Should I get an 360 or a PS3?

Librarianofdoom

Some advice!

I'm trying to decide between buying a PS3 or an XBOX 360. I've been debating for a while, but now that Portal 2 has come out, I've decided it's time to make a decision.

I've looked online and read reviews and it seems like the new Silm 360 and PS3 are fairly comparable. They're around the same price, too, except Best Buy is offering a 50.00 gift card with the PS3 this week...which pays nicely for Portal 2, and then that 50 could go towards a better TV to play it on, ha.

But I don't want to make a decision that's a bit cheaper but where I'm going to be unhappy in the long run--not that I'm saying I will with the PS3, but this is a bit of a big purchase for me.

So! My question is this:

Should I get a XBOX 360 or a PS3? Is it really just preference? Does the XBOX have better games (I'm not really interested in Halo.) And if I should get an XBOX, is 4 gig really enough or is it worth investing in the 250 gig? My friends are all divided, so I turn to my favorite community of gamers.

Also, if someone could enlighten me as to the big differences between the Playstation Network/XBOX live, that would be fantastic.

Thanks!

LoveIsUnity

Your choice will really come down to this: what types of games do you play the most, and do you want to play online with friends?

cj iwakura

The PS3 has free online, Xbox live costs. (Some say XBL has better functionality, YMMV.)


I think PS3 has more to offer RPG and niche gamers, while 360's more geared towards the shooter crowd(and has way more indie games thanks to XBL's Indie section), but fortunately, most of the best games are cross platform now. Just a question of what you're into.



Also, 4gb won't last long at all. It's pretty much only worth getting if you just want to use it as a disc reader, and have no plans to download or install anything.

Icemopper

I think some of the main differences are their uses. I've heard that if you want an all around media player, the PS3 is a great choice as it does Blu-Ray where 360 does not.

It also has a lot to do with exclusive titles that you might prefer. Do you like the Halo series? Do you want to play the Uncharted series?

I will say that I've had a PS3 for over a year now and it doesn't go a day without use, whether that is gaming, music, Netflix, or Hulu.

mntorankusu

The difference between Xbox Live and PSN is that PSN is free, and Xbox Live has set a precedent of increasing the already-too-high price (for something that's free on every other platform) whilst simultaneously adding No New Features Whatsoever.

Hillean

What you want to look at overall are what games you want to play--there are many PS3 exclusives, just as there are 360 exclusives. PS3 has titles such as God of War, Ratchet & Clank, SOCOM, and Uncharted (just a few examples) while the 360 has Halo, Alan Wake, Crackdown, Saint's Row, and more. Check this list here to get a better idea: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_games_exclusives_%28seventh_generation%29

If you have a bluray player, the PS3 may not be as appealing for that aspect, but if you've been wanting to upgrade to bluray, the PS3's default player is pretty nice.

Local H Jay

what you can do is buy the 4GB 360 and then get a few USB sticks to make up the difference. i believe they let you use 16GB sticks which probably run you $20 if that online.
but like others have said, it's all in what you want from a console. it's also important to look at what your friend's have if you intend to play online, since you'll probably want to play with people other than randoms.

sullichin

Both consoles get great exclusives (Halo, Gears of War | Uncharted, God of War) that are worth playing. You said you don't like Halo but there's other 360 exclusives. Just look at the games available for both systems and then make a decision. Most games come out on both systems and whenever gamers complain about the differences between them they're usually being pedantic. I think PS3 has a nicer interface, better Netflix software, and I wouldn't spend $60 for XBL if I wasn't playing Halo reach.

Hillean

mntorankusu wrote: »

The difference between Xbox Live and PSN is that PSN is free, and Xbox Live has set a precedent of increasing the already-too-high price (for something that's free on every other platform) whilst simultaneously adding No New Features Whatsoever.

Didn't take long for someone to throw out a diss, did it

mntorankusu

Hillean wrote: »

mntorankusu wrote: »

The difference between Xbox Live and PSN is that PSN is free, and Xbox Live has set a precedent of increasing the already-too-high price (for something that's free on every other platform) whilst simultaneously adding No New Features Whatsoever.

Didn't take long for someone to throw out a diss, did it

I would like to note that I don't own a PS3, and I was an Xbox Live Gold subscriber for a while.

Kato

I would also pitch in that if you do use Netflix, the PS3 netflix interface and capabilities are considerably better than what you get with the 360.

fragglefart

Get whichever one purrs more loudly when you stroke it.

Alternatively, buy which console more of your very bestest friends have.

Ask yourself if you care about Blue ray movies, Kinect or Move motion controls? Do you prefer the feel of the 360 or PS3 controller?

Look at the exclusives for each system, look at Xbox Live for Arcade and Indie titles and Playstation Network downloadables too. What sort of games do you like playing? For me, I've all but given up on retail gaming - if you end up in this camp, 4GB will not be enough, and the Marketplace and PSN could end up being a much bigger deal than 'which version of CoD is teh uberer?'

Local H Jay

plus the ps3 has Hulu right now and 360 does not which is making me go crazy

Viking

Both are really good.

It pretty much comes down to the exclusives,.
do you want God of War or Gears of War?
Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport?
Metal Gear Solid or Halo?

For me the only other deciding factor is the online, I have both consoles and I find I play on the 360 more.... not because its better, but because that's where the bulk of my friends are.
The price of the online is offset by the fact that I have a much stronger community of friends to play with on the 360.
Of course if I had purchased the PS3 first I can see that this would be reversed.

POKÉMON MASTER WT SHERMAN

Pick up whichever has the controller you prefer. It's that simple. If you hate the controller you're not gonna have much fun. I personally think the 360 controller is manna for the hands and hate trying to play anything other than fighters and sometimes racing games on the tripleshock. Your opinion may differ. Play on your friends' systems for a while and make a decision that way.

fragglefart

mntorankusu wrote: »

The difference between Xbox Live and PSN is that PSN is free, and Xbox Live has set a precedent of increasing the already-too-high price (for something that's free on every other platform) whilst simultaneously adding No New Features Whatsoever.

You mean apart from the new features which have been added, while the cost of Live has actually gone down in some regions.

Factoring in the cost of extra peripherals and services is always good for a listwarzzz laugh though, we should totally do that.

Warlock82

Ultimately as others have said, just look at which one has the exclusives you want to play. Also don't forget to factor in Xbox Live Arcade/Playstation Network stuff, as there are some excellent games on both.

Henroid

I kinda hate these "Should I get this console or that console?" threads, because it's hard for people to champion the benefits of the choices. Either they harp on the one they don't have and its flaws, or harp on the one they do have and its flaws (rather than its merits). I'm not saying having to make the choice is silly, it IS a hard choice to make, but things like paying online for something are hard to scale opinions on because some people don't mind paying what is ultimately a minuscule amount of money while others thing any monetary amount period is a god-awful sin (which is to say, people have different values on what every dollar means, rather than the services the money is paying for).

jothki

Henroid wrote: »

I kinda hate these "Should I get this console or that console?" threads, because it's hard for people to champion the benefits of the choices. Either they harp on the one they don't have and its flaws, or harp on the one they do have and its flaws (rather than its merits). I'm not saying having to make the choice is silly, it IS a hard choice to make, but things like paying online for something are hard to scale opinions on because some people don't mind paying what is ultimately a minuscule amount of money while others thing any monetary amount period is a god-awful sin (which is to say, people have different values on what every dollar means, rather than the services the money is paying for).

As someone who only has a Wii and occasionally ponders getting another console before realizing that I don't really have that much in mind that I'd actually want to play on it, I suggest getting a 360, because Sony is evil and needs to suffer.

There, now we have everything.

RainbowDespair

My personal opinion on the matter is that the PS3 has better full priced retail exclusives, whereas the XBox 360 has better digital exclusives (XBLA & XBLIG). Both are solid systems though so you can't go wrong with either - figure out which exclusives you want the most and go for the system with more of them.

Hardtarget

I own a 360, a PS3, and a Wii. I didn't buy a single PS3 game in all of 2010. so there's that.
(in 2011 I have picked up killzone 3 though)

The 360 has a vastly better controller, online interface, online gameplay experience, (hell in general XBL is a much better service than PSN) but that's because it costs money.

The PS3 can play blurays and has a couple great exclusives (uncharted mostly)

which platform do more of your friends own is what it should really come down to (unless you aren't into online games at all)

Torso Boy

The 360 does not have a "better" controller.

Hardtarget

you are incorrect

Torso Boy

Elaborate.

Moioink

Both joypads are good but for different reasons.

You can't go wrong with either console, just look at which exclusives you want to play more.

SaraLuna

Well for one, it doesn't hurt to hold it for more than 10 minutes.

Evangir

Controller preference is big. I vastly prefer the 360 controller, but the DPad is literally as bad as they could make it, so depending on the type of games you're into, that may or may not mean something. On games, I think the PS3 has a better exclusive line-up now. Demon's Souls/Valkyria Chronicles/Heavy Rain/Uncharted 1&2 (though I'm not the biggest fan of those)/Infamous are a pretty good reason to go PS3 given how many 360 exclusives go to PC. If you don't have a gaming PC then the list may line up a little more evenly.

Also keep in mind what consoles your friends have, what features you want in online play (free vs infinitely superior interface that costs moneys), and I suppose whether or not you want to get Kinect/Move eventually. Going down the exclusive release list and making your judgments based on that is probably a good idea.

Torso Boy

Well, if you can, give both controllers a shot.

I was sold on a 360 until I tried it out and realized that the placement of the left thumbstick actually caused me pain after an hour of gameplay. Conversely, a lot of people have issues with the placement on the PS3. Not a common problem, but something to consider.

cj iwakura

I despise the 360 controller, especially for fighters. It was designed for [strike]Halo[/strike] FPSs, and it shows.

Blandlytasteful

Personally, I'm a fan of the PS3. I like PSN being free, (even though I've been roped into paying for plus) but I hear that Live is worth the extra. Honestly, I think the main points have been covered... The three main points, in my own order of importance...

Exclusives: Both have them. Look them up, see what appeals to you more.
Friends: Playing online with people you know is fun.
Controllers: Which do you like? To a lesser degree, bear in mind kinect v. move.

Everyone will care to a different degree about those things, but I honestly think the systems are close enough in value that it is very unlikely that you will consider any educated decision that you made to be the "wrong" choice.

Mulletude

cj iwakura wrote: »

I despise the 360 controller, especially for fighters. It was designed for [strike]Halo[/strike] FPSs, and it shows.

I love my 360 but it's true, the controller is god awful for fighters. The PS controller has always worked well for that genre.

Edit-Is XBL Silver free? Just curious because people are talking about how you have to pay for XBL. I have Gold for Netflix and such and really don't know.

SmokeStacks

Local H Jay wrote: »

it's also important to look at what your friend's have if you intend to play online, since you'll probably want to play with people other than randoms.

Any release with an online mode will have a thread with a bunch of PA Gamertags/PSN IDs, so there will be semi-decent people to play even if you get the console your friends don't have.

A lot of people say that XBL is a superior online service, but honestly, it's no different from the PSN other than the pricetag. They both have a storefront, they both have games on demand, they both have Netflix, they both have multiplayer. Paying $60 a year for peer to peer multiplayer is pretty stupid, though.

The PS3 does have a few features that set it above the 360, namely Blu Ray support for high definition movies, and Bluetooth support so you can use any standard Bluetooth headset while playing online. This is nice if you already have a Bluetooth headset, which beats paying an additional $40 for the 360 wireless one.

If you get a 360, you'll need to get one with a hard drive. The 4GB system is a mockery of console gaming. Microsoft seems to think that a built in hard drive is not a requirement for high definition gaming systems, a thought process going back to the original release of the Xbox 360 "Core" at launch. Why buy a system with an incredible amount of downloadable content, and then lock yourself out of 95% of it?

I obviously favor one system over another (a buffalo nickel if you can guess which one), but for the overwhelming majority of people the main things to consider when picking between the two are controller and exclusives.

Mulletude wrote:

Is XBL Silver free? Just curious because people are talking about how you have to pay for XBL. I have Gold for Netflix and such and really don't know.

Xbox Live Silver is free. It's only good for buying stuff from the store, downloading demos, and inflating Microsoft's number of Xbox Live accounts, though.

Voro

Which group of friends will be purchasing Dark Souls and playing it online? Go with the console they have.

cj iwakura

Dark Souls will be 90% PS3, bet on that.

ruzkin

I love both my PS3 and 360, but the 360 gets double the play time. It has a larger library, far better indie selection, and cross-platform releases always seem to run better on the 360. I don't regret my PS3, not for a moment, but if someone put a gun to my head and ordered me to throw one of them out the window, the PS3 would be gooooooooooone. I'm happy to pay extra each year for Live, considering the superiority of the service.

Evangir

One big complaint I have with the PS3 is that the PSN is just slow as hell. Loading the store takes too long, updating the console takes waaaay too long, updating games takes forever. If the 360 needs to update something, it seems to do it in a handful of seconds, and game updates have generally been snappier.

Not a big deal I guess, but it is something.

Moioink

I will add that the PS3 is great as a media player and worth buying for this reason alone. I can be streaming over the latest 1GB mkv episodes of House from my computer, watching The Wire upscaled on DVD, Disney films on Bluray, streaming films from my Lovefilm account and watching TV on BBC iPlayer. It's way more than a games machine to me.

Hardtarget

Torso Boy wrote: »

Elaborate.

pablo_price wrote: »

Well for one, it doesn't hurt to hold it for more than 10 minutes.

nor was it designed as an afterthought to the original PS pad where they put the analogue sticks wherever they still had room on the controller... The Dualshock is the least ergonomic pad ever and it's ridiculous that it hasn't been redesigned yet.

SmokeStacks

You know, there are quite a few people who find the PS3 controller to be comfortable (myself included). The average 360 fanboy doesn't like the Dual Shock because it's not what they're used to.

I find the non-symmetric sticks on the 360 pad to be pretty ridiculous, but I'd get used to them if I played a 360 for a decent length of time.

Moioink wrote: »

...and watching TV on BBC iPlayer.

I'd love to be able to use the iPlayer in the US. I'd be happy to pay the BBC whatever fee they could cook up for foreign access.

Olivaw

I was in a situation much as yours, and I purchased a PS3 over a 360 because it had more interesting exclusives to me (the Uncharted series, Heavy Rain, MGS4, and whenever that goddamn Last Guardian game comes out), and it had free online play

But the kicker was it's blu-ray functionality. Finally getting to make use of this big ol' HDTV was something else, let me tell you!

Olivaw

Hardtarget wrote: »

Torso Boy wrote: »

Elaborate.

pablo_price wrote: »

Well for one, it doesn't hurt to hold it for more than 10 minutes.

nor was it designed as an afterthought to the original PS pad where they put the analogue sticks wherever they still had room on the controller... The Dualshock is the least ergonomic pad ever and it's ridiculous that it hasn't been redesigned yet.

This is nonsense

The least ergonomic pad ever is clearly