If you still don’t have a current generation video game console, you may want to consider the PlayStation 3 over the Xbox 360. Here’s why.
When it comes to console gaming, it’s close to a toss-up between Sony‘s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft‘s Xbox 360. If you’re a serious Nintendo fan, the Wii makes sense. For most gamers, however, the Wii is not a serious enough piece of hardware. The Wii U may change that, but questions linger as to whether the Wii U will be left in the dust by its next-gen competitors, and what that means for the Wii U game lineup.
Looking at just this generation hardware, assuming you’re still in the market for a new console, should you buy a PS3 or an Xbox 360? I have both, and both are great machines, but in the end the PS3 is the better buy.
While I do think the Xbox 360 controller is better for first-person-shooters, the PS3 controller is just as good (if not better) for just about everything else.
And while the Xbox Live metro-style aesthetic is nice to look at, it’s no more functional than the PS3′s UI and nowhere near as simple to use (at least until you figure it out.)
Forbes’s David Ewalt had a great story recently on Microsoft’s success with the Xbox 360, and there’s reason to believe this success will continue, at least in North America, with its next-gen successor. But that success doesn’t mean its the best choice for either hardcore or casual gamers.
Here are five reasons the PS3 is ultimately the better choice (for most of you.
1. The PlayStation Network is free. Sure, sometimes the PSN goes down or is taken down by hackers, a problem Microsoft has done a better job avoiding, but Xbox Live Gold will cost you $50 a year. That’s $50 more than you’ll pay to play online games on the PSN.
As Paul Tassi notes, if you’re paying for Xbox Live it’s not like you get a discount on Netflix or Hulu or any other app. You’re just paying twice. Fifty bucks a year isn’t a make-or-break deal, but it’s enough to buy an extra game per year ad infinitum.
If the Xbox 720 costs the same per year as the 360 does, and the PS4 maintains its free PSN access, then the next-gen decision will be just as easy to make.
2. The PS3 has a Blu-ray drive. If you’re like me and my family, most of your media these days is streaming. Still, especially for animated movies likeHow to Train Your Dragon and anything from Pixar, as well as other big-screen flicks like The Avengers or The Dark Knight series, the Blu-ray can make a big difference, both in terms of visuals and sound.
It also means there’s more room per disc for PS3 titles over Xbox 360 titles, allowing for somewhat noticeable improvements in graphics on PS3 versions of many games, and – perhaps even more importantly – allowing each title to fit on one disc. There are few things more annoying than having to stand up and switch out an Xb0x 360 disc in the middle of a game.
Next Page: Exclusive titles, controllers, and Kinect.
LittleBigPlanet Karting will have Move wheel support
3. The PS3 has better exclusive titles. Unless you’re a big fan of Halo orGears of War, PlayStation 3 simply has better Sony exclusives than the Xbox 360.
I’m not a big Uncharted fan, but if you like Indiana Jones-style cinematic games, you can’t do much better than the Naughty Dog’s adventure franchise.God of War may be stretching itself a bit thin at this point, but the action-Greek-myth hack-and-slash title is still a big draw.
From Software’s Demon’s Souls is, quite frankly, reason enough all by its lonesome to choose the PlayStation 3 over the competition.
Other exclusives include the LittleBigPlanet franchise, including the upcoming Karting installment, as well asPSN games like The Unfinished Swan, which is one of the most intriguing looking titles I’ve seen in a while.
Meanwhile, many popular titles like Call of Duty are cross-platform, and many Xbox exclusives are also available on PC (though not nearly enough – seriously, why isn’t every Halo game a PC title as well?)
4. The PlayStation 3 controller is rechargeable. Never underestimate how truly irritating batteries can be. I own Dark Souls on Xbox 360, and in the middle of a serious boss fight (Smough and Ornstein) my controller died.
This was my first attempt at the boss, and I’d summoned an NPC and another player to help me in the battle. Just as we entered and began doing battle my character froze up. I clicked madly at the buttons, watching my life drain before my eyes, unable to block, roll, run or fight. Then the message box appeared, saying that my controller was no longer connected.
Had this been a PS3 game I could have, theoretically, leaped from the couch, bounded across the living room, plugged the controller into the console and saved my life. Since it was Xbox 360 I didn’t even try. I would have had to find the batteries, first of all, if we even had any. Sure, it was my fault for letting the controller die, but there’s something to be said for a rechargeable controller in terms of convenience, especially for lazy oblivious people like myself.
Random question: In a fight, could the Kinect beat up the Pixar lamp?
5. The Kinect isn’t ready for the big leagues. Naturally, you don’t need to buy a Kinect or any other motion-gimmick-hardware, but the Kinect does seem to occupy an overly-large parcel of psychological real estate at Microsoft. There’s a plethora of new Kinect titles, and very few top-notch new Xbox 360 exclusives hitting the market these days. Is Microsoft placing too many eggs in its Kinect basket? If so, it’s worrisome.
For one thing, the Kinect is not nearly what it’s cracked out to be. We’ve played mostly demos for the Kinect, but it’s been a really frustrating experience for both us and our five-year-old. It constantly drops players and is about as far from precise as you can get.
Don’t get me wrong – the concept is fantastic, and some of the games are fun, especially for kids. I imagine a future generation of Kinect may be a good selling point for the Xbox 360/720/etc. but this time around, I’d worry more about Microsoft and Xbox 360 developers paying too much attention to a device that’s only half-ready, neglecting non-motion-controller games in the process.
6. Last, but not least, is the PS Vita, Sony’s latest and greatest hand-held gaming device. The world may be moving toward mobile, but the PS Vita is a really impressive gaming machine that can connect directly to your PS3. If you want hand-held games, Microsoft still has some serious catching up to do. If you go with a Vita, you’ll be better off pairing it with a PS3 than an Xbox 360.
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What do you think? Outside of a handful of good Xbox 360 exclusives, is there anything else that makes that console better than Sony’s PS3? Did I miss any compelling reasons to buy the PS3 over the Xbox 360?
Final thought: Better still, build yourself a gaming PC. Sure, not every title will make it to PC, but you’ll have a much wider array of indie titles to choose from, as well as mods and customizations that make consoles pale in comparison. Still better: buy all three because, you know, you’re made out of money, right?
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