xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Ron, thanks for starting this thread!!

I've had a PS2 for years, and rarely play it, except for the GTA games which I love (even though I've yet to be able to finish one. I reach a point where I get stuck and just give up).

With the new game, reading the reviews, I WANT to play it, but don't have a PS3 or 360, so don't know which way to go.

I don't have a Blu Ray player yet, so that is a big option, but there are plenty of other XBOX games out there I've been wanting to play for years (I've never played any of the HALO games).

I'm not big on online playing as I have an ancient DSL setup that, due to the house wiring, shuts down every time the phone rings.

One question, does the XBOX come with a wireless adapter? Reading the ads, I see an adapter for sale that goes for an additional $100. Do I need that?

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

There is a wired ethernet port on all XBOX360 models. If you don't have a network jack in the area you can buy some powerline adapters or you can buy the wireless adapter.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

FYI, the current Lightning Deal at Amazon is a blue wireless controller for the 360 for $30 (regular $50). They're going fast. . .

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

While Ron has already made his decision, let me throw in my two cents for Greg. I would whole-heartedly recommend the 360. The newer units have had better reliability and the game library is at this point bigger and more impressive (at least to me). Performance-wise any game that is on both systems will play almost identical on either one.

As has been mentioned, a gold Live membership will cost you between $38-50 (Circuit City has 13 month cards on sale this week for $40 and buy.com sometimes has deals), but the service is solid. One of the main differences I have heard (my PS3 is not connected and I only have 2 games, both with no co-op) is that your friends list is much better integrated with the XBox.

The XBox arcade titles available online typically run between 400 and 800 points with the occasional 1200 pointer. There are some very solid games that are good for when you don't have or don't want to spend a ton of time in a particular game.

Ron, you mentioned that you like fantasy games. There are three out right now to consider: Blue Dragon (a bit on the juvenile side, at least in presentation), Eternal Sonata (in the middle), and Lost Odyssey (definitely a more mature look). Blue Dragon and Eternal Sonata have both already been reduced in price ($30 I think), so those may be good ones to get started with.

Ron (and Greg, or anyone else who wants to), if you feel like it, throw me a friend invite. My tag is Tonner Cyn.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I'm coming late to this thread, but I'll throw my two cents in anyway...

I own all three - XBox 360, PS3, Wii. Ron, I think you made the right choice. The XBox 360 is IMO simply the most complete & FUN console experience right now for adult gamers. It's the console I use most. I especially like the Arcade games. They're cheap, download quickly, and provide a quick fix of gaming fun when you don't have time to get into a full-on session of Halo, Bioshock, etc.

Now, what's going to be weird to most here is I haven't really explored the online gaming aspect yet. I am not a very skilled gamer at all, so the whole thing intimidates me a bit. But last week I took the plunge and bought a Gold membership, so I'm ready to put my toe in the water. My gamertag is SeanMorbo, for those who don't mind gaming with a noob.

BTW, on the reliability issue, I've had mine for 2 years now with no problems (knock on wood). I will say I give it PLENTY of ventilation - it sits on top of my equipment rack, out in the open.

As a huge Ratchet & Clank fan, I had to have the PS3 as well. It doesn't get as much use, but I think it's future is bright. The Home network community which is now in beta (coming next year) looks potentially game-changing. As much as I love the XBox, I think in 2009 and beyond the PS3 could be THE console to own.

Now, I'm off to pick up GTA4!

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Thanks, James. I appreciate your testimony. I pretty much made my decision today by buying the 360 version of the GTAIV Special Edition, but I won't open it until I get my system just in case.

I looked on the 360 aisle and found quite a few games I will want. Saint's Row, Crackdown, Dead Rising are the exclusives, and there's also Bully and the upcoming Bionic Commando. As to the latter, the main game looks good, but I'm mainly excited for BC Rearmed. Looks sexy. It's coming for everything, including the PC, but I don't have a PC that would do it justice.

One thing in the PS3's favor was the cover art for the Special Edition. PS3 players get a sexy babe sucking a lollipop, while 360 owners get Niko.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Wow, this was just a thread I was looking for...

I have both PS3 and Nintendo Wii and I´m loving them both (for different reasons).

PS3 is not really a pure "game console" anymore, it´s a "media center" and quality Blu-ray-player. Minor "fan noise" is probably the only gripe that I have with PS3 (and many say that their unit is almost "silent", so...). PS3 lacks analog out (with Blu-ray), but I just recently bought a new HDMI 1.3-receiver, so it´s not an issue for me anymore. Plenty of great games for me also, been quite happy with the overall selection (no time to play *that much* anymore). So very little to complain, when it comes to PS3.

Wii has some inventive, fun and "cute" ( ) games and "Mario/Donkey Kong" are Nintendo-exclusives. That´s enough for me, even when it´s using only SD resolution. Just got "Mario Kart Wii", and quite frankly it´s so much fun that I´m still smiling. If you have kids (I don´t have yet, though), Wii is a must. It really makes those kids active and moving, away from the couch. So no real complains with Wii either (although not sure, that how much longer the console can keep up vs. PS3/Xbox 360 and HD-resolution.. looking good so far, though).

Now to my question(s)/topic: Since I have PS3 and Wii, why not Xbox 360 also? The thing is, that every console has some great "exclusive games" and since my time is limited (no time to "play" like the 15-20 years old), I want to play the selected, "best games" (well, "best" for my taste etc etc of course). I want to play e.g. "Drake´s Fortune". I want to play e.g. "Mario Kart Wii". And I would like to play e.g. "Halo 3". "Playstation" will be always my nr.1 choice when it comes to game consoles, but like I said, not all games are available on PS3...

So, I´m really considering getting also Xbox 360 (and then I could just buy every (console) game I want). Few questions...

1) The differences between "Pro" and "Elite":
Pro = 20gb HD
Elite = 120 gb HD

Do I need that much HD space? What do I gain and how much "content" is available to download?

2) I´ve learned, that it´s best that the console is "falcon" and that you recognize the "falcon"-consoles (at least the Euro-models) for the "175w" (old is "203W") in the side of the box ("box" or the "console", not fully sure?). True? I believe the "failure rates" are lower with falcon-models...

3) Both my PS3 and Wii are wireless (Internet). Can I get Xbox 360 to work wireless?

4) Controllers should be wireless, right?

5) HDMI is in both "Pro" (not originally?) and "Elite", but only "Elite" has HDMI cable in the box?

6) HDMI is "only" 1.2, right? Then again when it comes to gaming, not sure where would you need 1.3 (since games doesn´t have HD audio formats)...

7) Is Xbox 360 "noisy"? Some people say that it´s REAL noisy.. Note, that I don´t plan to watch movies (DVD, nor HD) with it. I have other players for films. ..well, perhaps some movies that I download in the future, not sure...

8) Playing games online costs something every month? This sounds a bit silly (and greedy), considering that PS3/Wii online-gaming is "free".. Again, I don´t play *that much*, so paying some monthly fee regardless doesn´t sound promising...

9) If I don´t play *that much*, is "Elite" "too much" for me? It seems, that the main difference is additional HD space (granted, quite a lot 20gb vs 120gb)..

Thank you very much for the time and take this as a positive list of questions to the Xbox 360-fans out there. Since I don´t know the console that well, I would appreciate some feedback. Since e.g. "Elite" is not that cheap ("Arcade" model is out of the question), I would like to be sure.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

It all depends. XBox Live has all sorts of things to download: movies, expansion packs, demos, classic arcade games, etc. If you aren't planning on downloading movies I think you would be fine with a 20 gig HD. OS and other stuff takes up about 10 gig, leaving you about 10. Each demo is about 1 gig and some expansion packs average around 400MB. Arcade games aren't that big. I find thatif space is getting tight I delete a few demos that I don't play anymore. I have an elite and a pro and since I don't download movies I find the 20gig works for me.

Not sure that they have been out long enough to know. Any new console that isn't a falcon did have modifications made to reduce the chance of failure. Since it will be under warranty and you can play Mario Cart while it's being repaired (if it dies) I wouldn't worry about this too much.


Yes, but it requires purchasing a wireless adapter. I think retail is close to $100, but you can probably find them a lot cheaper on Ebay. There is a wired Ethernet port.

Here in the US all controllers that are bundled with systems are wireless--not sure about Europe. Additional wired and wireless controllers are available. Wireless controllers take AA batteries that actually last a long time. You can buy battery packs that can charge either through a cable (like the PS3) or on a table-top charger. Either way the batteries are removable.

Here in the US all three models are now shipping with HDMI (although you could find some arcade models on the shelf w/o it). Only the Elite comes with the cable in the box.
Correct, but like you said it doesn't really matter.
I have mine built into a rack. I notice it when I first turn it on and it spins up, but once you start playing the game I don't notice it. I don't have a PS3 so I can't compare the noise.
You can get monthly, quarterly or an annual XBOX live gold account. There is a big price break for getting the one year one. I think it's $60, but like the wireless adapter it pays to shop around. If you want to go online and download things, I'm pretty sure you can with a silver account and they are free. Can someone else please confirm? I have only had gold.

If you think you will be fine with the 20gb then yes I would look at the pro.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I should also note that the XBOX360 is a windows media extender. So you can stream media from a PC running XP or Vista to your A/V system.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

My wife just got me an XBOX Elite for my birthday. I'm kind of on the fence on whether I really want to keep it or not since I already have a PS3 and a Wii. Now for those who haven't been reading between the lines, I guess I'm counting on you guys to convince me to keep it. It seems it gets very good reviews around here. But, I don't like the idea of my wife spending all that money if it's not goint to be used very much. What "Killer Apps" does it have? Is it 1080p (or at least i) capable?

If I do keep it, I am wondering about GTA4. Should I go to Gamestop and trade in my PS3 version for the XBOX version. I hear the PS3 has slightly better graphics, but I like the idea of getting "achievement points" for XBOX and it also seems like XBOX has better multiplayer (although I like that I can just use my bluetooth earpiece for voicechat on PS3 instead of having to buy a seperate headset for XBOX) I am also not liking that XBOX is not WiFi capable right out of the box, and that I would have to buy a relatavely expensive adapter for that capibility)


From my own experience, I have always been behind the curve on hard drive space with the computers I have bought. You may have a number in mind that seems like alot, but it runs out fast. I have a 60gb PS3 and for example just Rock Band and GTA4 have taken up like 7gb. More that 10% of my space for 2 games. I guess now I have the "better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it" philosophy. At least that way you don't have anxeity over whether or not you have enough.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I think the PS3 copies a lot more files to the HD than the XBOX does. The biggest game on my HD is Tom Clanceys Ghost Recon and that is because they came out with a 850MB expansion pack (which is rare). I have over 15 XBOX games and between extras, downloads and expansions combined they can't take up over 2GB.

It it capable of both 1080i and 1080p. It doubles as a Windows Media Extender which is nice. I think the whole XBOX Live experience is it's killer app. That and any exclusive games, but that depends on your tastes.

I haven't played it yet, but I understand that the XBOX360 will have a lot of exclusive content that the PS3 won't.

When it comes to headsets, I like the standard headset that plugs into the wireless controller. The cord doesn't get into the way and you can hit the mute switch and adjust volume without having your hands leave the controller.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Perhaps in the beginning, but if the DLC is successful for XBOX, I do believe it will eventually be released for the PS3. Successful console "exclusives" rarely last forever. It's just a matter of paticience

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Thank you very much Adam for your info/answers. I´ll comment them when I get home tonight...


When I was browsing through this list ( List of Xbox 360 games - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ), I was slightly surprised that it didn´t have *that* many "exclusive" games (vs PS3). Like I said earlier, enough for me, but when I already have PS3, I tend to buy most of my games in PS3 (so if I get Xbox 360, I basically buy only their "exclusive" titles)..

My point is, that I guess this "exclusive" thing is not that wide issue after all (talking about all three consoles).

The way I see it...

Xbox 360 = Hardcore gamers/online-gaming
PS3 = Quality games, but focus also in the "media center"-side. Game selection will improve over time (Xbox 360 got a headstart). Blu-ray side also very important to Sony (if you´re looking HD-films AND games, it´s hard to pass PS3..).
Wii = Easy, fun and inventive games. Great console for the younger ones. Not that many online-games.

IMO, all have their advantages and all have their place. They don´t rule themselves out.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I don't think so. From what I understand MS paid Rockstar Games for exclusive content.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Exactly right. There is no "one size fits all" in the gaming console market. Each console has its strenghts and weakneses.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

It's quite possible that the agreement is time-limited, though. That's often a question that gets discussed ad nauseam online with no real knowledge.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

The Microsoft Extender only works if you are using XP Media Center edition or Vista. I have regular XP with SP2 and that is not compatible. Bummer.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

..and I use Mac...

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

..so I also don´t need "Microsoft Extender" etc.

Anyway, I probably get "Elite" after all. Since you never really have "enough" space (my 60gb PS3 has already been "full" on one occasion - too many demos etc. ), better to be safe than sorry. Then again, you pay "extra" mainly for the additional space..

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

From someone still new at all this I am very happy that
I went with the Elite version -- and I'll tell you why.

First, the HDMI connection is a no-brainer.

Second, having a large hard drive is a must when you consider
all the game saves you will be placing on it as well as downloading
new games and maps that are constantly being made available.

Plus, the included headset is perfect for online chatter.

I am having a BLAST with my xBox 360.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

HDMI is now actually in all three versions (Arcade/Pro/Elite). Elite has HDMI-cable "in the box", though (if I´m correct). But I agree with you, also with my current set-up, HDMI is what I want/need (my new Yamaha v1800 has 4 HDMI-inputs, which is great).


Yes, hard drive space is quite important with these new consoles (well, Wii doesn´t have much, but you still have plenty of space for these old "retro games"- via flash memory, I believe). 20gb doesn´t sound like much in the end, if you´re like me (downloading almost "everything", even when I don´t have time to play/watch everything I download.. ), but I´m sure it can be enough for the "casual players" (need HD-space mainly for game saves, updates, and a few odd demos).


So far I haven´t really used mine in e.g. "Warhawk" (awesome game - only in PS3) and "Call Of Duty 4" (another awesome game - in both PS3/Xbox 360) and I´m somewhat suspicious (meaning both PS3/Xbox 360) that will this headset-thing bring annoyance (meaning the kids shouting profanities or the "hardcore" gamers shouting if you don´t play *well enough* in the team, or something..). Many online/headset-gamers here? It would be interesting to hear your thought.. So far I haven´t use headset with online-games..

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I use a headset all the time though I am intimidated to talk into it.

The profanity doesn't bother me. I hear profanity in my day job
on a daily basis so for me, they are just meaningless words.

Where I do find the headsets valuable is during teamplay with
friends. For example, yesterday I teamed up with a fellow HTF
member and friends for a game of COD4 demolition and
it was rather good to receive private instructions from my teammates.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Sure, that´s probably good attitude. But I personally play games for fun and entertainment (you know, having some "good time"), not to hear any "profanities". So if that´s the case, my headset goes off. Simple as that.

(btw. Not saying that you "enjoy" this trash-talk of course, just that you "tolerate" it.)

But I´m sure it´s not something that happens all the time etc.


Yes, that´s probably true. Sometimes in a game you´ll see that the "other team" is using headsets (since they´re more organized etc). Then again, plenty of rookies in every game. And you can play these games without the headset, no problem.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Understood. I found it a bit strange for someone doing the usual "Mac Preaching" in the Video Gaming section of all places so I wondered why someone was proud to own a Mac in an area (video gaming) where it clearly does not excel. Thanks for the clarification. Case closed.

(And I second your intention of getting the Elite so that you will have a 1320gig HD. Otherwise you will probably end up buying a 120gig HD later on to replace the 20g on other models.)

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

It really depends on the game and the demographic. Halo 3 is the worst. A bunch of 12 year olds who think it's cool to use language that makes me blush (and I'm no prude). The trash talking is also out of control. On the other hand there is almost none of that with COD4 or GRAW. Everyone can see that you are new by your rank, and often they will also give you hints or tips and have no problems with you asking "how did you do that" type questions. I have found that if I am playing in a game on a team with a friend and several other players and no one is talking I'll just initate a private chat with my friend and we can talk all we want and bother no one else. If someone is talking smack or being rude, most games allow you to mute just them.

That's a long winded way of saying I like the headset. The wired one is included with at least the Elite and Pro versions. I haven't used the cordless one, but I like the wired one and have no reason to switch. I should note that the corded one is connected to the controller, not to the console.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

I've said it before and will say it again, this all falls into the group of people you decide to game with if you decide to go that route. We have close to 100 people in the group I game with, if your in a game no one is in all you have to do is send an invite but enough about the kids/hardcore gamers, just find or start a group you wont regret it.

Headsets are a must have if you want to play any game with any type of teamwork involved. Like I said above we have regular Friday night gaming sessions and that usually goes from how was everyone's day, telling jokes, talking smack with each other(nothing funnier than shooting your friend in the side of the head up close, giving him a hard time and then he runs up and knifes you in the back, and then you get the hard time), but a headset is definitely the way to go.

I have one of the original wireless headsets, I hate the way it fits my ear, the way it feels, it suffered from the random disconnects common in the first batch and the buzzing sound to the rest of your team that sounded like a chopper was landing on their head.

I have been through a few wired headsets but I really like the newer one that Microsoft is using that first showed up in the messenger pad kits, I would recommend the wired over the wireless but that is just my preference

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Jeez. I mention Mac one time with = , and it´s "preaching" and "proud owner"? I was just echoing Brandon_T, who said that he can´t "use Microsoft Extender". Neither can I. That´s all. My opinions about computers indeed belong to the other forum areas..

Anyway, about the headsets. Yes, I fully understand the "good sides" of those, no problem. It´s just that me and my friend tried to use them in Warhawk (they were "official" even), but just didn´t get them to work for some reason (I even had to call to the official "PS3 help" service", etc)... So that´s one reason why I kinda got used playing without them. I also play very randomly (it could be like 1-2/month, just for kicks and having that "good time"). So probably I don´t take these games seriously "enough" about joining to the hardcore teams that play e.g. many times/week, etc. For me it´s "give me a few good kills every now and then"-type of thing. I usually end up dead zillion times, though.. Other reason is, that at the moment only around 2 my close friends have PS3 (and e.g. Warhawk), so hard to play "bigger" online games with "friends only".

In some ways I envy the kids today. They have all the time in the world etc and great games and consoles. When I was younger, I first had C64, then I played "Doom" with the computer of my sister´s boyfriend (now husband) and then "Playstation 1". During with "PS2", many other things started to arrive to my life (still have great memories) and now with PS3/Wii/Xbox 360 I have daily job, FILMS to watch, etc etc. So time is very limited.

But hell, I still love gaming. Now it´s just, that I have to focus on certain games and make some compromises. This could mean, that instead of many hours of net-gaming, I might choose just to play some game "through" with the time that I have.

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

But you don't need MS Extender to stream audio/video from a PC running XP w/ SP2 to the 360, as long as it has Windows Media Player 11 (and any related components) installed--not unless I'm either misunderstanding the issue, or there are folks out there who, for whatever reason, refuse to install WMP 11. I can stream from my non-Vista/non-MCE XP w/ SP2 PC to my 360 just fine...

Re: xBox or PS3? Plus...what to buy?.....etc!

Now that you mention it I installed zone SW on my old PC (XP-Home) and I was able to stream content. I's not the same experience as having an extender, but it lets you access content. My new PC runs Vista and I have a cable card HD tuner. I can watch live TV using the XBOX.