better than the PS3. That's why it costs money.

Ummmmm...how?

 

[PrimeBane]

The PS3 does not bitstream either TruHD or DTS-HD MA... both are decoded on the PS3 and sent over HDMI as LPCM.

I own both consoles (1 PS3, 2 360s). As others have said, they both have their ups and downs.

I love my PS3 for Blu-ray and streaming media from my computer. I will echo the sentinements that the wifi sucks. I'm not a fan of the controller either as it just doesn't feel as natural to me as the 360 controller.

My 360s are my choice for gaming. Probably mostly due to the fact I mainly play first person shooters. I also like the achievements system better than trophies, therefor most of my game purchases are for the 360. There's always the risk of the Red Rings of Death, but MS increased the warranty to 3 years for it and the turn around time in Canada is normally 2-3 weeks.

And my last reason for 360 preference... it's what the majority of my gaming friends own. I have a blast online gaming and it's always more fun with friends than random people. If more of my friends had PS3s, then I'd probably prefer the PS3.