Xbox 360 vs. PS3

Xbox wins, hands down.

Sorry.

After three weeks with a PS3 and all the frustrations that go along with it, I somehow managed to convince the retailer I bought it from to give me store credit for its return. I bought an Xbox 360 in its place and honestly couldn't be happier.

What's more is that I'm the very first person to jump on the anti-MS bandwagon. I'm a founding member of "I hate MicroSucks". But even I have to admit that the Xbox is well done. It may not have always been that way, but seven years has seen them master the artform. Sony, however, have no such excuse. The PS3 is pitiful. Games stutter at a LOWER resolution (720p as opposed to 1080p of the Xbox) that flies by smoothly on the Xbox. There's a better selection of games. The OS is LEAGUES ahead of the PS3's clunky, ugly, just plain nasty OS.

Hell, even the box opening experience is far superior with the Xbox.

The PS3 looks like a cheap computer whereas the Xbox actually looks like a console. Even the wireless controller has a better form factor.

Then there's Xbox Live as opposed to the PlayStation Store... yeah, let's not even compare the two for the sake of embarrassing the PSS.

Of course, this is all just my opinion. But I, for one, will be buying up the Xbox 720 when it comes out and ignoring the PS4 entirely based on this experience.

Feel free to share your comparison thoughts.

Assuming you haven't been overly marketed by 360fans, i reckon your change of heart is based on a fair assessment. I do remember you being all excited by your new ps3.

So I assume further experience and comparison is what has led you to your conclusion.

From my own experience:
-PS3 price point was too high
-removing BC was not smart
+not being nickel and dimed for online gaming, etc
+using standard off the shelf drives
+more reliable hardware (at the time 360 RRoD was bad)

The 360 has:
+better Party system to get your group started
+better UI
+better integration of games into xbox platform (chat, party, messaging)
-nickel and diming for online play, rechargeable controllers, wifi adapter

Over the 3+ years I've had both, the 360 has seen more usage. The wife likes it better.

Kzach said:

Games stutter at a LOWER resolution (720p as opposed to 1080p of the Xbox) that flies by smoothly on the Xbox.

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You might want to reconsider this one... very few of this generation's console games render at a native 1080p. Very few.

I've give you this: there are some bad-to-terrible ports for the PS3.

The PS3 looks like a cheap computer whereas the Xbox actually looks like a console.

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Eh... my PS3 Fat looks like a shiny black George Foreman grill from the future that cooks with anti-protons (or something). To me, the 360 says "My owner drinks Red Bull and uses too much Axe Body Spray" -- ie, the styling is a bit... young.

As for the game selection, all I can say is there are more PS3 games I want to play than I have time to play, what with my marriage and career and all.

Feel free to share your comparison thoughts.

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Isn't this post a few years late?

Also, my PS3 was my favorite entertainment gadget for several years... until I finally broke down and got an iPhone.

on being a few years too late, I actually think it's the opposite.

Now, both systems being in their latter half, a more full comparison can be made.

For me, it was never about the games.

the 360 has a more complete UI and experience. But I expect that from a software company.

note, I'm not a big fan of the new Metro interface...


As for iPhone, my wife quit using her PSP when she got an iPod Touch and later an iPhone.

At this point, there is no reason to get a PSP2 when she already carries an iPhone.

Though I was loyal to Sony from PS1 to PS3, I just do not have a compelling reason to use my PS3, let along justify buying a PS4 when it comes out.

Report: BOTH New Xbox and PS4 Will Be Shown At E3 - Games News at IGN

What I'm wondering about is if Microsoft or Sony will try to artificially curtail current generation releases once the new systems release in hopes of forcing a larger library of titles for the nascent systems. From what it looked like to me, a lot of developers stuck with the PS2 for a while rather than make the PS3 jump. I was thankful for that, but I'm sure someone thought that was hurtful to the PS3's early game library

Janx said:

Now, both systems being in their latter half, a more full comparison can be made.

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That's a good point. Maybe I was thrown by the "PS3 is pitiful" bit in the original post. Given the, ahem, strikingly similar capabilities of both systems, it seemed more in line with the fanboy clamoring that marked discussions earlier in this gen.

the 360 has a more complete UI and experience.

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That's fair. For me, the selling point was the Blu-ray drive.

As for iPhone, my wife quit using her PSP when she got an iPod Touch and later an iPhone.

At this point, there is no reason to get a PSP2 when she already carries an iPhone.

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Same here. I still use my DS for JRPGs. But given the quality, number, and most importantly, the price point of iPhone games, I have no interest in Vita or the 3DS. Apparently Nintendo's doing okay... but it's really hard to see where the new Sony handheld fits into the current market.

Though I was loyal to Sony from PS1 to PS3, I just do not have a compelling reason to use my PS3, let along justify buying a PS4 when it comes out.

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I don't know where I stand on the PS4. If my PS3 dies... then maybe. If not, my trusty PS3 Fat should serve for a few more years -- it'll probably take me that long to work through my backlog of game !

Wow, Sony is updating already? Isn't that about half the life-cycle they were claiming when PS3 came out?

New Xbox for Q4 2013 is what I was guessing. If this is true, then that's probably bang-on.

KOXM had an interview with Todd Howard of Bethesda just before Skyrim launched. They asked him what he would like to see in a new XBox. He said there were things he couldn't talk about because he's in the know.

Interesting.

Agamon said:

Wow, Sony is updating already? Isn't that about half the life-cycle they were claiming when PS3 came out?

New Xbox for Q4 2013 is what I was guessing. If this is true, then that's probably bang-on.

KOXM had an interview with Todd Howard of Bethesda just before Skyrim launched. They asked him what he would like to see in a new XBox. He said there were things he couldn't talk about because he's in the know.

Interesting.

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Sony sticks to its 6 year cycle very tightly. If I recall, the PS3 is on its 4th year, thus 2 more years to go.

The 360 is about 1 year older than the PS3, and the original xbox was only a 5 year cycle.

From that, I deduce:
MS had an advantage when the 360 came out, everybody was ready for an upgrade and ps3 was nowhere in sight. Lots of PS2 owners bought a 360 because of this.

When the PS3 did come out, at this point, all you friends have 360's that are cheaper, why buy a PS3?

though MS originally had a 5 year cycle (based on the short sample set of orig Xbox to 360), because Sony is so rigid, MS can rely on a 6 year cycle from Sony and still launch Xbox Next 1 year ahead of Sony's PS-Next.

Basically, Microsoft is sitting in a great position for their console. I reckon they could worry about the Wii U, but I don't think they are a contender for MS's target demographic.

I'm too lazy to check the release dates and stuff, but if the math works out to about 6 years from 360 launch, then winter 2013 sounds about right. And the PS4 will come out the following year.

I guarrantee you that Sony will NOT deviate from their product development cycle. Not without a huge shake-up in management. Because of that Microsoft has very good predictability on when they need to launch the Xbox-Next.

Note: By PS-Next or Xbox-Next, I mean the Next version of that console, regardless of its actual product name.

obviously, this is just my speculation, but factor in that I have owned both systems, followed their patterns and published statements, and spent 13 years working for a top technology manufacturer and know something of the business.

It's kind of like iPhone rumors. If you have any experience with the hardware tech industry, you will find all these rumors of new and extra models to be ridiculous because you can tell how Apple does their hardware revs and you know who makes their stuff (the same people who made my company's stuff).

Anyway, I'm sorry Kzach didn't enjoy his PS3 as much as he had hoped. By itself I don't think it totally sucks. But in comparison to the 360, which all my friends have, the 360 is a better choice for borrowing games and playing together. the software is just plain better.

I do have friends for whom I recommend the PS3. It has a lower total cost of ownership (not needing Gold membership to do the cool stuff).

On the 360, I highly caution against buying MS's rechargeable battery packs. If you do not use them often enough, they go bad. I have 4 controllers and had bought a pack for each one. My personal controller's pack lasted about 3 years because I used it enough. The other controllers were for guests, and those packs went bad within MONTHS after purchasing. That's $10 a piece down the drain.

At this point, I use standard AA batteries on all of my 360 controllers.

Meanwhile, my PS3 controllers are doing fine with their built-in lithium batteries, despite the total lack of use they recieve.

I do recommend getting the 360's $30 chatpad. It comes with a mike and a snap-on keypad. Very useful for any kind of password or name entry you need to do. Given that the Arcade units do not come with a headset, this is a good purchase for online play.

Also, I recommend using the SAME [MENTION=89935]hotmail[/MENTION].com or [MENTION=73099]Live[/MENTION].com email address for your xbox account (and even for your facebook). This means MS's single-sign on technology can work on your PC, and your xbox account can connect to MSN Messenger and thus talk to your MSN Messenger contacts.

This also means you can video chat to MSN Messenger users.

Later (probably in a year), MS will incorporate Skype's user-list into it and functionality, and you can expect to be able to have your xbox talk to MSN Messenger AND Skype users.

Remeber the Video Phone we were all promised with our Jetpacks? Talking to your family across the country from your couch and seeing them on the big screen TV is MUCH BETTER than crowding around a web-cam on your laptop. The technology is here now and it works. The Skypee aquisition is going to enable a larger userbase of this technology.

MS also just added YouTube as an app on your 360. So now you can show your friends the funny video you found on the big TV.

Sony had this covered with its web browser. But MS is starting to maintain their control yet still get you the desirable aspects (youtube access).

Janx said:

Sony sticks to its 6 year cycle very tightly. If I recall, the PS3 is on its 4th year, thus 2 more years to go.

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Sony stated that one of the big selling points of the PS3 was that it would have a 10-year lifespan. Over and over again. That's what makes this announcement surprising.

Agamon said:

Sony stated that one of the big selling points of the PS3 was that it would have a 10-year lifespan. Over and over again. That's what makes this announcement surprising.

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Ah, I see the misunderstanding.

Sony produces PS-Current for 10 years. However, PS-Next comes out every 6 years from the release of PS-Previous.

Sony made PS1's for 10 years. 6 years in, they release the PS2
Sony made PS2's for 10 years (this is the last year). 6 years in, they release the PS3
When the PS3 is 6 years old, they will release the PS4. They will continue making PS3's concurrent with PS4's for 4 years.

For a top-end gamer, the 10 year cycle is worthless. Once the PS3 came out, I could give a rat's arse about PS2's a. I already owned one. b. why would I play a lower-res game when I could play a new one?

Therefore, to serious gamers, the only time frame that matters is the cycle time between current and the next platform.

Note: it's not to say that old games on old platforms aren't fun. But the market driver for the top-end games is the newest platform, not the previous.

Opinion: This 6+4 cycle is Sony's strategy, which I feel eats from the sales of the new platform. By NOT making PS2's and having PS3's with BC, anybody considering to buy from Sony will buy a PS3. By making both, consumers get split, and may buy the older, cheaper platform. I imagine many kids get screwed and get cheap PS2's for x-mas because their parents were too cheap to buy the latest technology (and to their eye, didn't even know the difference).*

*yes, there's a case for poor people who can't afford the latest technology, but they could have bought a used system if money was so darned tight. Considering how many people would sell the previous platform when they bought the new one BECAUSE it has BC.

Conversely, MS does not compete with itself. When the 360 came out, MS pretty much stopped making original xboxes (I do not have the exact dates, but I do know MS didn't make it for 4 freaking years after launch of the 360).

MS got a lot more sales, and their new platform was competitively priced at $400. Whereas Sony wanted $600 which was a HUGE jump over prior upgrades.

bear in mind, I love that Sony has a 6 year cycle. Compared to PC gaming, it is a promise from the vendor that if you invest in the platform, you are not going to have to upgrade to keep up for a KNOWN set of years. On a PC, you may likely have to upgrade every year or 2 at far greater costs than $400.


So to Agamon's point, yes your PS3 will be supported for 10 years. But are you really going to stick with your PS3 after the PS4 comes out. The majority of console owners upgrade when the new console comes out.

Once you upgrade, even if you keep your prior model (or if the new model has BC), the probability of you buying games for the old platform is lower than you buying games for the new platform.

If I own a PS2 and PS3 (i got a PS3 60GB w/ BC), and Rock Band comes out for both (it did). Why the smurf would I buy the PS2 version? it will not look as good and will be limited in functionality.

this is why the only time frame that actually matters for the majority (and sales=majority) is the CURRENT box. Once the Next comes out, CURRENT status just moved.

That's all long winded. I don't have sales data to back up my opinion. But my statements on lifecycle durations are fact. I can't prove that making the old box for 4 extra years hurts adoption of the new box. But I suspect it, and Sony's sales are not as good as MS's. I'm confident that to serious gamers, the latest console is the only one that matters. They might wait a year for the price to drop, but they WILL move to the next console and seldom look back to the old.