Most comparison articles discuss the differences of the technical specs between the Sony PLAYSTATION 3 and Microsoft Xbox 360. This article will compare the systems based on how people use them. Much of this article is my opinion of what is better. I asked the members of 2old2play that have an Xbox 360 and PS3 for additional input.
What the Xbox 360 has that the PS3 doesn’t have
The Xbox 360 has direct support for the Apple IPod and Microsoft Zune as well as other mp3 players. For the iPod the Xbox 360 uses a menu structure similar to the menu on the iPod. The PS3 can play songs off an iPod but it isn't easy to use. To play music from the IPod you need to browse to the physical folder the music is in. Since there are multiple computer named folders there is no organization. There is a lack of Zune support for the PS3.
The Xbox 360, by design, is a Media Center Extender to leverage the power of the Microsoft Operating Systems. Microsoft Media Center is a software package that runs on Windows XP Media Center Edition or Windows Vista. It gives your computer a visually appealing interface to videos, pictures, internet radio, and DVR capabilities designed to be viewed on a television. The Xbox 360 Media Center Extender brings the Media Center experience directly to the connected television.
The Xbox 360 has a movie rental and television show purchase system through Xbox LIVE Marketplace. You can purchase television shows for around USD $2.00 for standard definition to USD $3.00 for high definition (if available). Most new shows will be available a day or two after the original airing. Since the television shows are purchased, they can be downloaded and viewed at anytime without restriction.
The movie rental system allows you to rent either standard definition or high definition movies. You have 14 days to start watching the movie and then two days to finish. The cost is about USD $4.00 for standard definition and $6.00 for high definition. You can begin watching the movie several minutes after it has started to download.
Using Xbox.com you can manage your Xbox LIVE account to change your password, motto, privacy settings, add Microsoft Points, modify your membership and other profile information. Access to your friends list is also available on Xbox.com allowing you to see what they are playing and message them. Xbox.com currently does not allow sending or receiving voice communications, only text.
Using the XrossMediaBar (XMB) on the PS3 you can only text message friends. Along with text messages the Xbox 360 has voice messages. Also you can send messages to multiple friends at the same time.
Microsoft will allow a developer access to the Xbox LIVE data. Some interesting 3rd party tools have been created. I use XBList to monitor what my friends are doing while I am on my laptop. If I see a friend playing something that I would like to play I can message him from my laptop to find out if there is room on the server.
One of my personal favorite features is the music player. You can play music from almost any USB device, such as an IPod or flash drive. On the Media blade, after selecting Music, you can choose what music to play and start playing it. The songs will continue to play even if you start a game and get into the action. While in a game, you can open the Xbox Guide to access the music player controls. Alternatively you can use an Xbox 360 remote control so manage the songs. Most games will mute the background music when the music player is playing. One exception to this is if the game needs its music to tell the story. The PS3 does not have a feature to keep the music playing uninterrupted or to manage it while playing games.
What the PS3 has that the Xbox 360 doesn’t have
Unlike the Xbox 360 the PS3 has built-in wireless without any additional cost. The Xbox 360 has an additional USD $99 wireless adapter. During setup the PS3 will detect the type of security you are using and ask for the passkey. I wish computers would do that instead of me having to remember if I used AES or TKIP algorithms.
The PS3 also comes standard with a hard drive, unlike the Xbox 360. Most people have bought the Xbox 360 with a hard drive, but developers have to assume there is no hard drive. One benefit of this is you can purchase and download full games from the Playstation Network (PSN). These games are usually USD $10-$20 cheaper than the Blu-ray version.
The PS3 has support for a small list of Epson printers. The purpose of this feature is to print images from the hard drive.
The PS3 has is a web browser with a few feature limitations. The PS3 firmware 2.20 increased the performance of the web browser and added video support for websites like YouTube. The browser has limited flash support so many flash games like Desktop Tower Defense will not work. The browser can be used to download Unreal Tournament 3 mods.
The PS3 SIXAXIS controller has motion sensing built in. The control for most of the games I have played that use the SIXAXIS motion sensing doesn’t feel natural. LocoRoco Cocoreccho and High Velocity Bowling are great examples of how other PS3 game developers should use that the technology. LocoRoco Cocoreccho uses the tilt functionality to tilt seesaws and other tasks. You swing the controller similar to swinging a bowling ball in High Velocity Bowling.
The Folding@Home client is another interesting PLAYSTATION 3 feature. While this isn't useful for the system owner, it does give you a feeling of helping the scientific community understand many diseases like cystic fibrosis and mad cow disease. The current version can be run as a screensaver and limit how long it can run before the system shutdown. Limiting Folding@Home allows you to control your electric bill by stopping the PS3 from consuming large amounts of energy 24 hours a day. I run Folding@Home while I am charging the PS3 controller.
There is a geeky aspect to the PS3 - you can install Linux. Most people will not have use for this, but if you have the technical expertise you can use Linux to turn the PS3 into a media center PC using MythTV.
Where the PS3 Shines
The PS3 can have up to seven controllers connected at once while the Xbox 360 only supports four controllers. Electronic Art’s NHL 08 takes full advantage of the seven controller system of the PS3 so you can have a player controlling each position.
The PS3 advanced has up to four person video chat while the Xbox 360 only allows one–on-one video chat. The PS3 also accepts most USB cameras while the Xbox 360 only supports the Xbox LIVE Vision Camera; the Xbox 360 camera does work well on the PS3.
From a storage perspective, the PS3 allows you to use any SATA laptop hard drive while the Xbox 360 uses a proprietary hard drive. Since the Xbox 360 hard drive is proprietary technology it costs more to upgrade than the regular laptop hard drive the PS3 uses.
The PS3 can use any USB storage device as a "memory card." You can put your save data and profile on any USB flash drive if you want to take it with you. The USB storage device can also be used to backup the information on the PS3 hard drive. This is an important step when installing Linux. The Xbox 360 can only use the proprietary Xbox 360 Memory Units which cost more.
Many PS3 games will install large amounts of data onto the hard drive because the Blu-ray drive is slower than most other optical drives. The 2x Blu-ray drive in the PS3 transfers at 9MB/s while the 16x DVD drive has a transfer rate of 21.6MB/s. The drawback is hard drive space being used, but game loading times are much faster.
The Blu-ray drive is part of the PS3, whereas the Xbox 360 has a discontinued HD DVD add-on. Toshiba has announced it will stop producing HD DVD. This means the Xbox 360 no longer has the ability to play high definition movie discs moving forward. The Blu-ray disc offers more storage than the DVD disc the Xbox 360 uses which enables developers to build more complex graphical experiences with rich textures. Although games which arrive on both consoles will probably look the same due to development costs and time to market both consoles simultaneously. Exclusive PS3 games will more likely utilize the full capacity of a Blu-ray disk.
While both systems have support for themes the PS3 allows for user created themes. You can set a picture for your Xbox 360 Dashboard, but the PS3 allows custom background for the XMB, custom icons, font changes, and sound effects much like Microsoft’s old Plus pack for Windows™.
I have found that navigating the XMB is faster than navigating the Xbox 360 Dashboard. The XMB is a simple list system so it can be completely loaded into memory and therefore navigation is quick. The Xbox 360 Dashboard is slower because, in many areas, it reloads LIVE information every time that area is navigated. If LIVE is running slow or your connection to their services is weak you may see a “loading” screen when switching blades or navigating menus.
Networking and multiplayer gaming is a concern amongst gamers and comparisons between the two consoles often leads to heated debates on the topic. Although I feel the Xbox 360 has more to offer in this area the PS3 does have a couple of advantages. The important part, as many PS3 fans point out, is playing multiplayer games are free on the PSN while Xbox LIVE has a $50 a year service fee.
The PSN solution to networking leaves much of the network implementation up to the developer. It gives the developer freedom to include features like user created content. A great example is Epic’s Unreal Tournament 3, which allows user created maps and mods; Xbox LIVE requires approval before content is posted to their network.
On the physical hardware front, the PS3 is quiet and reliable while the Xbox 360 is a bit noisy and has stability issues. I have gone through two Xbox 360s due to the infamous red ring of death.
Where the Xbox 360 Shines
The controllers for each system are quite different from each other but are of good quality and have well thought-out designs. As a matter of personal opinion I have always found the Playstation Dual Shock to be small and cramped. I think the Xbox 360 controller to be the appropriate size. I also like the Xbox 360 controller’s triggers since they have a longer throw allowing it to be more precise in racing titles.
The Xbox 360 controller has a unique port on the bottom which allows devices to be plugged in for gaming. Currently Microsoft supports the headset (included in most bundles) and Chatpad for connectivity into their controller port. The PS3 can accept a USB headset or a Bluetooth headset that is purchased separately; the quality of communication on the PS3 is dependent on the quality of the Bluetooth headset being used. The sound quality of the Xbox 360 headset is controlled by the controller and the Xbox 360 so the sound quality is consistent.
The downfall to Bluetooth headsets is that they have their own battery which requires a few hours of recharge time when it dies. The Xbox 360 headset plugs into the controller. If that controller is a wireless controller the batteries can be replaced.
The Xbox 360 controller uses two AA batteries. As long as you have charged batteries available you can continue to play. The PS3 controller needs to be plugged into a USB port to charge. The cable that comes with the PS3 is short and it takes the controller about two hours to charge, but the controller can be used while plugged in if you don’t mind sitting a couple feet from the PS3.
The Xbox 360 also allows more than one gamer profile to be logged in. When a gamer logs in, the profile will become linked to the controller that gamer is using which allows gamers to play together and use separate settings for their game play experience. When a message is sent to one of these profiles the message popup indicates which controller the message is for thus allowing the correct player to check their messages without confusion. That player can then press the guide button on their controller to view the message. Since each controller can have a headset plugged into its port, each player can have voice communications.
The Xbox 360 supports multiple VGA resolutions and can use an Xbox 360 first party or third party VGA cable. This is great for LAN parties as it is easier to tote a computer LCD screen than a heavy HDTV. The PS3 only supports standard and high definition television resolutions and doesn’t have VGA support for computer monitors.
I prefer the memory management system of the Xbox 360 over the PS3’s implementation. The memory management displays how much of each type of content is on your memory devices. You can easily tell if you have a bunch of demos, game saves or themes taking up most of the hard drive space. All I could find for the PS3 was how much free space there was and then skim through individual files to see how large they are.
Both systems have an online store but the Xbox Marketplace dwarfs the PLAYSTATION Store. While both stores have downloadable games, themes, demos and videos, the Xbox 360 store also has TV shows which can be purchased and high definition movies for rent.
Currently, the Xbox Marketplace has more demos and downloadable games than the PlayStation Store. Perhaps to conserve space, PS3 demos are removed after awhile but most of the Xbox 360 demos are available for long durations of time. Downloadable games are available on both systems but consumers may like the features of Xbox LIVE Arcade because every game can be downloaded in trial mode. Most of the PS3 downloadable games only have a video trailer showing game play which makes it a bit more difficulty to know if the game meets your taste for entertainment. Indie games will be available thanks to the Microsoft XNA initiative, allowing consumers to play even more arcade style games.
The Xbox Dashboard organizes downloaded games and demos separately while the PS3 demos and downloaded games appear in the same list which can make it difficult to browse. The games and demos can be grouped together in the list but it isn’t as obvious as the Xbox 360 solution.
While the Xbox 360 has a download queue limit of six, it does offer a feature that I am surprised the PS3 didn't implement: power off after download. The Xbox 360 can be setup to download your queued download list after you’ve told the console to shut off. Content that is downloading will be paused during online game play to reduce chances of lag. The content will continue to download when you stop playing online and also after you’ve powered down the box. The power button blinks indicating you’re downloading your queue while the system is “off,” once the download is finished the system will shut off completely.
Xbox LIVE versus PLAYSTATION Network
And finally a comparison between the two systems is not complete until Xbox LIVE is compared to the PLAYSTATION Network (PSN). Currently Xbox LIVE outshines almost all other networking solutions. Many PS3 owners will boast that their multiplayer gaming is free and therefore better, unfortunately, this is not always the case.
Xbox LIVE offers a more complete solution than most competitors. The unified friends list, communications and networking of Xbox LIVE makes it easy to play and communicate with friends during multiplayer and single player gaming. Microsoft’s solution is to force developers to tightly integrate all their games into the Xbox LIVE game play experience. You have one common friends list for all Xbox 360 games and thus you can always find your friends online and have instant connectivity to them via text/voice messages and voice chat. The PS3 does not have voice messages. This can be annoying if you don’t have a keyboard to type messages.
The integration with Xbox 360 games means all titles will act alike. Multiplayer lobbies and drop-in/drop-out games occur exactly the same way in each game: click the Xbox LIVE Guide, find a friend, hit the invite button and wait. If developers are allowed to implement their own network connectivity subsystems you’ll find different mechanics to join games from different publishers leaving a disjointed mess which may require re-education for each title you play.
Network connectivity in the Xbox LIVE system must work because Microsoft enforces their quality before you’ll see an Xbox LIVE enabled sticker on the box. In a PSN environment you may wonder into buggy non-working network implementations. Unreal Tournament 3 is a great example of a title where voice communication just wasn’t working correctly, leading my friends and I to be at a loss as to where the problem resided and who was responsible for fixing the issue. Hot Shot Golf: Out of Bounds does not have any voice communication. There is an awkward text chat system that is only available in a lobby or between holes. With both of these games you cannot check a new XMB message until either you quite the game or in a lobby.
The ability to message people, add new friends and see what friends are doing while in any game on the Xbox 360 means you’ll always feel a community experience and understand what your friends are doing especially in cases where game connectivity is not working. Although some games, on both consoles, have experienced networking problems, you always can communicate the issue with friends over Xbox LIVE independent of the game network bugs because the LIVE community is segmented from the game play and not built into the game itself.
The PSN gives the player basic networking capabilities, similar to PC gaming 7 years ago. You can play online games with other people but playing with friends isn’t a simple process. The process depends on what was developed into the game. TimeShift’s solution works similar LIVE while Unreal Tournament 3’s solution is completely in-game, TimeShift uses the XMB friends list while Unreal Tournament 3 has its own friends list.
The Final Words
The Xbox 360’s largest asset is that of Xbox LIVE. Sony will be responding to LIVE with Playstation Home and XMB updates to create a similar experience, but I don’t think it will be as good as LIVE until they get a year and a half to two years of experience with real gamers. Xbox LIVE has a five year head start and feedback from the community it is built on. Both consoles are great and have their own strengths; the Xbox 360 is great for multiplayer gaming while the PS3 has good media capabilities and personalization. I enjoy owning both systems for what each offers
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