Hands-on with PS3, Xbox 360 versions of "GTA IV"

The arrival of "Grand Theft Auto IV" sparked a new round of tit-for-tat between the PS3 and Xbox 360 camps—with graphics, of course, being the ultimate battleground. Well, after playing both versions of GTA IV for a few hours, I wish I could tell you that the visuals of one platform clobber the other, but the truth is...they look virtually identical.

Indeed, the world of Liberty City is breathtakingly lush, lurid, and detailed in the PlayStation 3 version, with sweeping cityscapes, thrilling car chases with realistic vehicle damage and physics, and solid (if not awe-inspiring), cinematic cutscenes.

But the same can easily be said of the Xbox 360 version—and I challenge anyone out there to take the Pepsi challenge with these two and tell the difference five times out of five.

If pressed to name one difference, I'd have to essentially quote Rockstar—the PS3 version looks a little softer and "warmer," with the Xbox 360 version appearing a big sharper. Maybe.

[By the way, I performed my testing on a 46-inch XBR4 Sony Bravia LCD HDTV, with my PS3 connected via HDMI and the Xbox 360 over component, and both consoles set to 1080p output.]

So to my mind, graphics are pretty much a wash, and that leaves us with other factors, such as install time: about eight minutes for the PS3 by my clock, compared to zip for the Xbox 360. That's only a one-time installation for the PS3, mind you, but it's worth noting.

Then there's the downloadable expansion packs coming exclusively to the Xbox 360 later this year, plus the Achievement points you can earn on Xbox Live (there's no such thing for the PS3).

So, which version of GTA IV will get the most attention from me? That's right: the Xbox 360 disc, plain and simple.

Anyone else out there try the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of GTA IV side-by-side and want to prove me wrong? Fire away!

Related:
Grand Theft Auto IV Launch Central [Yahoo! Games]