Help me decide on PS3 or X360.

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Borgschulze

2[H]4U
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Feb 28, 2005
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Ok, I haven't owned a Console since PSX.

I want something to do over the Winter time, and after work. I'm an avid cyclist, I ride Trials and DH, but after an 8 hour shift at a bike shop building bikes, lifting them, fixing them.. etc.. I'd rather just relax.

First thing is first.

If I buy a 360, it's going to be the Elite, because it comes with 5 games currently for the same price as the PS3, which has a smaller HDD and no games.

I'm not sure which one has better online experience, my Live experiences haven't been that great.. lots of lag, takes ages to connect... I played Motorstorm leeching wireless internet on my friends PS3, and it was fine, and nearly lag free. From what I hear, and is obvious, Live has lots more players all day long than PS3.

I really like the idea of not paying $50 a year to play online games, I'm super cheap like that, but $50 for a whole year isn't unreasonable for me, $15 a month for WoW is though.

Games... this is a hard choice here... I really like Gran Turismo... even just the HD concept one. And a friend has a PS3 with tons of games I can borrow too.

360 has more content to download as far as I know, lots of exclusive stuff. Possibly another vote for 360 here?

Gears of War... this is a game I really like as well, played through most of it at 15-20 fps on my PC a while back enjoying it.

I could probably replace my PC with the PS3? Install Linux on it, connect a mouse and keyboard, and get an external HDD for file storage. I can use a USB hub on it right? Now that Sony downsized the PS3 to 2 USB ports.

How are both systems for using on a 20" LCD monitor? Is there such a device as a DVI dongle, instead of the VGA ones I am currently looking at.

The RROD really scares me buying a 360... I hear far less PS3 hardware issues. Everyone I know with a PS3 has had no issues, and everyone I know with a 360 has had at least one console die, and one person is on their 4th or 5th now.

I hear I can use a Keyboard/Mouse combo in some PS3 games? Which FPS games can I do this on?

I don't know guys (and maybe a girl?), help me decide please.
 
You just gotta ask yourself what system has the games you want most.. Seems like both systems have a game you want. I guess it just comes down to.. which game do you want more.
 
Borgschulze said:
Not going to happen.

So nobody has any reasons to buy a 360 over the PS3?
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Both systems are good, both have good games. You need to decide which one appeals to you more. It's not a huge decision that will make you bankrupt, just go with one and enjoy it.
 
I'd go for a 360. To me I enjoy the games on the 360 a lot. I love Live and all the DLC, along with the huge community. I'm more of an FPS guy (Gears 1/2, Halo trilogy, COD4 although I do like rpg's and music games such as rb 2). also my friends all have 360's so that adds to the fun. You can also get live for around 38 if you buy it online (maybe at the egg?).

also idk if this is true but I heard the elites that were coming out have the new jasper chipset that is not supposed to rrod so there's a plus.

just my input.
 
I guess I'll throw in a few tidbits that tend to get glossed over on threads since they're minor details.

1. You can use a USB hub on both the PS3 and 360. Likewise you can plug in nearly any USB mouse/keyboard to either system with limited usefulness (mostly chatting, typing text fields, whatever, no gaming with the minor exception of Unreal Tournament 3 on the PS3 which supports KB/M control and modding, too bad the game sucks, and I think FFXI on the 360 for purely chatting, however that does require a monthly fee and it's the grindfest to end all grindfests). External hard drive for extra storage is PS3 thing only. Likewise 3rd party hard drives is a PS3 thing only.

2. You can use HDMI->DVI adapters on both systems, however it's a bit easier on the PS3. With the 360, your audio will still come from your composite/VGA cable, however that cable, even after so many hardware revisions, still blocks off the HDMI port. You can hack a chunk out of it to get it to fit. This is the [H], a little modding is good for you. Check your monitor via google though, not every monitor plays nice with the PS3/360. Most do.

If you're looking to replace your computer with a PS3, you might want to think about just getting a new computer. Linux on the PS3 is more a novelty than an actual computing solution. I don't know anyone who seriously uses it for their general computing needs. I suppose it's possible but...
 
If you want FPS, don't use a keyboard and mouse for ps3, just use your computer haha.

Really, though, get the system with the games you like more. No point getting a system just because people on here tell you to.

The new 360s have smaller gpus inside (Jasper) so I recommend you don't look at reliability as an issue.

It's sad that you won't be using the PS3 for blu-ray. It's VERY nice :D

It should come down to simply this, which system has more of the games that you like? In the end that's what matters.
 
Keep in mind that your monitor MUST be HDCP compliant in order to get a signal via HDMI from either console. (I know this is true on the PS3, and I think it's the case with the 360 as well.) I only realized this after getting mine, and now I'm having to order a $70 1080P capable VGA box to use my monitor, and there will obviously be some image quality degradation over using a HDMI to DVI cable like I'd originally intended.

I like you don't give a damn that the PS3 supports BluRay movies -- it's purely a gaming system to me, and honestly one I kind of resent because it can do nothing my current PC can't do better, but I'm forced to get it because there are many titles that are not coming to PC, and many that do have substantial delays. What's more, if what I'm told is true BluRay won't play at 1080p over component anyway (required for the VGA box) so I've one more reason to ignore the functionality.

I'm also like you in that I much prefer keyboard and mouse control over joystick / gamepad based control for first person games. Unfortunately that cuts down on options a good bit. There are ways around this, but they're expensive, convoluted, and don't work well even after spending the money, time, and effort to get them up and running.

For me (crazy as this is going to sound) the deciding factor was that the PS3 has Wipeout HD and the 360 obviously does not. Yes, I got a $400 system for a $20 downloadable game. I'm a huge Wipeout fan, have been since the first game came out on PSX / Saturn. The PS3 lets me play Wipeout / XL / 3 SE and HD, all on the same box, with the controller I'm used to for it. That's worth a lot to me. Plus, there are plans to expand HD via downloadable content, and rumors of a "full" disc-based continuation of the series in the next year or two. I'd be kicking myself far too hard in six months to a year when that came out and I couldn't play as (again, like you) I cannot realistically and will not purchase more than one system.

Sadly, Sony has lost huge amounts of market share to Microsoft and the 360, and the usual vast array of RPGs on the Playstation platform is /not/ in evidence this time around. There are more Square Enix games for 360 than there are for the PS3, and Final Fantasy XIII is going to be multi-platform -- the apocalypse is very fucking nigh. This frustrates me to no end, because I love RPGs and the last time around I bought an Xbox only to be left out in the cold, forced to watch many of my friends with PS2s and huge selections of games have tons of fun while I hunted the bargain bin for... anything. Now I fear the tide may have turned and I'm on the "wrong side" yet again, but time will tell.

There are some great games for PS3. Wipeout HD has not disappointed me in the least, and for $20 even if you aren't a huge fan, it's hard to go wrong. Little Big Planet is probably my "next to buy" -- I'm renting it right now, and everyone I've sat down to play it with loves it and immediately turns in to a little kid the minute they start. Armored Core 4 looks like it has huge amounts of potential, but like all the previous games in the series it is very unforgiving and has a steep learning curve; I'm not quite there yet. Valkyria Chronicles is absolutely beautiful, the first cell-shaded (though it's more like "sketched") game I've failed to hate, and the mechanics are great too. I've never been one for the Final Fantasy Tactics style games, but the third person movement and aiming thing breaks up the monotony of moving little guys around on a glorified chess board nicely, and the story is strong, which is very important for me. In fact, I've only been disappointed twice thus far -- The Darkness doesn't look quite as good as I expected (great models but weak textures) and the aiming is horrible, to the point that I die constantly and haven't really played it, and Folklore is not what I expected, more a sort of Monster Rancher / Jade Cocoon thing that a real RPG, and the frequency of loading screens and loading times are just insane.
 
you really should just bite the bullet and buy both. get a used ps3, and if you are worried about your box dying, then just pick up an upgraded one wtih one of the newer heatsinks. i bought the halo3 box just because it has an upgraded heatsink. i didn't want to have to deal with rrod. it was worth the extra 50$ to me.
 
don't own a PS3 ..just a 360 .. but my cousin has the PS3 and I played GTA IV online for a bit and I didn't like the controller at all .. made my hands hurt because it seemed to small and flimsy compared to my 360 controller ..

just what your used to though I would suppose .. I'm on my third 360 , first one had DVD drive problem , second one ROD'd and so I sent that one in to Microsoft , while I waited for it to get sent back , I bought an Elite and then gave my returned/repaired 360 to my younger bro for Christmas last year ... no problems at all with my Elite , nor has he had any probs with the repaired unit he has....


 
ThreeDee said:
don't own a PS3 ..just a 360 .. but my cousin has the PS3 and I played GTA IV online for a bit and I didn't like the controller at all .. made my hands hurt because it seemed to small and flimsy compared to my 360 controller ..
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Considering the OP had a PSX and the Dual Shock 3 is the exact same size and shape as an original Dual Shock (or so near that I can't tell the difference without having an example of both on hand) this is a non-issue. I personally think the Dual Shock / 2 / 3 is the best gamepad ever made, and I owned an Xbox, which had a similar controller to the 360. It wasn't bad, but the Dual Shock has a better layout for my hand and more buttons than the 360 controller. I actually bought a Logitech Dual Action gamepad for PC because... it's a perfect clone of the Dual Shock 2.
 
I have both systems. Plenty of games for both, right now my Xbox 360 gets a lot more attention. The game library is much stronger in my opinion, and the 360 runs better on most games, when you have 3rd party titles released on both systems, it runs noticeably better on the 360 for some reason that developers have trouble "coding" for the PS3.

Xbox Live has a significantly larger player base then Playstation Network, despite the 50$ annual subscription online, the features are much stronger and the online is just a lot more stable in general.

The only game I've seen that you can use a KB/M on is Unreal Tournament III, other then that it's the PS3 controller, and in my opinion and many other will back me up, the 360 controller is much better. Especially for shooters.




Now don't get me wrong, I love my PS3 and it gets a lot of playtime with Resistance 2 and Little Big Planet, I just think right now it's lacking the steam that the 360 has right now and is probably better off waiting a little bit until it gets stronger. It has great potential, it's just not completely delivering right now


ONe thing before I finish, the PS3 however does have much better DVD playback and upscaling, and blu-ray too, so if you are looking for something beyond a gaming machine, the PS3 could be worth a second-shot, as it's multi-media functions do out perform the 360 quite a bit.

So in other words, if you are a pure gamer I would go with a 360. If you are a multi-media monger, go with the PS3..
 
Sure there are more people on live that the PSN, but honestly? With 17 mil + PS3s now, its something you will never notice.

There are always plenty of people to play any game that has multi online. Unless its a shit game, which 360 has the same issues.
 
One thing I would mention is that IMO the PSN Store has better games than the Xbox marketplace. Of course, that's very subjective - just as the argument that the 360 has better exclusives than the PS3. I prefer the PS3 exclusives over the 360's - but that's me.
I think the PSN Store is on par with the Xbox marketplace as far as content goes. Tons of DLC, games, and you can rent AND buy movies in SD and HD.
 
I did some reading.

PS3 is out of the question, it won't work at all on my BenQ monitor? That's garbage.

I also have zero interest in watching movies on my console.

It's nice that some of you think "Oh just buy both" but the fact here is, I don't have money right now for both, or want more junk lying around in my room.

Same would go for an HDMI monitor... I'm not buying a new TV/Monitor just to play games with, that's ridiculous.

What I'm trying to do here is, not spend a ton of money just to play games. It's really just to keep me occupied in the winter, I'll barely touch it in the summer.
 
I have both...I like em both for different reasons...they both have good enough games, and at the end of the day, besides exclusive titles, they are pretty well weighted (yes some games look better on one, then the other, but it balances or close to)...

pick which one has exclusives you want.
 
Borgschulze said:
PS3 is out of the question, it won't work at all on my BenQ monitor? That's garbage.
.
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says who?

it has worked fine on an LG and on a samsung monitor for me...both 22 inch widescreens

HDMI to DVI cable, I dont see why it would not work on a BenQ
 
From what I read, it needs to have HDMI on the monitor, even if you use a DVI connection.

Link me to the device/cables I need to use a PS3 on my monitor.
 
Anyone know if the 5 games the 360 Elite come with will be "Not For Resale" copies?

They would all make a nice Trade-In credit at EB Games.
 
Borgschulze said:
From what I read, it needs to have HDMI on the monitor, even if you use a DVI connection.
Click to expand...

It doesn't have to have "HDMI" in the monitor, the monitor has to be HDCP compliant.

If your monitor is HDCP compliant you will be able to use a standard HDMI to DVI cable ($30 or so at Walmart, a good bit cheaper online) to play. I believe the 360 has this same requirement, but I'm not completely sure.
 
A couple quick points:

1. The point a lot of people miss with xbox live vs PSN is the fact that the overwhelming majority of xbox users got a headset with their console. The amount of PSN users who don't have one is staggering. I can see how this can be considered a plus in certain instances, but with anything co-op, it SUCKS.

2. There is a cable that comes included with the elite that allows you to output audio as either stereo RCA or optical, for use with HDMI. It fits in the normal multi AV out port. Obviously, it fits with HDMI connected.

3. If you don't need the above cable for whatever reason, the price of an arcade system+120GB hard drive+$10 HDMI cable is $350. A considerable break from the elite price. This may not be advantageous considering the aforementioned 5 game bundle. Which brings me to...

4. EB and Gamestop will take everything, even games that say "not for resale."

Just to note, I do own both 360 and PS3 and use them both heavily. It seems to be a common trend that most of us who own both buy most multiplatform games on the xbox. The reasons have been explained many times and it remains true in my case. I also love blu-rays. So that's that :).
 
Borgschulze said:
Anyone know if the 5 games the 360 Elite come with will be "Not For Resale" copies?

They would all make a nice Trade-In credit at EB Games.
Click to expand...


You'd be lucky to get one good used game from EB after trading those freebies in.

X360 attempts to straddle the console and PC gaming world. Many X360 games go to PC after a short exclusivity period. X360 does have a larger selection of retail titles. Its online service is arguably more efficient. (You are paying for it after all)

IMO PS3 has superior current and upcoming exclusive games. You mentioned you're a Gran Turismo fan. If you like shooters, you owe it to yourself to check out the Killzone 2 videos. While it doesn't have as many, its downloadable games are arguably of better quality.

History has proven the PS3 hardware is a lot more reliable and robust. You're not forced into buying overpriced proprietary hard drives. Only PS3 supports the best logitech driving wheels on the market.

X360 Jasper chips are supposed to help with reliability, but it's still located directly beneath the DVD drive. PS3 is better engineered. Sony is a consumer electronics/media company. MS is a software company.

Up to you. Look at the current and upcoming exclusives. That should be your primary criteria.
 
silent-circuit said:
It doesn't have to have "HDMI" in the monitor, the monitor has to be HDCP compliant.

If your monitor is HDCP compliant you will be able to use a standard HDMI to DVI cable ($30 or so at Walmart, a good bit cheaper online) to play. I believe the 360 has this same requirement, but I'm not completely sure.
Click to expand...

I own a BenQ FP202W V3 listed in my sig. Not HDCP compliant, sorry for mistaking HDMI with HDCP..

Again, I'm assuming since the VGA cable for the 360 exists, and one for a PS3 either doesn't or is extremely hard to find, tells me the PS3 is not going to work for me. I found a box that can do what I want it to, but it's $50 from DealExtreme, the $40 cable I would need for the 360 is $10 on DealExtreme... so I'm going to assume again, if I can find that box locally, it'll be well over $80.

360 looks like a much more hassle free choice now.

I think a lot of the people with 360 hardware problems, either smoke in their house, or have in in a cabinet where it can't breathe well enough... mine will be sitting under my monitor, with tons of room to breathe. All Elite consoles have the 65nm CPU right? Just the new Jasper has the 65nm GPU to match?
 
You can get a PS3 component to VGA cable on ebay for $30. It's got a built in IC to do the math. I wouldn't be so sure all RROD 360s are due to user abuse.
 
I thought you could do 720p without being hdcp compliant

but I could be mistaken
 
Don't forget, chargeable controller (in the 360 you have to change batteries from the store, with the PS3 it has it's own rechargeable battery), also free Wi-Fi (with 360 you gotta buy a $100 wireless adapter), free multiplayer (another $50 saved a year), and a TON of free stuff on PSN, like wallpapers, themes, etc (on the 360 each costs like $8), they also have free addons (sort of like mini-expansion packs) for games. Some cost 3-5 dollars, but most are free.

I have a PS3 now, before the PS3 I had a 360 that I sold about 5 months after, I hated it, hated the controller, and didn't like the exclusive games at all, not to mention since I didn't have a job (I was 16 or so), I couldn't have Live Gold, so the console was totally useless for me, and a money eating machine. It even RRoD'd on me once, but luckily I let it cooldown for 10 minutes and it worked fine since.

By the way, don't even think of playing online with a 360 unless you're willing to mute your sound, especially on a TV where everyone can hear the 12 year olds all screaming in symphony. There's none of this on the PS3.

My 360 headset died after a week or two as well, I hear it's fairly common that they die quickly, but not that fast. Oh well. I'm glad to support Microsoft anyway, I'm a Windows fanboy (one of a handful in the world, I guess)
 
I'm a Windows fan as well and defend it when we have arguments at work but I'm going with the PS3.

Five reasons that made up my mind.

1- Most games that come on xbox come on the PC eventually.
2- Blue Ray (Yum)
3- Upgradable none proprietary HD + built in WiFi.
4- Free PSN + all the downloadable free items.
5- Sony products are just damn sexy :)

P.S, I just want to thank everyone in this thread for being mature and not turning this thread into ps3 vs. 360 war. That last thread was locked because of that. Also it is ok for people to ask which system to buy since everyday there is something coming out and people change their mind all the time.

Peace all and good luck OP on you decision.
 
I own both.

For gaming only get a 360. It has a larger library of games and the 360 versions of multi platform games tend to be the lead version (so less bugs). Fallout 3 is an example of this.

If you plan to use it as a DVD player as well, the PS3 is awesome for this. The PS3 is the best Blu-Ray player you can get for the money. It also up-converts regular dvds making them look a bit better. The PS3 can also play games (of course) but mine is mostly used for movies (although Little Big Planet and Uncharted are awesome games).

The PS3 also supports more audio modes than the 360 does (by a long shot) so it can take advantage of advanced speaker setups.
 
Get whatever your friends have. That is the easiest answer out there. Everything else is pretty minor.

About controllers: Do you hold a sandwich with your thumb covering the front? If not get a dualshock, its in perfect sandwich holding form. The 360 is unnatural feeling because of this. That and i dont like giving people one thumbs up and one thumbs middle. There are considerably larger controllers that mimic the thumbsticks that the ps3 uses and you could get something along the lines of that. The logitech dual action for ps3 is quite nice, but no sixaxis.
 
WaterproofPaper said:
Get whatever your friends have. That is the easiest answer out there. Everything else is pretty minor.

About controllers: Do you hold a sandwich with your thumb covering the front? If not get a dualshock, its in perfect sandwich holding form. The 360 is unnatural feeling because of this. That and i dont like giving people one thumbs up and one thumbs middle. There are considerably larger controllers that mimic the thumbsticks that the ps3 uses and you could get something along the lines of that. The logitech dual action for ps3 is quite nice, but no sixaxis.
Click to expand...

this is totally irrelevant to controllers, but I hold sandwiches with my thumbs on the bottom, one thumb in front of the other, not side by side. Also, I prefer chunky to smooth.
 
Oh my sandwiches are widescreen since i get those expensive breads. But its a little more natural for me to hold a ball or sandwich like i usually do. Thats the reason why the dualshock feels better. That and its not heavy and really big.
 
With consoles, it's all about the game library.

You said you enjoy Gears of War? Pick up Gears of War 2.

You enjoy Gran Turismo? GRID is its closest equivalent on the 360.

Just ask yourself, what games do I want to play. Then choose a console accordingly.

Me, I've had a 360 for two years and love it to this day.
 
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