PS3 and Xbox

[stevieb]

I have oth xbox and PS3. The PS3 was a early valentines present, but when out looking for a couple of games, I keep on favouring the xbox equivalents.

The PS3 is in o doubt a good games machine, but I am finding the gaming experience on the Xbox more enjoyable and user friendly.

While on the other hand the PS3 is better than I thought it would be for streaming media from my media server, it is so much better than the xbox, even though the xbox has the dedicated media centre extender.

My main games for comparison are GT5 v Forza 3. Forza 3 seems more polished than GT5 in terms of the user interface.

I may be fussy but it seems the PS3 is being let down by the lazy developer not thinking of the usabilty of the gaming interface and relying on graphics and the Sony platform to sell the games.

I had originally thought that my xbox would be relegated to a streaming media device and the PS3 for games only, but so far after 4 weeks of ownership the opposite I true.

Edited to add this is not a PS3 v xbox argument, but a thought on where the games developers are letting the hardware down. Where in actual fact the PS3 should be far better than the xbox

Edited by stevieb on Tuesday 15th February 11:35

[Daston]

PC beats both the end :P

[stevieb]

Daston said:

PC beats both the end :P

Maybe, But a decent PC setup would costs upwards of £1200 + Games where as a console ony costs a few hundred + Games

And then there is the endless tweaking to get the most out of the PC and graphics Card. I just want something that is plug and play.

[Alex@POD]

stevieb said:

Maybe, But a decent PC setup would costs upwards of £1200 + Games where as a console ony costs a few hundred + Games

And then there is the endless tweaking to get the most out of the PC and graphics Card. I just want something that is plug and play.

I agree that a PC would usually be more expensive, but in the interest of fairness you have to add the price of a good TV if you want to compare it properly. My TV cost me £20 over a year ago, so I don't get the best out of the Xbox, I can't afford a decent one the same way I can't afford a decent PC...

[motorizer]

stevieb said:

Maybe, But a decent PC setup would costs upwards of £1200 + Games where as a console ony costs a few hundred + Games

And then there is the endless tweaking to get the most out of the PC and graphics Card. I just want something that is plug and play.

My gaming pc stands me at about half that, and I've had it years, would be much cheaper now, you dont need to keep up with the hardware the same any more..
one good thing the console conversions have done is force the developers to optimise their code better

'tis generally easier these days as well, since stuff just works without all the tinkering

not as good for chilling on the sofa though...

[stevieb]

Alex@POD said:

I agree that a PC would usually be more expensive, but in the interest of fairness you have to add the price of a good TV if you want to compare it properly. My TV cost me £20 over a year ago, so I don't get the best out of the Xbox, I can't afford a decent one the same way I can't afford a decent PC...

True but the TV is a multi use device and will get more use than a gaming PC.

[Norbury90]

Perhaps the PS3 is harder to develop for. I think a lot of modern games are developed more for the Xbox rather than PS3, and that is why you sometimes see Xbox exclusive releases on cross-platform games, before they are released on PS3. I have a PS3, and i'm happy with it. My friends have Xboxes, they are happy with them. I play Xbox often, and I can barely tell the difference between the consoles when playing the same game. I prefer the PS3 controller over the Xbox, I find it much nicer to hold, I hate the way the battery pack sticks out the back of the Xbox controller.

[Tycho]

Norbury90 said:

Perhaps the PS3 is harder to develop for. I think a lot of modern games are developed more for the Xbox rather than PS3, and that is why you sometimes see Xbox exclusive releases on cross-platform games, before they are released on PS3. I have a PS3, and i'm happy with it. My friends have Xboxes, they are happy with them. I play Xbox often, and I can barely tell the difference between the consoles when playing the same game. I prefer the PS3 controller over the Xbox, I find it much nicer to hold, I hate the way the battery pack sticks out the back of the Xbox controller.

I think you have hit the nail on the head. When in most games, the only way to tell them apart is via the button icons when you get Square, Circle, Triangle and Cross on the PS3 and A, B, X, Y on the XBox. There are differences on frame rates etc which are used as bragging rights online but not many people will have 2 systems running the same game side by side to notice it.

The differences between the cultures of who designed the system are noticeable when you get out of games or look at cross game functionality. For the Japanese it is rude for someone to invite another person to a different game to the one they are playing for instance which is why cross game invites don't exist on PSN. I'll try and dig out the article I read about this.

I have had both consoles and I usually just put a game in and play, listen to music, video or show photos to family and I find that both are identical in this respect. At the end of the day, get what your mates have.

[Face Off]

stevieb said:

Maybe, But a decent PC setup would costs upwards of £1200

Wrong.

[- Paul -]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

[Neil H]

I've got both and do tend to use the Xbox more, especially for online games as the online side of things is better implemented on XBL IMHO.

My PS3 has seen much more use now that I've hacked it it now stays offline permanently, which isn't a problem given the above. The control pad gives me cramp though, it's far too small for my hands and the triggers are useless.

It's all personal taste TBH, there really isn't a lot of difference between systems when comparing the same games.

[Chunkychucky]

I have to say i'm in partial agreement. I am in the same boat as you, have owned both for around 12 months now, and have to say certainly in terms of GT5 vs Forza 3, Forza 3 is better IMO. The menu interface is so much simpler in terms of layout and free from the constant loading screens, and this ease of access with negligible detriment in terms of the physics and gaming enjoyment when compared with GT5. Forza 3 is a joy to play, where as Gran Turismo 5 seems like a chore..

However, on the whole I still marginally prefer my PS3. It is the one I choose to watch movies on, with BBC iPlayer (now 4OD and ITV Player too) it is very handy, and also you can browse the internet with it, so still a clear distance ahead of the Xbox 360 as a console I think..

[Zaxxon]

Chunkychucky said:

I have to say i'm in partial agreement. I am in the same boat as you, have owned both for around 12 months now, and have to say certainly in terms of GT5 vs Forza 3, Forza 3 is better IMO. The menu interface is so much simpler in terms of layout and free from the constant loading screens, and this ease of access with negligible detriment in terms of the physics and gaming enjoyment when compared with GT5. Forza 3 is a joy to play, where as Gran Turismo 5 seems like a chore..

However, on the whole I still marginally prefer my PS3. It is the one I choose to watch movies on, with BBC iPlayer (now 4OD and ITV Player too) it is very handy, and also you can browse the internet with it, so still a clear distance ahead of the Xbox 360 as a console I think..

It's a clear winner as an entertainment center in your opinion, not as a games console (which you have admitted that you think the xbox is better).

[Chunkychucky]

Zaxxon said:

Chunkychucky said:

I have to say i'm in partial agreement. I am in the same boat as you, have owned both for around 12 months now, and have to say certainly in terms of GT5 vs Forza 3, Forza 3 is better IMO. The menu interface is so much simpler in terms of layout and free from the constant loading screens, and this ease of access with negligible detriment in terms of the physics and gaming enjoyment when compared with GT5. Forza 3 is a joy to play, where as Gran Turismo 5 seems like a chore..

However, on the whole I still marginally prefer my PS3. It is the one I choose to watch movies on, with BBC iPlayer (now 4OD and ITV Player too) it is very handy, and also you can browse the internet with it, so still a clear distance ahead of the Xbox 360 as a console I think..

It's a clear winner as an entertainment center in your opinion, not as a games console (which you have admitted that you think the xbox is better).

Yes, certainly in terms of the two driving games mentioned in the text. However, outside of those two games they're very much the same, I find the PS3 better graphically, the Xbox 360 better for online play (as you would expect being stung for £30 a year).

[stevieb]

Face Off said:

Wrong.

Ok decent screen £400 Graphics Card £300 + the other componets and software.. It can easily addup.

But thanks for you ever useful 1 word comment.

Edited by stevieb on Tuesday 15th February 16:29

[TheLemming]

stevieb said:

Ok decent screen £400 Graphics Card £300 + the other componets and software.. It can easily addup.

But thanks for you ever useful 1 word comment.

Edited by stevieb on Tuesday 15th February 16:29

Ok start off by hooking it up to the same TV you're going to use for the PS or Xbox and remove the display from the argument.

My current machine has no problems playing anything (with the obvious exception of Crysis...) at substantially higher graphics settings than either of the consoles deliver and I consider it to be obsolete.

Circa £300 will build something better than mine.

8800GT graphics card (BFG OC2 that was £250+ new but the G92 core GFX cards sell for about £60 ish these days looking at the micromart small ads recently. It's outperformed by lower-midrange newer cards)
AMD Dual Core 2.5 ghx processor (so old it creaks compared to the newer kit, running at 3ghz at the moment)
2 gig RAM
Windows Xp.

Theres a couple of terabytes of storage there but thats media not games.

Short answer is it would be tough NOT to build something faster for the price.

The days of needing to spank a grand on a mega pc are long gone, most current games are console ports and there's nothing REALLY challenging around since Crysis.

[TheLemming]

Back to the OP, I actually believe that the PS3 is a substantially superior system in every way than the Xbox.

I own an Xbox and a PC, my housemate has a PS3.

On any dual platform game we've both had, his is prettier (either a little (FF) or a LOT (ME2))

Add in the media options and the PS3 is a vastly superior tele box, but on the gaming side, it does appear that the PS3 pips it. All things being equal, the games are consistently prettier and dont seem to lose anything on the gameplay front.

There's the odd Xbox exclusive thats a better game, however theres also the PS3 games we will never see on the xbox that balance the equation.

All IMHO ofc...

Plus I cant play streetfighter on the Xbox pad, the D pad is dire for it...

[StormLoaded]

not sure why you'd game on a poor performing PC on a TV as the post above imho.
my HTPC is connected to a 50" plasma, its quad core, 8gb ram , Windows 7 64bit, ATI 5770 [1GB] graphics card.. and i wouldnt be touching it for games!.. you need a decent dedicated monitor .. 1080P probably isnt enough imho, i think decent gaming PC monitors are 1600+ lines these days arent they? (2500x1600?)
..then there's the comfort factor. its a bit hard to kick back and relax on your sofa with a mouse and keyboard and play anything serious

Re OP,
I bought my PS3 to give my 360 a rest (given i'd had a few red rings).. i wouldnt like to say either of em is better graphically.. i think the online experience is slicker on the xbox. that said the ps3 is free so its also a winner!
But i just buy games on either platform now depending on who plays what [more shooty friends on ps3, where driving buddies are all on 360.. maybe thats because Forza3 rules ]

Internet TV sucks on both though [bbc iplayer on PS3 and SkyPlayer on 360] .. the image quality is superior via the htpc which is surprising as i would have expected streamed feeds to be identical on all platforms ..

If i was starting over with neither console, i'd probably put my money on the 360 again, but if money was tight i'd go PS3 (for free online gaming) and be just as happy with that. There's not enough in them to say one is superior in my opinion..

[TheLemming]

StormLoaded said:

not sure why you'd game on a poor performing PC on a TV as the post above imho.
my HTPC is connected to a 50" plasma, its quad core, 8gb ram , Windows 7 64bit, ATI 5770 [1GB] graphics card.. and i wouldnt be touching it for games!.. you need a decent dedicated monitor .. 1080P probably isnt enough imho, i think decent gaming PC monitors are 1600+ lines these days arent they? (2500x1600?)
..then there's the comfort factor. its a bit hard to kick back and relax on your sofa with a mouse and keyboard and play anything serious

However most of the planet uses 1920*1200 monitors and hooked up to a 1080*1920 TV the experience can be a hell of a lot more fun. Same game as the console, same display, prettier - and on a big screen

You can go for the ultra resolution route, however that needs the shiny top end kit that costs money and the goal was to illustrate that a games PC needent cost the earth to compete with and exceed the current consoles....

[MarkRSi]

TheLemming said:

My current machine has no problems playing anything (with the obvious exception of Crysis...) at substantially higher graphics settings than either of the consoles deliver and I consider it to be obsolete.

...

8800GT graphics card (BFG OC2 that was £250+ new but the G92 core GFX cards sell for about £60 ish these days looking at the micromart small ads recently. It's outperformed by lower-midrange newer cards)
AMD Dual Core 2.5 ghx processor (so old it creaks compared to the newer kit, running at 3ghz at the moment)
2 gig RAM
Windows Xp.

...

The days of needing to spank a grand on a mega pc are long gone, most current games are console ports and there's nothing REALLY challenging around since Crysis.

Except TDU2 where my 8600GT doesn't even meet the minimum spec