There are a lot of articles available on the net regarding the console war between the XBOX 360 & PS3. Most of those makes out the difference between the hardware & other technical details that don't matter much to the end user. I've also been into a buying decision between the two & these are the inferences i got from hours of research into the topic. So lets begin..
The XBOX 360 currently comes in two flavours. The Arcade version & the Elite version & the PS3 comes in the 120GB & 250GB versions. Iam exluding the XBOX 360 Arcade & PS3 250GB from the comparison to make this a fair competition between the XBOX 360 Elite (120GB HDD) & the PS3 120GB.
Iam using a special rating system here. The total rating is for 10pts & the two will share the 10pts (XBOX 360 : PS3) according to their success in each round. For example if the XBOX 360 has a complete win over the other, the point would be (10:0), if its a draw then (5:5) & so..
1) The price point: The Elite retails for Rs.19,000 & the PS3 retails for Rs.18,500 (both cost $299 internationally). So its almost a draw, but there is a catch here. The XBOX 360 don't have a built-in WiFi, you'll have to purchase a separate WiFi adapter which cost around Rs.4500. This don't really matter to some but those who want to reduce cable clutter, who have a WiFi network or who have to make extensive cabling to for connection, the lack of WiFi is a real letdown. The over the top pricing of the WiFi dongle (ordinary PC wifi dongles cost less than Rs.1000/-) makes the matters worse for the 360.
Verdict: Its a draw here (5:5), but if WiFi really matters: PS3 wins (2:8).
2) The "modability" issue: There are a lot who don't want to pay for the games they play & want to "mod" their console to play pirated discs. Here there is not much of a competition as the PS3 is unmoddable & the XBOX 360 cleanly wins.
Verdict: XBOX 360 wins hands down (10:0).
3) Game Library: Both consoles have their own exlusives & the library is more or less balanced.
Verdict: Draw (5:5).
4) Online play "XBL vx PSN": Though XBL is slightly better than PSN, XBL is paid. Whereas PSN is completly free. You've pay only for the games.
Verdict: PS3 pwns 360 (3:7)
5) Reliability: The first word that comes to mind speaking of reliability of the 360 is the dreaded RROD, earlier versions had a failure rate of more than 33% which is unacceptable by any standards. Though the initial PS3's had YLOD's & SOD's, they were limited to a few initial version & even then the failure rate is just .5%. The jasper versions of the 360 has said to have addressed the RROD issue
Verdict: PS3 edges over the XBOX 360 (2:8).
6) Media Center Part: Both consoles can double up as your Media Center. But here also PS3 has a clearcut advantage over the XBOX 360. The advantages of PS3 over the 360: The PS3 have BlueRay drive, builtin WiFi, easily upgradeable hard disk (since its a common SATA laptop hard disk, its less costlier than the expensive proprietary 360 drive & more flexible in terms of size also).
Verdict: PS3 maintains its superiaority over the 360 (3:7)
7) Backward Compatability: Both versions are big letdowns when comes to backward game compatability. Nobody wins here.
Verdict: No winner here (0:0).
8) Future proofness: Going by sony's & microsoft's track record, the PS3 would have a better support in the future. Games may still be released for the PS3 even after the PS4 is released (like the PS2 now). But going by microsoft's past of stopping production of games for the original xbox as soon as the 360 is released, we still can't be 100% sure that they'll stop releasing games for the 360 after the next gen console is released. The verdict is based on speculation alone considering past performance.
Verdict: PS3 edges over 360 (3:7).
9) The PAL/NTSC Question: Its plain simple here. PS3 games are not region locked (but BR movies are) & 360 games are region locked. This should hardly be a factor in a buying decision.
Verdict: Almost level (4:6).
10) The better Controller: Here there is a bit of tight competition. PS3 controller has builtin rechargeable battery (means you've to dump the controller if the battery goes bad) & is motion sensitive (though not as good as in the Wii & not much of use in games). The 360 controller is a bit more ergonomic & need to buy batteries (unless you buy the play n charge kit which'll again cost more).
Verdict: Draw (5:5)
11) Noise & heat levels: This may matter to only some. The PS3 is a cooler n quieter console compared to the 360. Since this is not a high priority issue, iam not rating the PS3 very much over the 360 for its advantage. Only Media Center enthusiasts consider his one.
Verdict: 360 falls behind (3:7)
12) Webcams n Headsets: You can use almost any webcam & bluetooth headset with the PS3. But the 360's choice is limited to Microsoft's offerings (which are costly also)..
Verdict: PS3 maintains lead (3:7).
13) Looks: Pure personal preference. Though i like the looks of the 360 more.
Verdict: Draw (5:5).
14) Game Prices: PS3 games are costlier compared to their 360 counterparts. Though buying a PS3 game means you can play online also without paying anything extra.
Verdict: PS3 loses its edge (6:4).
Here's the overall result in my opinion:
XBOX 360 : Gaming is the only preference.
PS3 : The Jack of All Trades.
If you are not satisfied with the above, select what all matters to you from the above given comparison criterias & see which one scores better..
Do post in your valuable comments..
Awesome, very informative!
ReplyDeleteKeep doing the goood work!