Xbox 360 vs. PS3 - Which is the better console?

[The Raven's Epitaph]

Xbox 360 vs. PS3

[Side-Note] - Keep this thread clean, wanna bash a console? Go to the spam or cage section.
[Side-Note] - Can this thread, by chance, be an official one? I can see this being quite popular.

It's a subject that brings us gamers to major debates - and war. So which one is the better console? Here's my honest opinion.

Having played both Playstation and Xbox over the years, and seeing the birth of the newer generations, my decision has become final. I prefer the Xbox. I've always been one for the Microsoft machinery. Don't get me wrong, the Playstation franchise is great and I've played the PS1, PS2, PSP and PS3 - So, I have experience in each. I own each of the ones I just listed besides the PS3, I don't see why I should fork out anymore money for another newer generation console when my Xbox 360 is fine, and has been fine since 2008.

So why did I pick the Xbox 360? Here's why:

For starters, the Xbox 360 is only £159.99 here in the UK compared to the PS3 which was released originally at £479.99 - which is incredibly stupid. Sony obviously knew that nobody was going to buy their console unless they were bathing in money, so they reduced the price down to £342.99 - still quite alot of money. The Xbox is obviously winning more people over with it's reasonable and affordable price. Why you'd want to spend £350 on something that's equally as good, if not better, for hundreds of pounds cheaper, I'll never know.

Secondly, the performance and visual quality of the Xbox 360 is much more satisfying compared to the PS3. You may say that it depends on which game you're playing, then yes; I'd agree with you on that. It's like comparing Two Worlds to GTA4 on Xbox 360, it's horrible. But in truth, the Xbox 360 does actually have better graphics and performance compared to the PS3. The 360's GPU and processor is much more powerful than the PS3's.

Thirdly, and this section is covering the differences between both consoles, on paper the PS3 is better than the Xbox 360. In reality? The PS3 falls disastrously at the 360's metaphorical feet..or usb port in this case. Each console has it's exclusive games, such as PS3 with Little Big Planet, Resistance etc. - whereas the Xbox has much more succesful exclusives such as Gears of War, Halo and Fable. If you can't already tell that Xbox's exclusives are better than the PS3's then you're completely blind and should probably stop reading.

Furthermore, many of my friends that own a PS3 have said that Sony doesn't offer very good online and technical support. Plus, with the vast range of updates Sony dish out, it doesn't surprise me. One of my friends said that the new 'home-beta' they updated wouldn't work for any console for around a week, whereas when Microsoft updated the 360's dashboard, that worked almost instantly. Microsoft are always around to offer support, either via email or by phoning them up, you'll always have somebody there to help.

So, now that you've (hopefully) read my opinion on why the Xbox 360 is better than the PS3, I'd love to know what you think about the whole subject. Which console do you think is better? The Xbox 360 or the PS3? Keep this one clean guys and girls, this aint' the cage.

 

[Davi323]

Kratos would own Master Chief....

In all seriousness though, the better console depends entirely on the individual's needs. It isn't just about one being marginally faster, its about the sum total of the feature list. Neither system is a game console, not really. What they are instead is a home entertainment media hub that plays video games. Between the Netflix capabilities, the digital movies (but not pirated, because that would be illegal) playback, and all the other peripheral features, neither system is just a game console.

For me, if I was new to the HD world, the PS3 would be the clear choice. The Blu-Ray playback capabil...no. Correct that. The SUPERB Blu-Ray playback ability would be the convincing feature to talk me into it. The PS3 is a fantastic Blu-Ray player, and matches up with mid to higher end standalone players. It isn't the crappy DVD experience the PS2 gave us, CNET.com has rated the PS3 one if the best Blu-Ray players out there. Getting that along with a HD system is a good value. For someone trying to easily create a total HD home entertainment environment, the PS3 is a better choice. The 360 has zero Blu-Ray playback ability, and for some people, that is an absolute deal breaker.

However, if you already own a standalone Blu-Ray player, or otherwise don't need that capability, the 360 is probably a better choice. When you eliminate the PS3's biggest advantage, the 360 probably does have an overall better gaming library. I discount the raw graphics, most gamers can't tell the difference anyway, and the differences between them isn't enough to get any panties in a bunch arguing over.

The gaming library combined with the ease of adding hard drive space by simply getting a new one would probably be what I would personally look for. I already have the HDTV and the standalone Blu-Ray player, so the PS3's biggest advantage isn't as important to me as it might be to someone else...now if only Microsoft could redesign the controller...I despise the 360 controller, the PS3's controller flat out kicks the 360's ass. Symmetry matters!

 

[Trill Co$by]

The biggest advantage PS3, IMO, would have is the fact that they have free online play. The only problem with that is the price differences. The 360 is simply way cheaper than the lowest PS3 and that's the biggest deal breaker. Sure, we pay for Xbox Live, but when you add that to your grand total it's STILL cheaper than a PS3.

And then secondly, if you're going for games then PS3 is not your priority. I was on Youtube the other day and some itch had the nerve to say Halo's mechanics followed that of Resistance... uhm, no... Halo is a franchise that spans over a whole console generation (which PS3 doesn't have exclusively) so in terms Resistance has Halo's mechanics.

In terms of buying games just look at the 360's display case and then look at PS3's... in my local Gamestop, Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, and even Toys R Us the 360 has way more games for sell than the PS3. If you're going to buy a gaming console then the one with more games would be worth looking into.

Finally, you would try to see if you're that console's targetted audience. Sure all consoles say that their system is for everyone, but let's be real here, they're full of it. 360 is targeting the gamers in this industry that have an edge. With games like Gears of War, Fable, Kameo, PDZ, Halo 3, and Mass Effect as their lead exclusives (ok Kameo and PDZ were at the start but who cares) you can see that they're here to give somebody a game that promises. In PS3, they're targeting kids with stuff like Mod Nation Racers and Little Big Planet.


Now, I will say that when it comes to playing dvds, PS3 is better but I'm not interested in that as a gamer. I'm interested in the 360 because it does so much more and costs so much less.

 

[Dr. Stinger A. Zoidberg]

Welcome back to Part 3 of my series, "True Or False." So far, we have come to these conclusions:

• Super Mario Sunshine was not the best Mario game of the 2000's
• Megaman Battle Network 2 was the best game in the "Battle Network" series.

So today's topic for discussion is, "The PS3 is better than the XBox 360."

I'm sure that this topic has been done to death in this section, but I believe that the PS3 is better than the 360. Mainly for one reason, Cost Effectiveness. Now, at first, you may be shaking your heads and calling me crazy, but hear me out on this.

PS3:

Base Cost- $350
Internet Cost- Free
PS3 Move- $50
Games- $20-50
---------------------
Total Cost: $420-470


XBox 360:

Base Cost- $270
Internet Cost (1 Year)- $50
XBox Kinect- $150
Games- $20-50
----------------------
Total Cost: $490-540


Now with that being said, based on this, I fully believe that the PS3 is better than the 360 due to Cost Effectiveness. Also, if you want to continue with the internet on the 360, its going to cost you another $50. To me, thats absurd. Why are you paying $50 dollars for the internet? The PS3's is free, and thats great. While the base model for the PS3 may be more money, you have to remember that the PS3 can also play Blu-Ray movies. But, when you buy all the necessary materials, the 360 proves to be more money than the PS3. When, essentially, they are the same system. They both have most of the same games, and popularity. But, due to the cost of everything, I feel that the PS3 is better than the XBox 360.

What are your thoughts?

 

[SpoodBeest]

The Xbox 360 is an inferior system. So therefore the Playstation 3 already qualfies as the better system. First off when you buy a 360 you're essentially paying for an unreliable piece of hardware. Microsoft may be geniuses when it comes to being developers of software but never have excelled as hardware developers. So you pay for and get this console that overheats easily and can basically breakdown at any moment. Sure they give you the option to get it replaced but after the first thousand times it's going to get redundant and tiresome after a while.

Then you have the shitty you have to pay for our network use scam. Which means that every gamer that plays on Xbox Live has to pay to use it. A year subscription basically costs $50. That is stupid, and I am ashamed that Microsoft suckers in so many Xbox fans and cheats them out of all of this cash. That online network should be free to anyone who buys an Xbox 360, but it isn't and it's wrong. This is another reason why the PS3 has the advantage over the 360.

Basically all games cost the same, and the variety for each console is very similar. So the games library isn't all that different to begin with. Then PS3's online network is free to use all the time, you know like normal online gaming should be. You also get more bang for your buck with a PS3 by being able to play different media such as DVDs and Bluray discs through your console. The PS3 is superior in every way possible. Microsoft cannot try and seriously compete with Sony when it comes to developing hardware, as they will be fighting a losing battle each time.

So in conclusion not only is the PS3 a better than the 360, but it's also an all around superior console. There is no way any Xbox fan can refute these claims because they are not rumors or my opinions, these are cold hard facts that have been proven about the 360 and it's these flaws that make it the lesser console.

 

[Kenny Powers]

I have to agree with both of you because I used to be anti PS3 until I bought one a few months ago. It is amazing. There are so many features that 360 cannot touch. With my old 360 system I wouldn't play it hours on end and I would take care of it, but I would still have problems with it. Games would freeze and the online play was shady at best. Being disconnected so many times from other users shitty network was annoying. You can browse the internet on PS3 and can even download a ton of movies and video games you can't on 360. You can play Blue Rays and even 3D movies on PS3.

If you are a Halo fan, then that is the only downside. I was never a huge fan. After about the second or third Halo game I lost interest. The graphics and the game play awesome. Also, you don't have to buy batteries to use your controller. For 120 GB, PS3 is only $300. Xbox 360 ranges from $200 to $300. You do get 250 GB for a $300 Xbox 360. Maybe with the new designs and hardware for 360 it will be a better system.

My mind has been blown away from PS3 though. It may cost a little bit in the short term, but you have a better investment for your money long term. $300 isn't really that steep of a price.

 

[ThePeoplesChump]

I agree with davi323. It just depends on what console has what you want. if i didn't have a blu ray player i would've bought the PS3, but instead I bought the xbox. oh and PS I love the people that say the PS3 is better just because it free. seriously? Who cares its about like three bucks a month (not anymore but you get my point).

 

[lenguy]

I hate to sound like a fanboy, forgive me if it do. While the ps3 might be technologically superior. I just find the over quality of the system poor. I hate the contoller, Its been the same for what 10 years? It just feels like the same experience with shinny graphics.The 360 is much better suited for comfort at least I think,plus it plays better for shooters. The online real cant match to the 360. Sure its 50(soon to be 60)dollars but seriously..thats yearly. Its not like thats a monthly fee. While the ps3 does a have some very good exclusives like the uncharted series. But if I can find it on the 360 im going to get it on the 360. Sure the 360 has a higher failure rate, Iv both had to replace each system once. Im now on my 2nd xbox and 2nd ps3.

But when it comes down to it, people simply make their choice purely on brand loyalty. Some people have always prefered sony over microsoft and vice versa. Me, I just love gaming I own all 3 systems and i'll play whatever looks good to me. Though my 360 and wii get a little more lovin. My ps3's mainly a blu-ray player. I know people will obviously disagree with me or just label me a fanboy but whatever im entitled to an opinion and this is it. This is just my two cents.

 

[.]

if i didn't have a blu ray player i would've bought the PS3, but instead I bought the xbox.

But if you bought the PS3 you would've had a blu ray player and a superior gaming system.

oh and PS I love the people that say the PS3 is better just because it free. seriously? Who cares its about like three bucks a month (not anymore but you get my point).

Not anymore it is more like 5 per month which is till pretty outrageous for something you must likely won't be online for 24/7. Sure PSN is bad in comparison but it doesn't cost anything. Xbox live is good but it isn't worth paying for. So in short i would care.

I prefer PS3 because as Stinger said in the long run it would cost you more. Ps3 has bluetooth and usb ports for flash drives, keyboard, mice, microphones, headsets, earpieces and so on, the 360 has neither nor can you add them on.

Not to mention the ps3 runs dead quiet vs a 360 which is quite loud. And ps3 is known for being a pretty problem free machine while 360 even to this day still suffers from hardware problems, hell gamestop stopped taking extended warranties on them (don’t know if they do again now or not) because so many people were bringing them back with problems.

Far as games go both systems have 90% of the exact same games. All big names games like megaman 9, wolfenstein, bioshock 1 & 2, dead rising 2, beatles rock band, ghostbusters, bayonetta, call of duty 4, fallout 3, rock band 5, grand theft auto 4, modern warfare 2, brutal legend, marvel vs capcom 2, batman arkahm asylum, madden 10, assassins creed 2 and so on are on both systems and will continue to be on both.

Each year the list of exclusive games gets smaller. But personally the games on the ps3 that are exclusive I like better and have more of a variety to them. Killzone 2, MAG, final fantasy 13 versus, demons souls, uncharted 1 and 2, little big planet, flower, god of war 3, gran turismo 5, super stardust hd, metal gear solid 4, resistance 1 and 2, ratchet and clank a crack in time and tools of destruction, infamous, heavy rain among another dozen titles coming out in the next year that are ps3 only I like better. If you like MMO type games ps3 is only system to announce ones coming out for it, the two being DC universe online and Final Fantasy 14 online. But all big name big production games will be on both systems.

 

[Platypus Palsy]

I have both the 360 and the PS3, and I really can't tell the difference when I play either. I know that hardware and all that fancy technology stuff is better on the PS3, but I really just don't see it or I just don't care. I've never been big on the technology part of game systems, I just want to be able to play games. The exclusives for both systems balance out for me and I'm use to and like both controllers, so there's another thing out the window.

The online is really the only thing that separates the two for me, and it isn't the reason you may expect. I don't care about the cost, and I don't see any difference on performance or any of that kind of stuff. The only difference is that there isn't a bunch of 8 year olds with mics on the PS3. Most people on PSN seem to not have a mic, which is really the only advantage I see.

The internet web browser on the PS3 is hilariously terrible, and I can stream movies from Netflix on my 360, or download movies on the PS3. The PSN Store and the XBL Marketplace have the same shit for the same games, and the only difference is the exclusive game content on both.

On to the whole 360 dying thing, I've had mine since 07 and it has never died on me. It doesn't heat up fast and it doesn't freeze. I've had my PS3 Slim since Christmas and it's frozen multiple times and gets very hot within the first 30 minutes to an hour. I also keep them both out in the open with at least 5 feet from anything, and the PS3 still does this. None of this has ever even gotten to me, so I really don't care how much something freezes or anything, as long as it isn't everytime I play it.

I'm going to get to the point of this thread and say that I prefer the 360, only because of the fact that all but two of my friends have a 360, and the other two have a PS3. Once my XBL Gold runs out, I'll probably prefer the PS3 because they're basically the same damn thing to me.

This debate is tiresome and very old, and I really don't see a point to it. Both systems have mostly the same games, and a very close final price after all the extra bullshit. I personally feel that these consoles aren't even good enough to have this debate, seeing as i don't rank them in my top 5 systems of all time.

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

The whole what console is better is all objective. Gamers should focus less on what console is better and focus more of what console is better for the gamer's needs.

Both systems have their own unique strengths. But from a technical standpoint, the PS3 has more horsepower and support for a wider range of high resolution video and audio. But despite being a year older, the Xbox remains surprisingly competitive in some areas.

For me, I prefer the Playstation 3 over the Xbox 360 for a number of reasons. In addition to video games, my other means of entertainment is in movies. The Playstation’s built-in Blu-Ray player, offers me the ability to enjoy both.

The second, and more important reason, is the list of system exclusives.

Each console has it's exclusive games, such as PS3 with Little Big Planet, Resistance etc. - whereas the Xbox has much more succesful exclusives such as Gears of War, Halo and Fable. If you can't already tell that Xbox's exclusives are better than the PS3's then you're completely blind and should probably stop reading.

This statement is the definition being biased. Each console’s exclusive games are some of the best games that can be played. Each exclusive game offers the gamer a different experience than its competitor. Like the console’s themselves, I think the gamer should look for what they love in the games that they play, and then make the decision.

Secondly, a lot of games that are currently exclusive to Microsoft’s Xbox, are now being ported to Sony’s Playstation 3; the most current example being Mass Effect 2. Will Microsoft’s list of exclusive games going to mean much once they are ported and offered on both console?

In the end, what matters is how developers and publishers choose to take advantage of each console, and what is better suited for the individual gamers needs and wants.

 

[mmprgreen350]

i would have to say the ps3 is better but thats because it gives me more of what i want out of a system as a gamer i had a 360 first i bout it used when they first launched and it lasted me 4 years b4 i got the red ring of death so i feel i got my money worth so the whole over heating wasting money thing dosent matter to me and i decided to go ps3 cuz of bunch of ppl i know had one and im so happy i did the system truley does everything and the online play is FREE!!! the only thing it needs is fable or something equally good the only thing i miss from my 360

 

[Wolfdemon]

Been almost a month since a comment in here but I'll give my 2 cents. The advantage of the Playstation 3 is that they have free online play correct? So what would happen if Sony announces tomorrow that Playstation Network would cost 10 dollars a month? I owned both a 360 and a PS3 at one point so no i'm not a fan boy on one side that hasn't ever played on the Playstation network.

The cost of Xbox live is worth it in my opinion. They have offered 1 vs 100 live which gave away real prizes and you didn't even have to pay to play it. They will soon be offering up to 60 different sports games a week streamed straight from your Xbox. The Dashboard is sleeker and easier to use.

Lastly are the exclusives. Year is 2004 PS2 and Xbox are in full swing. Playstation started setting up a great list of exclusives. Jak and Daxter, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, Grand Theft Auto, Gran Turismo, Ratchet and Clank, Kingdom Hearts. What happened here you may ask? in the past 6 years 3 of the 7 "exclusives" are now on Xbox as well.

Xbox brings a great list of exclusives. Gears of War, Crackdown, Halo, Left 4 Dead, and Forza just to name a few. In comparison to me atleast the Xbox exclusives are much more appealing than the Playstation ones.

So when you all say "Playstation is better WE HAVE FREE ONLINE PLAY DO YOU?" I ask do you have free sports, free content, a sleek easy dashboard, and great exclusive titles?

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

Lastly are the exclusives. Year is 2004 PS2 and Xbox are in full swing. Playstation started setting up a great list of exclusives. Jak and Daxter, Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, Grand Theft Auto, Gran Turismo, Ratchet and Clank, Kingdom Hearts. What happened here you may ask? in the past 6 years 3 of the 7 "exclusives" are now on Xbox as well.

Xbox brings a great list of exclusives. Gears of War, Crackdown, Halo, Left 4 Dead, and Forza just to name a few. In comparison to me atleast the Xbox exclusives are much more appealing than the Playstation ones.

The reverse is also true in the sense that alot of games that were originally exclusive to the Xbox are now being ported to the Playstation 3. The lastest being Mass Effect 2.

So when you all say "Playstation is better WE HAVE FREE ONLINE PLAY DO YOU?" I ask do you have free sports, free content, a sleek easy dashboard, and great exclusive titles?

Free Sports? Check. Sony has a partnership with MLB to allow PS3 users access to baseball games via the console.

Free content? Check. The Playstation store offers alot of free content to the user and does not require a subscription fee.

A sleep & easy dashboard? Check. Our XMB is the equivilant to your Xbox dashboard.

Great exclusive titles? Check. Uncharted , God of War, Grand Tursimo, Demon's Souls, Heavy Rain, Infamous, Killzone, Little Big Planet, MLB The Show, Ratchet & Clank, Resistance, SOCOM, & Yakuza are just a small example of some of the excellent games that are exclusive to just Sony.

Does the Xbox have a Blu-ray player?


Like I said in a previous post, it all comes down to personal preference.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I'm gonna go with the 360 as the better option. Perhaps I am a little biased due to my wife having a 360 (I have a Wii) and we do not have a PS3. However a lot of my friends do. I just never got that into the PS3 as much. Not as many of its games appeal to me. It has some decent ones, and the option to grab older games for nostalgia is great too. This has been going on for me since way before the PS3 though. On the PSX, I mainly just played RPG's. The 360 (and X-Box before it) had games that were built better, had better graphics, whereas the PS3 (PS2 and PSX before it) mainly shines in the music of games instead of gameplay or graphics. Even if it came down to a simple argument of which has the better selection of games, it's still the 360 for me because of games like Fallout and Fable compared to a handful of RPG's on the PS3 that caught my interest more. The 360 is a better system than the PS3 in my opinion.

 

[Muffin Top Merkley]

It is interesting the results in this poll, as they have always remained even.

I think this proves my point that one console isn't better than the other due to hardware specifications, accessories, online content, price, graphics etc. but one views a console better than the other solely based on their own needs and console history in the gaming world.

Each console has their pross and cons but it all comes down to personal preference as to how the gamer chooses to enjoy his game.