XBox 360 vs PS3

[kjc733]

So I've been thinking it may be time to drag myself into the early 21st century and replace my PS2 (yes you read that right... 2). I'm not willing to shell out hundreds of pounds on a a glorified games machine that I probably wont use that often. However a hundred or so pounds is still a lot of money for what is now an aging platform.
My dad has a 360 so I can share games, but I have a few PS2 games that I still like playing and I think (correct me if I'm wrong) are mostly compatible with the PS3. Otherwise the only experience of the PS3 is a quick go on MGS4 (still one of the best game series ever in my opinion) at a friends house. I will also in all likelihood use it most as a dvd player.
So does anyone have any advice?

 

[CABAL]

The PS3 had backwards compatibility with PS2 games, but they removed that in a system update. The architecture of the two systems is very different and compatibility was spotty. The 360 has backwards compatibility but it can be glitchy and not all games are supported. Additionally, most classic Xbox games are also available for Windows.

Bethesda's games tend to start crashing after a certain number of hours on the PS3 due to it essentially running out of RAM, but other than that, most games will play identically on either system.

Online play for the PS3 is free while you need to pay a monthly subscription for an Xbox Live Gold account to play online with a 360. Patching games and using the online store is free for both. Sometimes you can find free games there.

If you get a 360 do not get a refurbished model. Get a fresh S or E model. The original model had serious cooling issues and the heatsink would separate from the CPU and fry the system. They overhauled the cooling system for the S model and fixed the problem. The E model is the newest version and inherits the S changes but also replaces the fans with quieter but just as efficient ones.

The PS3 will require you to install certain games to the HDD to cut down on load times. If it doesn't prompt you, you can't install it. Installation is optional on the 360 and available for all games. Some games, such as Fable 2, really benefit from being installed. Unfortunately, this optional installation approach also means that the cheapest 360 models only have 4GB drives, which isn't really enough to install anything, just patches and player profiles. Make sure you get one with a 250GB drive if you buy a 360. It's not worth buying the smaller one then upgrading the drive later.

You mentioned you'll be using it as a DVD player. The 360 reads DVDs and HD-DVDs. Since HD-DVD is extinct, that last bit doesn't really matter. The PS3 reads DVDs and Blu-rays. If you have a 1080p TV, the Blu-ray functionality is pretty nice.

Other than that, it's really down to the exclusives. Is there a particular game series you're attached to?

 

[kjc733]

Thanks for the essay Cabal, pretty much summarizes the arguments. I always thought the 360E was older than the S (it looks older and bulkier... but according to wiki it was designed that way...). But yes, I'm well familiar with the red ring of death as I've seen it first hand.

I don't own any bluerays (as I'm using a PS2 to play dvds), but I do own a 1080p tv.

Regarding games, thats part of my issue. One of my all time favorites is Metal Gear (MGS3 being the only game I've ever felt bad about winning) which is obviously native to the PS. However, whenever I visit the folks I'm partial to playing Reach and Ace Combat on the 360. I also tend to play games that I enjoy over and over, just honing my "skills" (for example, I got over 75% headshots the last time I was playing Reach).

Guess I have some thinking to do.

 

[CABAL]

The E model was designed to look more like the Xbox One, hence the square-ness.

Hmm, for Ace Combat, Assault Horizon has a PS3 version and Infinity is a free PS3 exclusive. For Metal Gear, Peace Walker, Ground Zeroes, Phantom Pain, and Revengeance have 360 versions.

 

[Majestic]

The PS3 had backwards compatibility with PS2 games, but they removed that in a system update. The architecture of the two systems is very different and compatibility was spotty. The 360 has backwards compatibility but it can be glitchy and not all games are supported. Additionally, most classic Xbox games are also available for Windows.

I have only had issues with Star Trek Shattered Universe and Sims for the Xbox backwards capability. Something to note here. Oh and Halo 2 in one level the screen goes a bit weird, the mission with the tank on Earth going over the bridge. But it is still playable.

Online play for the PS3 is free while you need to pay a monthly subscription for an Xbox Live Gold account to play online with a 360. Patching games and using the online store is free for both. Sometimes you can find free games there.

Xbox 360 has one free game a month if you have a gold subscription. The added bonus of Live over the PSN is that Live to my knowledge has never been hacked, PSN has been hacked so often I've lost count. So you're basically playing for online security.

TIf you get a 360 do not get a refurbished model. Get a fresh S or E model. The original model had serious cooling issues and the heatsink would separate from the CPU and fry the system. They overhauled the cooling system for the S model and fixed the problem. The E model is the newest version and inherits the S changes but also replaces the fans with quieter but just as efficient ones.

I had a Pro (launch model) and had a lot of troubles with it, Kat got a red elite some 6-7 years ago and never had an issue with it. Our kids and I all have E models and don;t have any real issues with them. The occasional freeze after playing a game for like 6 hours. Kat got one of the new E's for Christmas and so far it's fun without an issue.

Thanks for the essay Cabal, pretty much summarizes the arguments. I always thought the 360E was older than the S (it looks older and bulkier... but according to wiki it was designed that way...). But yes, I'm well familiar with the red ring of death as I've seen it first hand.

I don't own any bluerays (as I'm using a PS2 to play dvds), but I do own a 1080p tv.

Regarding games, thats part of my issue. One of my all time favorites is Metal Gear (MGS3 being the only game I've ever felt bad about winning) which is obviously native to the PS. However, whenever I visit the folks I'm partial to playing Reach and Ace Combat on the 360. I also tend to play games that I enjoy over and over, just honing my "skills" (for example, I got over 75% headshots the last time I was playing Reach).

Guess I have some thinking to do.

If you enjoy Reach you'll probably enjoy the other Halo's, there is even a RTS Halo called Halo Wars which is a lot of fun as well. Halo 1 and 2 are original Xbox versions, while 3, ODST, Wars and Reach are 360 games.

 

[CABAL]

If you enjoy Reach you'll probably enjoy the other Halo's, there is even a RTS Halo called Halo Wars which is a lot of fun as well. Halo 1 and 2 are original Xbox versions, while 3, ODST, Wars and Reach are 360 games.

1 and 2 are also on Windows, though 2 was ported rather poorly. Any fairly modern system should be able to run them pretty well by now.

 

[kjc733]

I've played the Assault Horizon demo, the dogfight mode is truly awful.

Anyway, thank you both for your input, went with a 360E in the end, figured I'd be better off sharing games with my dad overall and I couldn't justify to myself getting a PS3 just to play MGS4.

 

[Majestic]

I hope you enjoy the 360. Feel free to share you gaming experiences here, I too have a 360 and would love to here what games you enjoy etc.

 

[Hellkite]

LOL for the love of Halo

 

[CABAL]

LOL for the love of Halo

Everyone loves Halo! Except those that don't.

 

[Hellkite]

Everyone loves Halo! Except those that don't.

That is the way it is for everything LOL

 

[Majestic]

Everyone loves Halo! Except those that don't.

Well Bungie Halo, 343 Halo isn't as good.