Want to buy a game console. Xbox or Playstation?

[Lester C.]

The Blu-ray is no joke. In Feburary I got a new pc with Blu-ray and was blown away. Even in mediums where you think it wouldn't make a difference like anime, the Blu-ray version is vastly improved over the dvd version.

[DungeonMasterJim]

Instead of a gaming console, depending on your budget, you might want to go for a PC rig decked out for gaming. I was kind of shocked when I went from 40+ players on team death on PC to half that on my XBox for Call of Duty. And I believe most games that are on consoles are available for PC.

[K-DoG7p7]

For Gaming: PC
As a Entertainment center: PS3
As a Social... thing: 360

Sure Pc can do it all but its just simpler to put in a blu-Ray into a PS3 and .. dada!
however kjeep in mind that both the 360 and PS3 are quite old at this point and the PS3 kinda cheats when it comes to 3D blu-rays.

[Hugin]

I don't own a ps 3 as the only exclusive titles I want are Heavy Rain and Metal Gear Solid 4 so I can't complain, but I don't understand why the graphics, loading time, frame rates etc. for a PS 3 game are comprable for worse than a 360. The PS3 hardware blows the 360 out of the water but it's software library doesn't reflect that at all.

That's because the PS3 was designed to be unintuitive to develop for. Sony hoped that games would be made specifically for their more powerful hardware, and then either made exclusive or ported down to the 360 poorly. Either way, Sony customers get a better product. Instead, PS3 didn't win enough market share to force that, so games ended up made for the 360 and ported up, poorly, to the PS3.

I vastly prefer the games for the 360, but that's just my opinion. I'd recommend finding a list of exclusive titles and seeing which you want. Also, depending on your budget, you may be better off getting a gaming PC. They can be expensive, but you've got a much larger library, especially of cheaper games.

[Dreg]

PS3 has Infamous as an exclusive, too, so if you're into great superhero games, that's a factor. That series is second only to the Arkham Asylum games and probably my favorite for pure gameplay alone.

[Kwaku]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[Kwaku]

I just got a new laptop(old finally gave out) so I'm not looking to buy a new PC for some time.

I haven't bought a disc of any kind in a few years so blu ray doesn't factor for me. Can the xbox stream anything?

[Dreg]

I just got a new laptop(old finally gave out) so I'm not looking to buy a new PC for some time.

I haven't bought a disc of any kind in a few years so blu ray doesn't factor for me. Can the xbox stream anything?

Netflix, Hulu, Krackle, HBO Go, ESPN, UFC...you need the Xbox live subscription fee though, in addition to the individual subscriptions.

[Astonishing X-Fan]

The Xbox has a wider variety of games

What gives me the edge for Xbox is that it has many more niche RPG games than the PS3

As someone who has had both since launch, and has absorbed myself in as many games as possible, I'm going to say this...

Neither of these statements are true.

They were true, at one point. Midway through the generation. But not anymore.

If you actually look at a full list of 360 exclusives and PS3 exclusives, the latter contains a ton more variety. Over the years the PS3 went from the weakest library to the strongest. The 360 lineup of exclusives is getting weaker and weaker, as they become more and more dependent on cranking out Halo and Gears games to death and terrible Kinect stuff. It doesn't help that the Fable franchise has jumped off a cliff.

And it has at least as much if not more niche RPGs worth playing. Demon's Souls, Tales of Graces, Valkyria Chronicles, Disgaea 3 and 4 being the notable ones. Of course the JRPG lineup for consoles in general is pretty damn weak this gen, the genre is a lot healthier on the handhelds, especially the PSP.

But there are things the 360 does best. It has a much smarter controller design. A better, more populated, and more fully featured online. Multiplatform games tend to have the best version on it. Better indie and downloadable games support. No required installs and less system updating. On the other hand, the PS3 has an overall better library, makes a great media machine, and doesn't force you to pay a fee to play online or watch Netflix.

If the OP had asked me this question a few years ago I would have told him the 360, no contest. But over time, Sony has not only caught up, they've surpassed them in a lot of ways. I think both are worth owning, but if it's down to just one: get a PS3. What it comes down to is the games, and the PS3 has a deeper pool of them now.

[K-DoG7p7]

Can the xbox stream anything?

I'm pretty sure they both have the same section of streaming services