Choose Between a PS3 or Xbox 360

A lot of people don't know what next generation system to buy. This article will help you choose one of the two.

Steps

  1. Consider what value each console has to you and if the price can be justified by it to you.
  2. Consider which most of your friends have in case you want to play online with them.
  3. Consider the systems exclusive or extra features.For example the PS3 has Blu-Ray capabilities, a user upgradable hard drive,and Cross Platform compatibility with PlayStation Vita, while Xbox has SmartGlass, Backwards compatibility with most original Xbox titles, more ports and AV outputs, and official support for transportable game saves.
  4. Consider which would be better for you: Xbox Live or PSN, Xbox Live is a Premium Service where most features are inaccessible if not active, while PSN offers a PS+ service with its own benefits for $10 less.
  5. Consider which motion control platform would be better suited for you or your family
  6. Consider the track record of the manufacturer and any previous experience with them or their consoles, also remember to consider reliability issues with either console
  7. Consider which has more of what you want, whether it be features, games, exclusive content, etc.

Tips

  • It's good to ask other people for their opinions, but remember to consider your own as well. Your friends may have different opinions so try not and stray to far from your own.
  • Xbox 360 has a full online community which can be accessed for free, but you have to pay a $60 a year service fee for online gaming and access to certain online content. All the PlayStation 3's online service is free and doesn't require a yearly service fee unless you have the new PS+ service, which gives you free games for the duration of the subscription, discounted prices on select content, and early access to select content and betas. All in all PS+ still costs $10 dollars less than Xbox Live, but Xbox Live has a more active user base than PSN.
  • Try each controller, see how they feel in your hand.
  • If buying a console for a child, be advised that unlike the Wii, neither PSN or Xbox Live have parental controls when it comes to who they will interact with, if they don't have interest in the Wii than be sure to lay some ground rules for online play and what to do if they're being harassed online.
  • Be sure to look at some reviews
  • Keep in mind that even though both have standard wireless controllers, the 360 controller has replaceable batteries (rechargeable or otherwise)or an official rechargeable battery pack versus the PS3 controller with an internal battery pack that can be charged via USB, but also harder to remove and replace. Also the Xbox 360 offers a wired alternative, while PS3 doesn't. Consider the benefits and drawbacks of each.
  • Consider a Wii if you dislike either of the two, it has many interesting and innovative features. However, the graphics are not comparable to the 360 & PS3, which support up to 1080p. (The Wii only supports up to 480p)
  • If you plan on upgrading the storage capacity of your PS3 or Xbox 360 eventually, consider buying the smallest storage option available so you can spring for the bigger hard drive sooner, for example for a terabyte of storage for a PS3 would cost $99, and a 320GB hard drive for a 360 would cost you $129. Buying the cheapest versions of these consoles would save you $30-$50.
  • If you plan on buying the motion controls for either console, remember that it would be cheaper to buy a bundle with the controls included, however be advised that the PS3 Move Bundle doesn't come with a navigation controller.
  • Make sure it fits your budget.For example the 4GB Standalone Xbox 360 costs $199, or if you want a Kinect Bundle with Two Years of Xbox Live (Where applicable) you can get an Xbox for $219. The cheapest PS3 model is a 160GB model for $249.
  • Don't buy anything unless you know what you're buying.
  • Check with all of your friends and see what console they have so if you plan to play online, you can at least play with them.
  • Anything you buy can break so take good care of your stuff.
  • Have fun!
  • Remember that graphics and capabilities aren't your first priority, but the games themselves are, and you need to pay attention to what games are exclusive to each platform.
  • PS3 has more storage than Xbox.
  • If you plan on buying a 320GB PS3, be sure to get a bundle with a video game included, since the price remains the same at $299 and if you don't like the game you can always sell it for money.

Warnings

  • PS3 has a failure rate of about 12% for the older models, and the new "Slim" Models have a failure rate of about 10%, which is about average for consumer electronics.
  • The older 360 Models have more widely varying failure rates, mainly depending on the chip set inside it, the Xbox 360 failure rate for old models have a failure rate between 15-50% depending on chip set, while the new "Slim" Xbox 360 has a failure rate between 10-20%
  • The Slim PS3 has no backwards compatibility with PS2 games.
  • The Xbox 360 requires proprietary hard drives which have inflated prices, there are ways to get hard drives with bigger storage capacity for cheaper but they don't have the original Xbox emulator nor are they officially supported.
  • Online content is not rated and cannot be controlled, so discretion is advised if letting a child play online
  • The Xbox 360 doesn't have access to most online features without a subscription to Xbox Live, even if you already have a subscription to the 3rd party service.

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