Which video game console is better: XBox 360 or PlayStation 3?

XBox 360

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by Anthony Roberts

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When these two prestigious consoles are put side by side, there always brings about the debate of which is superior.

Unfortunately the true answer to this question changes day to day depending on a variety of factors, such as:

- Game Releases & Catalog

- Console Updates

- Hardware Upgrades

- Peripheral Cost and Necessity

- Overall Consumer Desire

Personally, I am an avid gamer with thousands of dollars invested in games, owning both consoles and two PCs. As a subject matter expert I can state with confidence that the Xbox 360 is the victor, but not by a large margin at all. In earnest, by a toenail.

Catalog:

- The Xbox 360 holds at present many more games available in comparison to the Playstation 3. Though you may also play Xbox Original games and Playstation 1 & 2 games on their more advanced counterpart, the Playstation 3 falters in this area. The Xbox continues to support their Xbox Original titles, both with hardware emulation and the more recent ability to purchase and download Original titles for play. The Playstation 3 however has modified their hardware/software a number of times to cause confusion to your basic console buyer. "I need a 80 Gigabyte version of the PS3 to play my PS2 titles... but if I have this 40 GB version, I can still play them but not all of them... or if I have this 60 GB version... I can't play them at all!" - Sony has created too many changes to their console to allow any general rule of "you can" or "you can't" play PS1/PS2 games. Xbox 360 is the victor.

Interactivity:

- The Playstation 3 has repeatedly fallen down in this department as they push out update after update but not addressing what the players want. Cooperative Interactivity! With the Xbox 360 console, a gamer can be chatting verbally with their friend, while playing two separate games. It's also possible to have several gamer profiles (Accounts) logged into the Xbox 360 at the same time to share content, and play games together. The Playstation 3 allows chat, but only on a specific screen. Exiting this window ends the chat with your friend, and you can only chat with them again if in the same game (And sometimes the same team, depending on the game). Several accounts also can not yet be logged into the console at once, though this is going to be addressed as Sony has mentioned in recent news posts. Xbox 360 is the victor.

Accessory Cost & Necessity

- With a flying factor here, the Playstation 3 comes out on top, while stomping on the fingers of the climbing Xbox 360... or rather... the non-climbing and ever descending Microsoft. Accessory cost is astronomical in comparison between these consoles. The Xbox 360 does not come with any built in wireless, and continues not to. To achieve wireless one must purchase a specific device to plug into the console, costing about $99 CAD. The PS3 comes with built in wireless. Controllers cost about the same between these two consoles, though the cost difference comes into play with batteries. The Xbox 360 requires either batteries, or a charge pack (Sold Separately). The PS3 controllers are rechargeable and simply plug into the console, having no additional cost after buying the controller unlike the Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 also allows you to buy larger hard drives for your console, however again much like the wireless adapter, are specific in nature and are high in price ($130 CAD for a 120 GB HD). The PS3 once again towers by allowing you to plug any 2.5" slim HD (A Laptop hard drive) into the PS3, and doesn't need be Sony branded at all. These hard drives are even cheaper for more space! The Playstation 3 is the victor.

Account Cost:

- Microsoft requires players to purchase a "Gold Membership" for about $60 CAD a year, compared to Sony asking $0 for their membership. Though you have the option not to pay for a Microsoft subscription, most games will not function on line without this higher tiered subscription. The Playstation 3 is the victor.

Software Updates:

- When updating the console or any games you're attempting to play, there shows a large difference in the two consoles performance. The Playstation 3 must download separate files usually taking several minutes to hours depending on the game. The Xbox 360 console in turn downloads its update but strangely takes only three seconds to update the game to allow play. When updating games, the Xbox 360 passes the finish line much, much sooner than its combatant. The Xbox 360 is the victor.

Streaming:

- With most PC users using some form of Windows, it's without a doubt that Xbox 360 manages to achieve a win in this idea. Simply needing to enable "Media Sharing" in Windows Media Player 11 (Which is usually pre-installed on your Windows Operating System), then allowing the Xbox 360 to share your public files, you essentially can stream music & movies to your television through your Xbox 360 console. The Playstation 3 can also achieve this same result, however from personal experience I notice that attempting to run the same file from both consoles, the Playstation 3 will either not understand the format, or will buffer repeatedly when accessing the file. The Xbox 360 shows much more stability, which one would expect, as both Windows and the console are products of the same company. The Xbox 360 is the victor.

Communication:

- Both consoles provide an option to purchase a branded wireless headset at a similar cost. I must admit, the Playstation 3 headset seems to be much more clear in comparison utilizing its bluetooth technology. On top of this, the Playstation 3 will also accept connections from other bluetooth headsets, not just a Sony branded one. On the flip side, the Xbox 360 comes prepackaged with a wired headset - where the PS3 comes with no headset at all. When it comes to typing communication, the PS3 will accept USB keyboards to be plugged in and used, however the Xbox 360 requires an additional keyboard peripheral to plug into the controller (The PS3 also has this option, though seeing as how a USB keyboard is acceptable and probably more likely to be around your home... it's just cheaper this route). The Playstation 3 is the victor.

Hardware:

- This is a point that no one argues, that the Playstation 3 wins hands down. The power house of electronics stuffed into that black box compared to what is given to you in the gray Xbox 360... the Playstation 3 is capable of handling 3 or more times the data and processing power as its enemy console. Additionally, the PS3 is equipped with a Blueray drive, which allows its games to come in a single-disk format compared to several DVDs for the Xbox 360 (And note their failed attempt at implementing another peripheral for "HDDVD"). This also allows one to watch Blueray movies on their PS3 console, though the power consumption when doing this is quite high compared to an actual Blueray Player. The Playstation 3 is the victor.

Overall:

- Both consoles have their victories over the other, however I see the Xbox 360 as the true leader. This is due to the sheer number of games that can be found for the console in comparison to the PS3. It also has to do with the very large player base that exists, and that it came out a year earlier than the PS3 and still is running strong. True, the Xbox 360 has had its fair share of problems (Red Ring of Death, anyone?) - but Microsoft was more than willing to help those in need by extending a warranty to three years to replace these consoles! They've shown that they want their customers, and with these economic times, companies will pay large dollars for a good Customer Experience. What good is making money if you don't have any customers to get the money from?

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