PS3 or XBox360

[lukeduke 8]

I know there have been other threads on it, but I'm too lazy to look them up.

I am finally wearing the wife down on getting one of these consoles. I have done a little research and found that the "red ring of death" issue has been fixed with the new releases, as well as using the HDMI cable. I have friends that are on both sides of the fence and try to tell me each is better.

As for what games I play, I like sports games, especially the college football games, racing games and the occasional first person shooter/strategy games. There are no xbox or ps3 exclusives that I give two craps about. The price right now is the biggest thing making me lean toward the xbox, although the free online play of the ps3 is also tempting.

For those of you that either have or have played both, which do you prefer and why?

[Justin5 20]

For me it comes down to this:

Would you rather have downloadable content to add to games (xbox live is huge), or a built-in blu-ray player?

I have a 360, but at times I wish I got a PS3 because of the Blu-Ray.

[lukeduke 8]

For me it comes down to this:

Would you rather have downloadable content to add to games (xbox live is huge), or a built-in blu-ray player?

I have a 360, but at times I wish I got a PS3 because of the Blu-Ray.

Blu-Ray is nice, but not a requirement. I have a DVD upconvert player as is, so I'm happy with the quality of my movies now. I'll only worry about getting a Blu-Ray as movies that I want to own start coming out on that format only, not as a regular DVD. Does the downloadable content come free or do you have to have the paid xbox live account? It's not like $50 a year is a wallet buster, just curious on that.

[AURaptor 1,137]

Get the 360, so I can add you to my list of victims in Frontlines: Fuel of War

[lukeduke 8]

Get the 360, so I can add you to my list of victims in Frontlines: Fuel of War

That's not saying much. Most of my characters in FPS games are about 10 feet tall with a head the size of a watermelon. At least you would think so with how many times I die.

[Ranger12 46]

I have played both and as far as the look of the games go, I can't tell a difference. The 360 does have a bigger library right now, but PS3 is starting to catch up.

Though you say Blu-Ray is not a requirement, think about this, why pay basically the same amount for a 360 without Blu-Ray as you can get a PS3 with Blu-Ray? That was the deal maker for me when I chose PS3 over 360. Also, instead of having to run two separate HDMI wires, one for my game console and one for a Blu-Ray player, I only have one wire for both functions with the PS3. I have 3 HDMI connections on my TV and I use the other one for my cable box, so that leaves an open HDMI connection for anything I might want to add, such as connecting a HD video camera or a computer.

Also, the comment about about being able to download content to add to the games is errouneous. You can download add-ons to your games on the PS3. I have been adding content to Guitar Hero III and other games. Sony made that available a couple of updates ago, so the 360 does not have that to hang over the PS3 anymore.

So, like I said, if you are going to pay basically the same amount for both systems, but one offers something the other does not, such as Blu-Ray, that is a choice you have to weigh. If you have a HDTV, trust me, you will tell be able to tell a difference between upconverted DVDs and a Blu-Ray disc. Also, the Blu-Ray will try to upconvert your regular DVDs. You also have additional features/functions you can get on some Blu-Ray movie that you can't get with regular DVDs. Netflix offers Blu-Rays for the same monthly rental price as standard DVDs, so I use them. You will also be saving money buy not having to buy a separate Blu-Ray player whenever you decide to upgrade to that in the future.

My only gripe about my PS3 is that I can't play Halo 3 on it. I don't know how many cool games that may be made exclusively for the 360, so you may want to look into that also.

[Justin5 20]

I agree that you CAN dload stuff on a PS3, but Xbox live is miles ahead in that department. From Xbox Live Arcade, to add ons, to the recent agreement with Netflix, etc.

If downloading stuff is something that is a selling point, the 360 is way ahead there.

[Ranger12 46]

You can rent movies and TV shows, or even buy them, on the PS3 now, besides all the pre-PS2 games you can already download and play.

Look, I am not trying to get into a "which is better" argument. I think both systems are basically just as good as the other and now offer similar services, except that the only obvious factual difference is that the PS3 has a Blu-Ray player and the 360 does not. All that other stuff is basically one person's opinion against another. For some people, the Blu-Ray player is a big selling point and for others it does not matter. If Microsoft would have offered a Blu-Ray player on their system, I might have bought the 360 instead.

As far as all the online gaming, I do not participate in any of that, so I can't add anything to that particular area. So, for all I know, the 360 kills the PS3 in that area.

[Justin5 20]

You can rent movies and TV shows, or even buy them, on the PS3 now, besides all the pre-PS2 games you can already download and play.

Look, I am not trying to get into a "which is better" argument. I think both systems are basically just as good as the other and now offer similar services, except that the only obvious factual difference is that the PS3 has a Blu-Ray player and the 360 does not. All that other stuff is basically one person's opinion against another. For some people, the Blu-Ray player is a big selling point and for others it does not matter. If Microsoft would have offered a Blu-Ray player on their system, I might have bought the 360 instead.

As far as all the online gaming, I do not participate in any of that, so I can't add anything to that particular area. So, for all I know, the 360 kills the PS3 in that area.

I agree with the Blu-Ray player, but no one in there right mind claims that the Playstation Network is anywhere near Xbox Live.

[Ranger12 46]

I agree with the Blu-Ray player, but no one in there right mind claims that the Playstation Network is anywhere near Xbox Live.

Like I said, I wouldn't know anything about that beyond the add-ons I have downloaded from the Playstation Store. For a regular joe like me that is not a serious gamer, then online game playing was not a feature I even looked into. All you big gamers would not more about that stuff.

I actually was looking at buying a stand-alone Blu-Ray player and at the time was not even in the market for a a new gaming console. I had a regular XBox and that was good enough. Luckily, it was pointed out to me that a PS3 would cost me the same as a Blu-Ray player, yet I could do so much more with the PS3. Heck, to be honest I bought the PS3 for two other reasons besides it gaming capability. I liked that it 1) had a Blu-Ray player and 2) it acted as a media center so that I could stream wireless audio, pictures, or video from my computer or I could load my movies, pictures, and music directly on to the PS3. Playing games was just an added bonus for me. As I mentioned, if the 360 would have had a Blu-Ray player also, I could have easily purchased it instead. Probably would have since I already owned an XBox, but never owned a PS or PS2.

[BamaGrad03 0]

I own both.

If I could only keep one, it'd be my 360.

[SouthLink02 8]

PS3 for me since I knew it was stable, had great games, and had FREE online play

The Blu-Ray was just an extra but truth be told, I use the Blu-Ray a LOT and I love how the updates work for the PS3

The PS3 has a great slew of games out now and they will only get better in the next year

[Tiger Al 0]

PS3 for me since I knew it was stable, had great games, and had FREE online play

The Blu-Ray was just an extra but truth be told, I use the Blu-Ray a LOT and I love how the updates work for the PS3

The PS3 has a great slew of games out now and they will only get better in the next year

Me too!

PS3 has plenty of games for me and the Blu-Ray was the deal maker.

[Ranger12 46]

I have become spoiled by Blu-Ray. For any new movie that comes out on DVD, it has to be in Blu-Ray for me to watch it. Now most studios will not release a movie unless it is in Blu-Ray. Studios that previously released in HD-DVD only are now scrambling to get those releases out in Blu-Ray, such as Transformers.

[AUJarhead 70]

I'm in the same boat at BG. I have both, but if I had to keep one, it would be the 360.

Lukeduke, hold off a few weeks before buying the 360 with the 20GB hard drive, if you plan on going that way. MS is phasing out the 20GB hard drives, and is going to make the 60GB standard. However, if you were planning on buying the 360 with the 120 GB hard drive, it's going to remain the same.

[lukeduke 8]

As of now, in the soap opera that is this decision, I am leaning towards the PS3. The big selling point for me is the streaming media center. I am not going to be buying one for the next couple of weeks as I have heard about the 60 gig Xbox and there are rumors floating of a PS3 price drop at the end of this week. There are others that say it is total crap and they are not going to drop the price, so we'll see.

[Ranger12 46]

As of now, in the soap opera that is this decision, I am leaning towards the PS3. The big selling point for me is the streaming media center. I am not going to be buying one for the next couple of weeks as I have heard about the 60 gig Xbox and there are rumors floating of a PS3 price drop at the end of this week. There are others that say it is total crap and they are not going to drop the price, so we'll see.

I actually bought my PS3 at a good time. Best Buy was having a special in which if you bought a 47'' or larger HDTV, you got $100 off the purchase of a PS3, so I got mine for $299.

I have heard rumors about the price drop also, but to be honest I think there is nothing to that rumor. I would not anticipate a price drop until after Christmas at least. They may surprise us and do it before Christmas for a holiday increase in demand.

EDIT IN: I stand corrected about the price drop. I just saw an article where Sony did announce at E3 '08 that the 80GB core pack will have a price drop and now be $399 this coming fall, which is what I would have paid for my 40 GB model if I would not have gotten the discount.

Link

[lukeduke 8]

As of now, in the soap opera that is this decision, I am leaning towards the PS3. The big selling point for me is the streaming media center. I am not going to be buying one for the next couple of weeks as I have heard about the 60 gig Xbox and there are rumors floating of a PS3 price drop at the end of this week. There are others that say it is total crap and they are not going to drop the price, so we'll see.

I actually bought my PS3 at a good time. Best Buy was having a special in which if you bought a 47'' or larger HDTV, you got $100 off the purchase of a PS3, so I got mine for $299.

I have heard rumors about the price drop also, but to be honest I think there is nothing to that rumor. I would not anticipate a price drop until after Christmas at least. They may surprise us and do it before Christmas for a holiday increase in demand.

EDIT IN: I stand corrected about the price drop. I just saw an article where Sony did announce at E3 '08 that the 80GB core pack will have a price drop and now be $399 this coming fall, which is what I would have paid for my 40 GB model if I would not have gotten the discount.

Link

That is the rumor I have heard as well. I have heard that the price drop takes effect on August 1st, so I'm at least waiting until this weekend. Thanks for the link though, I couldn't find it yesterday, it was all word of mouth around the office.

Another factor I looked at may sound silly, but the PS3 has the autofeed disk, where the xbox has a tray. With a little one in the house, I could easily see him ejecting the tray snapping it off. One of the other leading factors is that two of my friends have the PS3, so the ability to play online with them is a plus. Neither console goes head and shoulders above the other for me, but those little things make me lean toward the PS3. As insignificant as Blu-Ray is to me now, I do see it as the wiser investment for future proofing.

[Justin5 20]

As of now, in the soap opera that is this decision, I am leaning towards the PS3. The big selling point for me is the streaming media center. I am not going to be buying one for the next couple of weeks as I have heard about the 60 gig Xbox and there are rumors floating of a PS3 price drop at the end of this week. There are others that say it is total crap and they are not going to drop the price, so we'll see.

I actually bought my PS3 at a good time. Best Buy was having a special in which if you bought a 47'' or larger HDTV, you got $100 off the purchase of a PS3, so I got mine for $299.

I have heard rumors about the price drop also, but to be honest I think there is nothing to that rumor. I would not anticipate a price drop until after Christmas at least. They may surprise us and do it before Christmas for a holiday increase in demand.

EDIT IN: I stand corrected about the price drop. I just saw an article where Sony did announce at E3 '08 that the 80GB core pack will have a price drop and now be $399 this coming fall, which is what I would have paid for my 40 GB model if I would not have gotten the discount.

Link

That is the rumor I have heard as well. I have heard that the price drop takes effect on August 1st, so I'm at least waiting until this weekend. Thanks for the link though, I couldn't find it yesterday, it was all word of mouth around the office.

Another factor I looked at may sound silly, but the PS3 has the autofeed disk, where the xbox has a tray. With a little one in the house, I could easily see him ejecting the tray snapping it off. One of the other leading factors is that two of my friends have the PS3, so the ability to play online with them is a plus. Neither console goes head and shoulders above the other for me, but those little things make me lean toward the PS3. As insignificant as Blu-Ray is to me now, I do see it as the wiser investment for future proofing.

I cannot argue with that decision AT ALL. You will be very happy with the choice.

[AUJarhead 70]

Especially when God of War 3 comes out.

[lukeduke 8]

Especially when God of War 3 comes out.

I will have many glorious deaths online. I have seen some coverage of it that is jaw dropping

[Tiger Al 0]

As insignificant as Blu-Ray is to me now, I do see it as the wiser investment for future proofing.

It may seem insignificant now, but, if you have an HDTV, you'll be the genius of the family after the first disc!

[SouthLink02 8]

You can rent movies and TV shows, or even buy them, on the PS3 now, besides all the pre-PS2 games you can already download and play.

Look, I am not trying to get into a "which is better" argument. I think both systems are basically just as good as the other and now offer similar services, except that the only obvious factual difference is that the PS3 has a Blu-Ray player and the 360 does not. All that other stuff is basically one person's opinion against another. For some people, the Blu-Ray player is a big selling point and for others it does not matter. If Microsoft would have offered a Blu-Ray player on their system, I might have bought the 360 instead.

As far as all the online gaming, I do not participate in any of that, so I can't add anything to that particular area. So, for all I know, the 360 kills the PS3 in that area.

I agree with the Blu-Ray player, but no one in there right mind claims that the Playstation Network is anywhere near Xbox Live.

I have played on XBox Live quite a bit and I have no problem playing on the Playstation Network over XBLive. I am not saying it is better but it isn't something that dwarfs the PSN especially with some of the newer changes to the PSN which are making it better

[woods1110 0]

PS3, hands down, no question.

It has a Blu-Ray player and no subscription needed to play online.

[AUTiger1 0]

PS3 for me since I knew it was stable, had great games, and had FREE online play

The Blu-Ray was just an extra but truth be told, I use the Blu-Ray a LOT and I love how the updates work for the PS3

The PS3 has a great slew of games out now and they will only get better in the next year

Me too!

PS3 has plenty of games for me and the Blu-Ray was the deal maker.

That is reason I bought mine. I wanted a Blu-Ray. To be honest I have used it more to watch movies on than I have gamed on it. I couldn't see giving what they wanted for a Blu-Ray player and then having to spend the extra money on a game console to boot.