PS3 vs 360...My take.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Having owned both "major" platforms for a couple of months now, I thought I'd offer up my thoughts on how they stack up. I know we've had a PS3 vs Xbox 360 thread going on NICO before, but that's not quite what I'm going for here. This is more of a "compare and contrast" thread.

My 360 is an Elite that was obtained as an in-store warranty replacement (due to DVD-ROM drive failure) in spring of '08. The PS3 is a 120GB Slim.

I've complained about the PSN and specifically the Playstation Store in the past, primarily due to my experiences with the store on my PSP or through a web browser. I'm pleased to say that my experiences with PSN and the Playstation Store on my PS3 have been very positive. While the store could be a little better organized and I have a few of the same complaints with the PSN that I have with Xbox Live, the extremely negative experiences I had in the past seem to be exactly that: a thing of the past.

The PS3's XMB interface is very well designed, and I definitely prefer it to the 360's dashboard interface. With a few irritating exception, the XMB is much quicker and simpler to use. The exceptions are player stats...for example when viewing friends' stats, the system "syncs" their trophy info, which takes an unbelievably long time (sometimes minutes). Even if all you're interested in is seeing which games they have, the system must still sync their trophies.

I definitely prefer the PS3 controller to the 360 controller, though the 360 gets a bonus point for its ability to continue charging controllers after the system has been shut down. I have Energizer charging stations for both systems anyway, but without one charging the PS3 controller requires manual intervention, which seems a bit silly.As far as media controls go, the PS3 wins thanks to its bluetooth remote, which leaves one wondering why any devices (even TVs) still use IR for their remotes.

The PS3 also wins in the media experience department, and not merely thanks to bluray. In fact, even if both systems only played DVD, the PS3 would still win simply because it is so much quieter than the 360. The 360's noise level has been a complaint since the beginning, but since the DVD-ROM drive is a large factor in the noise level, it is particularly bothersome while watching movies. The PS3 is wonderfully quiet, though, only slightly louder than the DVD player it replaced. This is partly due to the PS3's use of a larger (and thus lower-RPM) fan. Where the 360 becomes instantly intrusive the moment it is turned on, the PS3 is hardly noticable. And while this is a boon for gaming as well, it is most beneficial while watching movies.

I actually can't compare online features as I haven't played any multiplayer games yet on the PS3. I have screwed around in Playstation Home for a few minutes before getting thoroughly creeped out, but that's the extent of my PSN online activity.

A few other little notes:

I really, really, absolutely, completely DESPISE the stupid little electronic casio-watch 1980s style beep noises the PS3 makes when you turn it on or or off or eject a disc. They're incredibly loud and high pitched and don't suit the device's high-tech nature at all. And aside from being earsplitting and out of place, they simply serve no valuable purpose (with the single exception being the double-beep which indicates that there's no disc to eject).

My TV doesn't support HDMI control. My 360 determinedly thinks it does. The 360 refuses to boot until the TV is on and switched to the 360's HDMI input. It's effing annoying. I'd like to boot the 360 and let it get past the stupid startup logo crap before switching to that input. I can do this with the PS3. Even worse, I can't turn the 360 back OFF until I switch TV inputs and then let the 360 finish booting (or pull the power cord on the stubborn thing).

In the end, I have found myself becoming quite fond of my PS3. It is very quiet, has a slick interface, the controller is light and comfortable, and the media remote lets me easily navigate all system (and even game) functions from anywhere without having to worry about IR LOS.In the future, I'll definitely be going out of my way to pick up PS3 versions of games, unless one version demonstrates significantly superior performance on the 360 (as with Assassin's Creed, for instance).

Of course, neither comes close to the experience my PC offers...but then my PC cost twice what I paid for BOTH consoles...

[takethewall]

I always find myself coming back to my PS3 (I have both PS3 and Xbox360). It's just a more enjoyable system to use IMO, it just feels better. And while the online play isn't as good as Xbox, so long as it stays free, it will be my first choice.

[bmike818]

buying a PS3 was a mistake for me. There are no games that I want to play on the system, except for GT. I got MGS, but i have not been able to get into it. (COD is partly to blame) I will be the buying the PS3 version of Final Fantasy so i can get some use out of it, and after hearing from Square that there will be no DLCs. I still prefer the Box. I know, I know, I have to think outside of the box.

....my new TV came with a free blueray player so I don't use my PS3 for movies anymore. I guess I really can't lose if I can afford to own both systems. Selection FTW!!!

I know if they came out with a Sony Exclusive Ace Combat, I will be really, really happy!!!

[MinisterofDOOM]

That's still the biggest issue with the PS3 for me. There are still relatively few titles I want to own for it. Or, at least, few titles I'm willing to pay new prices for. I stumbled across Riddick on sale for $20 the other day and snatched that up.

[SkinnyKibbles]

I only have one complaint for the PS3. That being the 360 has a nice chat system so you can create a party with friends and play different games while still being able to chat with them. The PS3 can't unless some how I missed it. The party system 360 has is something I really enjoy.

[Axel Grungy]

I prefer the ps3. Just a better quality product (hardware-wise). Im not a huge multiplayer guy so i dont mind PSN. It is free after all lol. Pretty much any games i want to play are released on both systems anyway so its a no brainer for me to pick the better hardware.

[dasoupdude]

I like my ps3 more, the 360's dashboard thing is too colorful for my taste.

[car nut]

Of course, neither comes close to the experience my PC offers

This. My experience playing any game on 360/PS3 is NOTHING compared to my PC. Mine was roughly $1500 (including monitor/mouse/keyboard) and I'd take it over a console any day.

That being said, the only advantage I feel my friends 360 has over my PS3 is online gaming. Also, the PS network tends to go down randomly (although it's gotten a lot better) which is an inconvenience sometimes.

As far as your controller thing, do you flip the power switch off on your PS3? I leave mine on (so only the red light shows) and my controllers charge.

[ProudNissanFreak]

I don't flip the power switch off. The loud click makes me a little nervous.

[MinisterofDOOM]

As far as your controller thing, do you flip the power switch off on your PS3? I leave mine on (so only the red light shows) and my controllers charge.

The PS3 Slim no longer has a master power switch.

[car nut]

Wow, that sucks. Yours isn't backwards compatible either right?

[MinisterofDOOM]

No, but neither are most non-slim PS3s. Only the earliest ones were.

Sony has hinted at bringing back backward compatibility for everyone, though, in a discussion about the potential for future PSone and PS2 classics on the PSN. (My PS3 plays PS1 games since the software emulation is there for PSone classics...if PS2 classics were added, software emulation for PS2 games would have to be patched in and everyone would get PS2 compatibility again).

[Empty V]

I'm not a PS3 fan at all. When my 360 was out for the RROD I bought assassin's Creed II and after 20min of running around the analog sticks started to annoy me. I really can't stand the controller, I think it's too small and poorly designed. Plus I think the 6-axis was a very weak attempt at a gyroscopic device. I also don't like having to install every game and even installing demo's after you've downloaded off of the crawling PSN. I like multi-player games and the 360 has a big up on that. Having a subscription based system allows Ms to put a lot more money into which means upgrades, improvements and bug fixes. The 3 games I've owned for PS3 were MGS4 (which I thought was terrible), Infamous (I loved), and Assassin's Creed II (also loved). I don't think my elite is really that much louder then my PS3 regardless the consoles loudness has never been a issue for me. I think graphics wise they're neck and neck and obviously when it comes to the amount of available games 360 has it hands down. I think that's pretty funny because when it was Xbox vs PS2, the PS2 had an insane amount of games.

BTW I hate pretty much everything Sony, I think they're a s*** company and most of my friends feel the same way.

[TurboSauce]

you can change your background on the 360

[MinisterofDOOM]

BTW I hate pretty much everything Sony, I think they're a s*** company and most of my friends feel the same way.

I hate Sony as a company as well. They're openly distrustful of their customers, for one thing.

I LOVE the Dual Shock controller. I like that it isn't massive, and I like that it's very light. As far as the motion controls go, I feel the same for the PS3 as I do for the Wii: it's a gimmick. Real games will ignore it, and a few will manage to make good use of it. If you play Flower, you'll find that the Sixxaxis motion controls CAN be tight and responsive. Most devs just fail to use them well. Same with the Wii. I think it's less the device than the software. But again, motion controls are a gimmick and I'd prefer they went away altogether.

As far as loudness, I'm comparing a PS3 Slim to a 360. The slim is quieter than the phat PS3 as well, so perhaps that's where the difference comes from.

you can change your background on the 360

Ummm...



Not only can you change the background on the PS3, but it will allow you to crop an image file to your TV's aspect ratio ON THE PS3. You can also change the XMB icons and even the XMB sound effects, as you can see I have done.

[bmike818]

LOL @ your Atari GBA.

[s13jus10]

As far as your controller thing, do you flip the power switch off on your PS3? I leave mine on (so only the red light shows) and my controllers charge.

which PS3 do you have? I leave mine in standby mode (only red light showing) and my controllers don't charge.. I have the OG 60GB.

[s13jus10]

1000

[car nut]

which PS3 do you have? I leave mine in standby mode (only red light showing) and my controllers don't charge.. I have the OG 60GB.

Hmm. I have the same one. Purchased in April of '06 IIRC.

[RCA]

which PS3 do you have? I leave mine in standby mode (only red light showing) and my controllers don't charge.. I have the OG 60GB.

I have the first Gen PS3s and with the standby mode on, it doesn't charge either...