PS3 v Xbox 360

[overseas shrimper]

I'm sure this isn't a new topic, but I'd like to get people's latest opinions now that the buzz and euphoria of the PS3 release has died down and more balanced opinions may be forthcoming.

Now that the massive project of renovating our farmhouse is nearing its end, it's time to start getting geared up.

I am trying to decide on which game system to get (a full HD 40" LCD Sony TV is on order to play the system on) and I am torn between the PS3 and the 360 (Elite version). I'm not interested in the WII.

Some factors to be considered:

- I'm not a massive game player (yet) and will mostly want to play Pro Evo / FIFA games and a footy manager game.

- I will have a wireless network throughout the house using Mac Airport Extreme and Express (so I can 'pipe' music around the house via iTunes). A Media Centre will be the 'server' for all this.

- I'm not too bothered about Blue-Ray and HD DVD as I am waiting to see which format establishes itself best and then buy a dedicated player.

- Most important is graphics and playability.


My brother has 360 and I really like it... but I don't know enough about PS3 and the last time a played a PS system it was the first Playstation!

One attraction would be the ability to play my brother at, for example, Pro Evo over the net (I am in Malta... he's in the UK)... but is that really possible at the moment and what kind of connection speeds do we need?

So, which should I go for and why?

I have added a poll to this thread as well just for an 'at a glance' summary... but details would be much appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[TrueBlue]

360 all the way!!!

 

[Bielzibubz]

As Scott say's, the 360 all the way.

Microsoft are way way ahead of Sony when it comes to on line playability of their games. As I have said before on other threads, Microsoft (and the vast majority of the games released for that consol) work on a P2P basis as opposed to Sony who opperate a dedicated server system and hence rely heavily on their servers coping with the throughput (which they don't), something Microsoft don't have a problem with.

On the graphics point, there really isn't that much of a difference between the 360 running at 1080p/i through the HDMI port and the PS3, certainly not to the extent you'd notice anyway.

Sony have got real problems cathing up with Microsoft on the on line gaming front. It's widely recognised that the on line side of games being released in the future is where the majority of R&D is being spent with on line playability being seen as the future of gaming, and in that respect the 360 will have the hold over the PS3 for some time to come. IMO.....

 

[Holtspur Shrimper]

PS3 all the way!!!

 

[Bielzibubz]

Now this is where the debate breaks down! care to give the reasons why HS and why OS should indeed go with the PS3

 

[osymandus]

ok quick one PS3: Its a technically better machine. The games are only just coming into their own (rather then being direct port overs from other systems). YOu get all your accessories at time of purchase (i.e the Hard drives built in ) It has Blue ray drive built in . Plus if you have a PSP it works as an extra controller .You can also reinsall Linux as your operating system. Oh and teh online systems is far esier to useXbox 360 : It looks prettier , it has a larger game library . Obviously more established online presence . SLightly cheaper (to be honest i prefer the Wii to either of them but hey hoe)

 

[carter_true_blue]

360 all the way the sony had to back date the ps3 to improve on what was just as good as the 360 at the time.

 

[Mr. Benedict]

Until the PS3 gets as many decent games as the 360 has I'll have to go with Microsoft's machine. The PS3 has the potential to be better, but it's too expensive at the moment.

 

[Taunton_Shrimper]

Get a 360, XBox Live & Fifa 08 and you be sorted.

 

[Mr Gilbo]

As you want it as a games machine then go with the 360, plus if you know other people with 360 and the same games you can play anywhere in the world. However, the speeds will be effected by the broadband speed you have. The online play is what the 360 is set up for, and it does it very well!

But the PS3 does do so much more. As stated above the games are now starting to come out for it. It is a fantastic blu-ray player, and unfortunately I cannot see the war being won in 2008 at all. Music streamed from a pc to the PS3 has a crisped, cleaned image with a better more defined bass line than what the 360 can produce.

I have both and I think I made the right choice.

 

[Bielzibubz]

Music streamed from a pc to the PS3 has a crisped, cleaned image with a better more defined bass line than what the 360 can produce.

I don't have both but good quality music and video streamed from my laptop to my 360 and through my cinema system sounds and looks top quality. Also in the 360's favour is that in early Feb 2008 they are opening up the video/tv/music on demand service to the European market which owners in the US have had for a while. This will enable you to download, play and save HiDef movies, music vids and TV shows direct to the consol.

 

[Mr Gilbo]

I don't have both but good quality music and video streamed from my laptop to my 360 and through my cinema system sounds and looks top quality. Also in the 360's favour is that in early Feb 2008 they are opening up the video/tv/music on demand service to the European market which owners in the US have had for a while. This will enable you to download, play and save HiDef movies, music vids and TV shows direct to the consol.

I must admit I was impressed with the 360 on this front until I got the PS3 and then I was blown away.

Indeed the microsoft video marketplace may be great. However, unless the broadband speeds in this country reach that of America, parts of Europe and the Far East I will be not be happy with downloading a 5gb movie, which on my current up to 8mb broadband (got to love the phrase "up to" currently my speed is about 1mb!) would take far too long!

Streaming of Hi-Def movies may be the way forward, but I still like my blu-ray and hd-dvd cases sitting on the shelf!!

 

[Bielzibubz]

I must admit I was impressed with the 360 on this front until I got the PS3 and then I was blown away.

Indeed the microsoft video marketplace may be great. However, unless the broadband speeds in this country reach that of America, parts of Europe and the Far East I will be not be happy with downloading a 5gb movie, which on my current up to 8mb broadband (got to love the phrase "up to" currently my speed is about 1mb!) would take far too long!

Streaming of Hi-Def movies may be the way forward, but I still like my blu-ray and hd-dvd cases sitting on the shelf!!

You make a very valid point Mr Gilbo. Until the powers that be (BT in this case) start to unroll fibre optic or upgrade their current copper system downloading 5gb HiDef movies is going to be a case of leave it on for 2 days and hope for the best.

Design wise I'd much prefer the PS3, I personally think Microsoft balls'd up big time with the design of the 360. Clearly a lot more thought went into that side of things from the guys at Sony.

Another + point for the 360, although someone will surely point out an error to it somewhere, is that the 360, when used as a DVD player, upscales ordinary discs from 480 to 720 which is virtually HiDef quality so your old DVD collection can be viewed in near HiDef without the need to fork out for a dedicated player.

 

[overseas shrimper]

Some good posts. Thanks... and feel free to let the debate and poll voting continue.

 

[Bielzibubz]

I think it really all depends on what you want it to do. As I've eluded to, and this is a purely personal point of view, I think the 360 is a very competant all round home entertainment system when set up properly as well as being a damn good games console.

At the end of the day Mark you said in your original post that your going to want it for future on line gaming and in that resepct the 360 has the PS3 beaten hands down. Sony had, and to a large degree still do have, huge problems with their servers not being able to cope with the demands put upon them.

As for what connection speed you'll require - The whole gaming experience is governed by your upload speed, not your "up to" download speed. I don't know what the speeds are up to in Malta but here in the UK anyone with a BT line, regardless of provider, is only going to get a maximum of 468kb/sec, which is adequate for a 16 man battle on COD4 for instance.

 

[Mr Gilbo]

Another + point for the 360, although someone will surely point out an error to it somewhere, is that the 360, when used as a DVD player, upscales ordinary discs from 480 to 720 which is virtually HiDef quality so your old DVD collection can be viewed in near HiDef without the need to fork out for a dedicated player.

Both machines will upscale SD-DVD via VGA andHDMI on the 360, and the PS3 via HDMI. The upscaling of the 360 is good, the PS3 is outstanding. But downside is that they will only work on R2 discs.

One big plus point to the 360 is achievement points!

 

[Jam_Man]

Do people really use playstations and Xboxes as DVD or Blu Ray players ?

Ive always preferred stand alone players that have muli region and divx capability anyway.

 

[osymandus]

Do people really use playstations and Xboxes as DVD or Blu Ray players ?

Ive always preferred stand alone players that have muli region and divx capability anyway.

Both Got DivX 10 support last week, plus i suspect there are a good few multi region patches out there .And yes both of them are good players . Even the Wii can play back DVD's !!!(not sure of scalability yet ;) ) (unofficle like)

 

[Jam_Man]

Both Got DivX 10 support last week, plus i suspect there are a good few multi region patches out there .And yes both of them are good players . Even the Wii can play back DVD's !!!(not sure of scalability yet ;) ) (unofficle like)

Thats interesting to know.

I like the idea of streaming media and was looking at the Xbox before the PS3 came out.

Do the units make a lot of noise, the PS2 used to make a right royal racket and not really good enough for watching movies ?

 

[Mr Gilbo]

Do people really use playstations and Xboxes as DVD or Blu Ray players ?

Ive always preferred stand alone players that have muli region and divx capability anyway.

The upscaling capability of DVDs on the PS3 is a good as my friends £1000 Denon. Granted he can play all regions. And there are no patches or chips yet for it.

As a blu-ray player is just awesome! Why spend £1000 on a stand alone player, when a £300 PS3 does the job just as well!

Unfortunately the HD-DVD add-on isn't as good, the new toshiba hd-dvd players for £200 will out perform it.