CNET reviewers recently published their latest “prizefights” between products, the Xbox 360 vs. PlayStation 3. They compared various facets, such as overall design, game library, features, etc. I’ve been heavily weighing the same choices in my own mind for months now, and I was interested to hear who the winner was in this comparison.
Am I ruining the surprise if I tell you the verdict now? They rated the Xbox 360 slightly higher. They rated the Xbox 360 the best gaming machine, and the PS3 a “compelling, do-it-all” machine. I still like the PS3 better. I would have felt a bit more sure of myself if the PS3 won, but I still think it fits my simple needs best.
I think the PS3 comes out on top as having the better hardware between the two. Most in the gamer community are well aware of XBox 360’s infamous “Red Ring of Death”, the ominous console harbinger, which signals that the XBox must be sent away for repairs and will be out of commission for at least a month. The “Red Ring of Death” occurs on a reported 16% of all XBox consoles, according to an article on ShackNews about the XBox 360. According to the article, Microsoft contends that the failure rate is only at 3%.
While the hardware repairs are paid for through Microsoft’s warranty plan, that’s a big potential minus for the 360 in my book. Not only does the PS3 have no major hardware issues, but you get Blu-Ray. The XBox 360 is cheaper but with worse hardware.
I do wish/hope that Sony incorporates Netflix streaming to the PS3 one day. That would be awesome, as you can already watch Hulu and Youtube. What I like about the PS3 is that it is regularly upgraded through firmware updates, so Netflix streaming is still a possibility. That’s just cool.
Joel, If you are looking for a Blu-Ray player and a gaming machine then I would suggest the PS3. Also, you can buy the playon media server and you can get netflix, hulu, etc streaming on your PS3 and it works great.
For just gaming XBOX-live blows PS3 away in my opinion. Plus the Halo franchise, Gears of War. I have my Xbox moded so I can backup my games 🙂
To be honest the only game I play is Madden NFL. I have never liked first person shooters, except for Halo. I like games that don’t require me to invest too much time.
I think the PS3 is work it just as a Blu-Ray player. Check out the Sony stores because they were giving like $150 off if you signed up for a sony credit card.
Anil, thanks for the info. I agree that the Xbox 360 is probably the better gaming machine, but having the all-around machine sounds good in my book.
I don’t expect to play often, aiming 1-2 times a week. What’s important to me is when I play that the game selection is broad (don’t limit me), the games are immersive (realistic gameplay and astonishing graphics), and it’s fun. I won’t play daily — I have to take care of the kids, TV to watch, and time to study. When I get downtime to play, it will be available.
I did not know about the playon media server, but it has perked my interest. Thanks for the info.