Wii, XBox, PS3 - Which One Is Best?
There seems to be a bit of a battle for supremacy between the 3 major games consoles. Which one is best is pretty much open to opinion with each one having it's own merits. The Wii has levels of interaction that the others simply can't match but the game availability is a little limited, while the XBox 360 and PS3 have huge game libraries to choose from. My favourite is the PSP, simply because of the size and portability and the fact that I'm getting on a bit and I can use it while Mrs is watching 'Gardeners Property Naked Haunted Trinny' or whatever it is...
The Xbox 360 comes in three configurations, the entry level being the Xbox 360 Arcade which doesn't have a hard drive. There's the Xbox 360 Pro (or Premium) which has a 20GB hard drive, a wireless Xbox 360 gamepad, composite AV cables, and combination composite/component HDTV cables. The built-in hard drive will let players save games, log onto the Xbox Live service, and store data such as photos, music, and downloadable content from Xbox Live Marketplace. Microsoft added the Xbox 360 Elite to its system offerings in 2007. For the higher price, you will get you a black Xbox 360 system with a 120GB hard drive. The Elite package includes HDMI, component, and composite AV cables as well as matching black headset and wireless gamepad accessories.
The Xbox's nearest real rival of the main four is the Sony PlayStation 3 (or PS3) which comes with a choice of 40gb or 80gb hard drives. The 40gb Model can play PS1 games but, strangely, can't run PS2 stuff while the 80gb model can play both. It is, however, rather more expensive than the Xbox. Part of the reason is that Sony decided to include a Blu-Ray drive on the system. The drive can play both Blu-ray movies and standard DVDs.
Microsoft was able to take an early lead in the battle by releasing the Xbox 360 a year before the PlayStation 3. This lead made it easier to court third-party developers to create games for the 360 although games now tend to be released for both platforms simultaneously.
The Wii is a different ballgame altogether and gives a much more interactive experience. It isn't as powerful as it's main two rivals, but has a unique motion sensing controller, the 'WiiMote'. This device enables you to play various games, including tennis, by replicating the movements as though you're actually playing the sport, or if you're swinging a sword in an RPG, you swing the controller in the same way. This has made the Wii one of the most popular consoles on the market, but the DVD drive will only play games, you can't use it for movies. This hasn't affected the popularity with major shortages due to high demand and short supply over Christmas 2007.
Games on the Xbox and PS3 look very similar to each other but the same games on the Wii can look vastly different. The processor on the Wii runs at 729 MHz whilst the Xbox and PS3 run a PowerPC based 3.2GHz which is considerably faster.
If you want high definition gaming, the Xbox and PS3 have it nailed, but, for me, what the Wii lacks in power, it makes up for in the sheer fun and interactivity in the gameplay.
The author has worked in I T for as long as he can remember and it's driving him mad.. Find Games Console News, Reviews and Hardware at his website, The Stuff Shop, or his Squidoo Lens.
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