Wii XBox 360 or Playstation 3
What’ll it be, Wii, Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 that becomes part of your gaming gear this year. Here’s a guide that looks at each of the big three video game systems strengths and weaknesses to help you assess which is best for you.
And the question that gets asked the most is “Which video game console is the best?” You really need to break that question down a little further and ask which video game console is the best for your game and life style needs. This newest generation of video game consoles is one of the most balanced I’ve ever seen and none of the machines rise as the clearest champion in all categories we’ll take a look at in this quick buyers guide.
Price
The clear champ at the lowest price is the Nintendo Wii with a retail price of $249.99. Even though new pricing changes seem to be announced daily both the XBox 360 and Playstation 3 are significantly higher.
Most Popular Console
If you’re looking for the biggest sale maker that would be Microsoft’s XBox 360…at the moment. Nintendo’s Wii is selling at a faster rate and will shortly overtake the Xbox in sales. Playstation 3 has the lowest sales and is unlikely to overtake the XBox 360.
Graphics Quality
The XBox 360 and Playstation 3 are comparable in graphics presentation. The Wii is the weakest of the 3 graphically and many of the games for Wii don’t make use of the full capabilities of the system. Playstation 3 and XBox 360 feature vivid, realistic graphics while games for the Wii are more stylized, cell shaded, cartoony graphics. This will probably change as more game makers port their games to the Wii.
Got to have HD
Playstation 3 is the clear winner. Playstation 3 comes with the Blu-ray player for HD movies. The XBox 360 can be equipped with an HD-DVD for an additional $200. The Wii doesn’t support HD and the output is only 480p.
Motion Controls
Wii is the hands down winner as the XBox 360 has no motion control and Playstation 3 only features motion control in some games.
Reliability
It’s no secret that the XBox 360 has had problems and Microsoft has extended the warranty to 3 years against the most common problem while both Playstation 3 and Wii do not have a high failure and offer a standard 1 year warranty.
For Children?
The Wii is the obvious choice with its family friendly games like Mario and learning games like Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree. XBox 360 offers some games that will appeal to youngsters and Playstation 3 offers fewer gamers for the little ones.
Hard Core or Casual Gamer
Both XBox 360 and Playstation 3, partly because of their price points, target the hard core gamers while the Nintendo Wii is built to appeal to the casual or party gamer. Wii has more games rated “E” for everyone while both XBox 360 and Playstation 3 have lots of games with blood and gore rated “M.” The Nintendo Wii has more “party games” that can be played with up to 4 players and need little instruction to play but for online multiplayer scenarios the XBox 360 or Playstation 3 is a stronger choice.
The Games
If you’re into first person shooters XBox 360 offers the most games. Games from Japanese companies are supported more on Playstation 3 and the Wii. Playstation 3’s selection of role playing games is greater than those available for either Wii or XBox 360. Because the XBox 360 has been on the market longer than the other two there are more games overall and accessories for it. That is changing, though, as new games for both Playstation 3 and Wii are introduced on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis. For downloadable games Wii clearly has the largest selection and playability. With its motion sensing controller Nintendo believes the Wii will be able to give you the most interesting play in the long run.
This guide came about when I was going through the process of finding a video game system and wanted to know how each of these 3 stacked up to each other. I hope you find it useful in helping to make your own decision about a video game system for yourself or your family. With the holiday seasons and gift giving just around the corner it’s a good time to start the shopping so you get exactly what you’re looking for.
