Which gaming console should I get?
Thu Nov 13, 2008 5:11PM EST
See Comments (100)
The holiday season usually equates to one thing: Tons and tons of video games. With Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft all in the mix, it can be hard to choose a console for yourself or a loved one. Here's a rundown of all your options:
Xbox 360: Microsoft's offering best suits those that put games first, everything else second. The Xbox 360 boast a huge collection of exclusive titles, like Halo 3 and Halo Wars, Gears of War 2, Banjo-Kazooie, Velvet Assassin, Forza Motorsports 2, Blue Dragon, Geometry Wars (my favorite), Fable, and tons more. Xbox Live is still the most impressive online environment, and the New Xbox Experience will bring a plethora of new features and downloadable content. (Don't forget, Netflix HD streaming will be a big plus for subscribers.) As of now, there are three different Xbox 360 bundles to go with—Arcade, Pro, and Elite. My personal recommendation? Even though the Arcade does have an attractive low price, your experience will be hampered without a hard drive. Go with the Pro, as it offers a 60 GB hard drive and two pack-in titles at a very reasonable $299.
Playstation 3: The PS3 is a very strong gaming platform, but where it really shines is its multimedia capabilities. Don't get me wrong—there are quite a few Playstation 3 exclusives, like Metal Gear Solid 4, Gran Turismo, Heavenly Sword, SOCOM, and God of War III, but this one is definitely for the multimedia aficionados. Blu-ray playback (the best Blu-ray player in the market, in my opinion), playback of MKV high-definition files (with some converting trickery), DiVX/XvID compatibility, and HDMI 1.3 ports. Additionally, the PS3 also has a pretty robust Internet browser, which makes watching YouTube videos on your big screen a pretty easy task, and its flexible USB ports allow you to connect your own keyboard, mice, and other devices. Also, don't forget, there's no yearly subscription to Playstation Network, as opposed to the $50 a year that Xbox Live charges. Right now, there's only one Playstation 3 bundle—80 GB priced at $399, but a 160 GB model will be appearing sometime this month at $499. Pricey, yes, but versatile and powerful to boot. My recommendation, go with the 80 GB.
Nintendo Wii: Although many believe that this console is for the casual gamer, I find it more suited to the person who always has a few people over. With a ton of awesome multiplayer options like Wii Sports, Mario Kart, Super Monkey Ball, Rayman: Raving Rabbids, Mario Party, Mario and Sonic at the Olympics, Super Smash Bros. Brawl (my pick), Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and tons more, it's easy to get you and your friends involved in the game. Also, the Wii has a pretty robust Internet browser and a growing Virtual Console library, which is a nice touch. However, if online gaming is your thing, you will probably be disappointed with Nintendo's online service. If you're looking for a Nintendo Wii this year, online retailers like Amazon and Gamestop do have them in stock right now. Make sure you buy early, or you may be out of luck once we get closer to the holidays.
Now, if I absolutely had to choose one this year, I would have to go with the Xbox 360 by the narrowest of margins. Tons of games, great online experience, tons of multimedia downloadable content, and a reasonable entry price is a winning formula for me. Now, if the Playstation 3 drops its price (which might happen), then I would have to reconsider.
Agree or disagree? Have any other additional comments? Feel free to let me know what you think below.
Related links:
Seven tricks for your Nintendo Wii
Top 5 Posts
More About Holiday
Comments on Which gaming console should I get?
Post a Comment
Join in the discussion. Here you'll see the comments in the order they were posted.
-
87 Posted by edwards9tcnj on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:52PM EDT Report Abuse
Yeah I'm put off by the 360 after having friends and family going through several each for failures and repairs. None of my friends have problems with PS3. But the price for ps3 is too high right now. DVD's are still fine. I have a 50 dollar philips upscaling dvd player HDMI output and USB 2.0 to connect a flash drive to that upscales my xvids. Looks great on my 46" LCD. No need for bluray just yet.
-
88 Posted by rogueist on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:49PM EDT Report Abuse
Definitely buy the XBox 360. So far it has been great to play with. I couldnt find any games I really liked for the PS3 that I wanted to play on that, plus the PS3 puts out so much heat, it's like a furnace. And the Wii, I have never been able to find one in the stores to buy, and even when I won one, they couldnt deliver it because the people holding the contest couldnt find one either, and gave me cash for it instead. I have the XBox 360 elite. I wouldnt mind having a Wii as well. The PS3 seems to be sinking into the sunset real fast.
-
89 Posted by anderson19d on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:53PM EDT Report Abuse
netflix on 360 is great, but I am already downloading movies off the playstation network. Too bad 360 owners had to wait for this big news at E3, and Sony had it that night after announcing the service. PS3 will have it in the long run, they haven't even tapped the capbilities of the Blu Ray disc-which 360 has nothing on.
-
90 Posted by bbevel0604@att.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:03PM EDT Report Abuse
beleive me when i tell you go with the ps3 for simple reasons stated by everyone else comes with wi-fiand blueray and now is reasonably priced i got the 360 and what a mistake works and runs great but realizing now for the wifi set up same price as ps3 but still no blue ray feature ps3 much better than 360 and as for wii nothing bad to say my 3 year old loves it just not enough adult titles for me.
-
91 Posted by kaber1188 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:46PM EDT Report Abuse
I have to go with the xBox 360 simply for the xBox live experience and the reasonable price. I think the PS3 has a lot of the better exclusive titles but it just costs to much at this point.
-
92 Posted by jalindco@verizon.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:27PM EDT Report Abuse
I have had many game systems since the Atari 2600 - by far the Xbox 360 is the console for gamers. The sheer variety of games outshines the others. Next, Xbox Live is outstanding - instant upgrades and new content delivered right to your console. Yeah, it costs a few bucks, but what's 40$ a year, seriously, for so much great stuff? Finally, the real coup is the Netflix tie-in. I can watch my play it now list on the big tv. Overall, the reviewer (Yoon) makes excellent points about all 3 options and the buyer should merely choose according to his or her needs. The fanboy stuff is so old, after all.
-
93 Posted by christian_devon on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:24PM EDT Report Abuse
to make it simple pros & cons: PS3- pros: Playstation Home (look it up), Games Blu-Ray (WAY UNDERRATED ITS SWEET), awesomeness, Internet, USB ports, free online doesn't get hot, quiet, looks cool 1080p, has a hard drive, not limited to just gaming cons: media biased towards the xbox... Microsoft Xbox- pros: halo, media bias (makes me mad) cons: paying for everything else, no internet, red ring default (RANDOM SYSTEM FAILURE!!!) 1080p for the expensive 1, if u get the cheap 1 u have to buy memory cards & stuff, Microsoft lining their pockets
-
94 Posted by tythenet on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:26PM EDT Report Abuse
my 16 year old son is into sports games. madden mostly. what is the best gaming system for that? or if we get the wii can the controller make all the difference?
-
95 Posted by t_kesler22 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:26PM EDT Report Abuse
We actually just bought the Xbox 360 bundle for our boys and are going to return it and get a Wii instead. Our boys are 10 and under and the Xbox games are so violent. There are very few for young kids to play. And that we didn't realize until after we bought it and went shopping for games a few days later. Not a very Kid Friendly system!
-
96 Posted by lawjac2002 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:57PM EDT Report Abuse
I AM A 42yr OLD GAMER FROM THE INTELIVISION ERA(TENNIS ANYONE). I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF EXPERIENCING A LOT OF GAME PLATFORMS. THE PS3 DOES EVERYTHING. THE BLUERAY IS JUST AS GOOD AS BEING IN A MOVIE THEATER. MY JOB IS REFURBISHING GAME CONSOLES. I SEE MORE BROKE DOWN XBOX 360'S THAN ANY OTHER GAME CONSOLE.
-
97 Posted by vdfarms2003 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:32PM EDT Report Abuse
I been hinting at an XBOX 360 this for my birthday Nov 29 or Christmas. I think my wife has given in...hopefully this Saturday but I can wait to DEC 25th. Should I start hinting for a PS3 instead?
-
98 Posted by mo08010 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:24PM EDT Report Abuse
i have a wii but my bf has a ps3 and little big planet and i fell in love with it.. wish i could trade in my wii lol
-
99 Posted by boba_fett_26542 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:10PM EDT Report Abuse
I'm not a huge gamer or anything. I was just looking for a game system that isn't outrageously expensive but still has great quality fun games. I'm usually out with friends or at work so I'm more of a casual gamer. Went with the Xbox 360 Arcade and am not disappointed. Love that it streams Netflix. It is a little loud and it would be nice if it played Blu Ray, especially since Netflix is getting rid of High Def and switching to Blu Ray. Perhaps Xbox will add a Blu Ray player as an accessory. If not oh well, I spend more time out enjoying real life instead of games and movies.
-
100 Posted by daisyrose12002 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:34PM EDT Report Abuse
I want to know which system is better for young children. any suggestions?
Sponsored Links
My Tech
Please enable your browser's cookies to activate the My Tech column.
Also on Yahoo! Tech
| Computers | Home Office | Wi-Fi & Networking | Phones & PDAs | Cameras & Camcorders | TV & Home Theater | Portable Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
86 Posted by dillonryan@ymail.com on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:43PM EDT Report Abuse
Everyone knows that if you want a superior gaming experience to any of these "kiddy consoles" listed here, you buy yourself a good PC that will dominate the race in any feature or specialty you are looking for. Don't settle for fake knock-offs especially since every game in the near future will be cross-platform anyway so there won't be many games that are only for one particular console/PC..