PS3 or Xbox 360, buy now or wait?

Hi there. The Xbox 360 does output 1080p, you just would need a 1080p capable display obviously. But it also matters what cables you use for your console. The HD Component cables from Microsoft will let you game in 1080p (provided your display accepts 1080p from component), but if you wanted to watch DVDs upscaled, you would need either a VGA or HDMI cable, as component is not HDCP compliant. Obviously you won't be using it to watch movies since you already have an HD DVD player!

As far as graphics are concerned, with multiplatform they both either look the same with minor differences or the 360 version looks better as game developers use the 360 as the lead sku then port the game to the PS3. But that's changing, as developers are starting to figure out how to run games efficently on the PS3.

What else do you plan on or want to do with your console? Just play games? How important is online gaming to you?

Xbox Live is fifty dollars a year, while the Playstation Network is free. So there is another advantage to the PS3. Although XBL is more intergrated in their network and has the larger install base.

Although XBL is only $50 if you game online. You can be on XBL and visit the marketplace, etc. for free (i.e. silver membership).

You're just a casual gamer but you obviously care about HD movies and every day it's looking more and more like blu-ray is the way to go...

Ya; with a Silver account (the free XML account) you can keep friends lists, voice chat with your friends, track your achievements and compare with other, download free demos and videos as well as rent VODs, buy original xbox titles, arcade games and game content. The only thing you get when you pay for a gold account is access to online multiplayer. The exception to this rule is Finaly Fantasy XI (a MMORPG) where you can play online with just a silver account (this is because FFXI has its own monthly MMO subscription fee)

WRT HD-DVD/VOD and HDCP; currently you can watch downloaded HD VODs and HD-DVDs over a component interconnect without any trouble. The movie studios are making noise to the effect that they are going to force platforms to down sample HD movie content to SD if it is going to be delivered over component. To date this has not happened yet. I would not be too worried if it does because all new Xbox360s have HDMI built it (not just the elite). If you are buying a used xbox, you might want to check to see if it has it or not.

I am quite a serious gamer - I play pretty much every game type on every platform. I have an XB360 and have used friends' PS3s and honestly the only thing that the PS3 has going for it is BluRay movie support. Xbox has far more games in general, and its exclusive titles library is quite excelent as well. PS3 simply has no exclusive titles that would warrent paying for a PS3. In addition, the whole XBL marketplace has become quite a polished and powerful feature. PS3 is still playing catch-up with its marketplace, and everyone I have talked to about it tells me that it is a slow and miserable experience.

In addition, if you use media center anywhere in your house, XBox is a media center extender as well. No need to rack up a hot and noisy HTPC in your theater (you can just rack up a hot and noisy xbox instead :P)

Since HD-DVD seems to be dying, I will be picking up a used PS3 as my BluRay player from ebay pretty soon. It is still the best and cheapest bluray player out there (since they keep upgrading the player SW). I expect to pay about 200-250 to someone who purchased a PS3 and has realized that as a gaming system, it really has nothing great to offer.

If you are purchasing the system primarily for games, XBox is clearly the superior platform. Only a die hard PS3 fanboy would even attempt to tell you any differently. Wii is also an interesting system with some fun games; but it is clearly targeted for a different audience. My approach is to just have both. I have owned every single console gaming platform released since the playstation 1 (and going back before that, pretty much every one but the NeoGeo and the Sega Saturn all the way back to the original 8bit NES... yes I do own a dreamcast >.>) I am the type of person who will (and has) purchase a console to play just a single exclusive title (Mario Sunshine for the Nintendo Gamecube). Even so - I will probably never buy a single game for the PS3 I plan to purchase. Most likely, it will just be my BluRay player and nothing more. Unless Sony starts to seriously get its act together and sign some good content to their platform, there is simply no reason to.

BTW - Most xboxs come with a free year of XBL gold membership. Give it a try sometime - the experience has come a long way since the original xbox 1platform. My current addiction is online CoD4... The single player game was fantastic but the multiplayer is just over-the-top fun.

It's a tough decision right now. Which one is best for YOU probably comes down to how much weight you put on the blu-ray playback versus gaming. One thing that many people don't consider when making this decision is the price of games. the 360 has been out a year longer and has a much larger games library. Because of that, a lot of really good games can be found at reduced prices. There aren't many PS3 games that can be had for under $50. I'm sure that situation will change over time, but it's something to consider. Xbox live has more and better cheapo downloadable arcade games and demos also.

Everyone you ask is going to give you a different opinion and there are fanboys on both sides who will be eager to tell you why their system rocks and the others suck. Don't listen to them. Both rock in different ways. You really can't lose with either. If you can afford to, my suggestion would be to get the 360 now and plan on adding a ps3 (or stand-alone blu-ray player if they drop in price and get the profile issue straightened out) later. If you don't want to plan on getting both eventually, then you'll have to weight the options and decide based on what functionality is most important to you.

I had this decision recently and I chose the ps3 over the 360 because of the blu-ray. I just felt the advantages the 360 currently has in games couldn't match up to the advantage of the ps3's B-ray. The 360's game advantage is also something that will very likely decrease in time as the ps3 library grows and developers gain more experience making ps3 games. I'm very happy with my ps3, it's a great machine.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned in this thread that you should consider is the red ring of death (RROD) issue with the 360, alot of them are breaking (estimated 30% or so). MS has extended the warranty for 3 years, but there's no gaurantee the refurbished 360 you get back won't have the same problem at some point. In fact, I've read many people say they are on their 3 or 4th 360. I would definataly recommend an ext warranty if you decide on the 360.

You could buy a xbox 360 and enjoy a slew of amazing games that outstrips the current avalible ps3 games and its a list that will continue to grow. Get a bluray player when they drop in price. I'm sure they will be dumping their 1.0 player stock soon enough

Metal Gear Solid 4
Gran Turismo

And there is the issue that as games grow larger, they'll no longer fit onto a DVD.

Need I say more? Get the PS3

I have both systems. But if I had to choose only one, I'd go with the PS3. The blu ray player is a big plus. While the 360 has the better game library now, the PS3 will be making bigger strides this year. Metal Gear Solid 4, Killzone 2, Gran Turismo, and Resistance 2 come to mind. And with the extra year of programming experience on the PS3, the cross platform titles (Madden, Devil May Cry, Grand Theft Auto) should be nearly identical for both the 360 and the PS3. So going forward, both the PS3 and 360 will have great offerings for you to choose from.

The big advantage that the 360 has is the Xbox live and the online gaming. Although it isn't free like the PS3 network, it is a lot better. But since 33klfan says that online gaming isn't important to him, i'd definitely recommend the PS3.

With PS3 you get :

• SACD stereo playback through analog (regular SACD players will also do 5.1-channel SACD playback through analog outputs but the PS3 doesn't have 6 'RCA' connectors)
• Stereo/Multichannel SACD playback through HDMI -- if you've got an AV receiver that supports such input
• New: stereo SACD playback through optical
• Hopefully again in the near future: DST/DSD converted to DTS 5.1 through optical. This was added in v2.00 and removed in v2.01.

For more details, see the PS3 SACD FAQ.

Here in Australia the SACD functionality has been removed. There was supposed to be an 80gb model released that still has it, but no sign of it anywhere. A crying shame, the death of SACD could have been prevented.

From the sacd faq you mentioned:
"Do all PS3s play SA-CD?

Not anymore, unfortunately. The third generation, introduced worldwide in October/November 2007, is the first model that is not SACD-compatible. Probably all future models aren’t either."

I have both.

I use my ps3 more as a blu ray player. I have a few ps3 games. It is fun. I look forward to haze. Old ps2 games look great. Connects to ps2 for lan fun.

I play my 360 much more. I like the achievements. I love the online features. More of my friends are online on xbl. It has a big game library.

I say get both.

I have a 360 and I can tell you there is nothing that can compare with the online experiance you will get from x box live, from gaming to the market place to d/l ing HD movies right through your 360.

I am currently doing research on the ps3 as I am finally interested in it due to blu ray, there are only mabye 2 games they have that the 360 doesnt that I want to play, but I am addicted to HD so I must have a blue ray player...read some of the faqs on AVS about ps3 hdmi problems, resolution problems and such....also yes the 360 is proned to RROD but the newer models are supposed to be better and just purchase a warr to go with it. my 2 cents

Reportedly, Sony is about to announce a new model. If it's a 120GB as suggested, there's hope that it retains the 'high-end' spec of the 80GB model, including SACD.

Up to you finally and there are good arguments in favor of one or the other, one more thing is that I'm pretty sure the PS3 will outlast the 360 for at least 2 or 3 years if that matters to you.

There's alot of speculation right now that Sony will be dropping the price of the 40 GB down to $299, I've heard as soon as next week. While this could all be a rumor with no substance, it may be worthwhile to hold off a week or so to see what happens.

That is old news. The new 360s have been fixed since they found the problem. As long as you don't buy an old used 360 you should be fine.

get the 360 and enjoy the existing huge game library.

then in 2 years you can pick up a ps3 for cheaper and by then it will have a few games worth playing.

The RROD is still around 10% for the new ones, which is still pretty big.

Link? Official statments?

http://www.crystalcove-gifts.com/ind...ID=77925084021

Alot of you caught that firesale.

elikhom, you said "The RROD is still around 10% for the new ones, which is still pretty big." Seems like bs and FUD to me, and not mentioned in the link you gave which is a blog post with an interview with an "anonymous insider".

In any case, I don't think RROD is an issue with any of the newer consoles as some make it out to be, but the fact that they offer a 3 year manufacturer warranty to ease those who are still worried.

like gaming? You will probably end up getting both. So why not get the system with the most games (360)?

Get the ps3 later when the gotta have ps3 exclusive games come out.
Lately all i have beend doing is playing COD4 on the PS3 with my buddies. But i have to say, i wish we were playing COD4 on the 360. so far i am not impressed with the playstation network. sometimes i can't join my friend's lobbies but they can join mine and vice versa. i am having problems using my h500 motorola bluetooth headset COD4. reading some threads...the ps3 has problems with the H500; solution, go buy a different headset...great.
i love to hear people complain about a $50 a year fee for xbox live. I say is well worth it. what is that, $4 a month?

There are lots of rumors flying around about a $299 PS3, or a 120-160 Gigger coming out. I say wait and see wtf is going to happen. Sony has already discontinued two of it's systems (20 and 60), and rumors are that the 80 is going away.

I'm pretty sure the 80 is dead and away, and with it: BC and the money that can save dep on your experience and standards, card readers, 4 vs. 2 USB ports, etc. Tho the 80 is still available with luck (tho noisier and hotter).