I wrote a lengthy explanation as to why PS3 more than holds its own against the 360 just a few days ago, so I'll just postthe original message below:
I have all three systems, and I can safely say the PS3 is the best bang for your buck. I got the 80 GB MGS4 bundle with Backwards compatibility and Dual Shock 3, and It's well worth the money.Â
360 just seems so clunky and underwhelming to me, not to mention the system's questionable reliablity. Nevertheless,here are some facts:
Don't be fooled by 360 fans telling you 360 the best bargain at $199 with the Arcade model. It's not. You only get a laughably small Memory card (game systems still use memory cards?) and any real gamer with enough wit to realize he has virtually ZERO space will have to fork out more dough for a Harddrive. Then again, I would venture to say said gamer wouldn't have much wit at all if he was stupid enough to buy the Arcade model 360 in the first place.  And good luck trying to use your own USB flash Drive for game storage, since you can't: They only work for media playback.
No matter which version of the 360 you buy, the controllers will be outdated tech, being either wired or AA battery powered. Micro$oft makes you pay extra for real rechargable batteries and a charge cable. PS3 controllers are all Wireless right out of the box, and you won't ever have to buy batteries for them, since they are ALL rechargable with the included USB charge cable.
I hope you have room around your entertainment center for Xbox 360's HUGE power supply. Seriously, this thing barely fits in mine, but at least I have a little bit of space left over from Wii's modest power supply and PS3's even simpler adaptorless power cable. While we're on the subject of cables, Make sure you have a an ethernet cable prepared to further clutter your living room, since 360 doesn't have built in Wi-Fi connectivity. Nope, if you want wireless like Wii and Ps3, be prepared to shell out an extra $100 so you can enjoy these modern conveniences. Which reminds me:
Online gaming for PS3 is absolutely free and won't cost you a dime, unless you want to download games from the Playstation Store. Even then, you won't be confused by the cumbersome and confusing Points currency that M$ uses, since prices on the PS store are clearly marked with real monetary prices and cards are sold with actual money amounts, not points. Best of all, since every PS3 SKU has a built in Harddrive, you have tons of space to download games, demos, videos, and more, while these features are not available so easily to all 360 users...
Speaking of Online, 360 is the only Console this generation that doesn't have an internet Web browser, despite the fact that you have to pay $50 a year to play anything online. The least they could do is throw in an internet Browser with the 360, but I guess they expect us all to stick with our PCs, even though most modern electronics have internet browsers by default.
As for the games, PS3 has its fare share of great games, and guess what: They're not all shooters. You can enjoy games such as Uncharted, Little Big Planet, Folklore, Pain, Resistance, Echochrome, WarHawk, MGS4, Valkyrie Chronicles, and tons of classic games as well. Not only do PS3 games compete graphically, but often times you can buy them for less money and can play online compatible ones for free. Sure multiplats may sometimes have half a point deducted from reviewers for some minor framerate issues, lack of Downloadable content, or some other trivial flaw, but 99% of the time, these games are every bit as enjoyable as the 360 counterpart, and you don't have to worry about your system breaking down while playing it. Â
Xbox 360 is also the only console this generation that uses disc tray loading technology, leading to many a scratched disc if you're one of the unfortunate millions who have had their system ruin a cherished game. Sony and Nintendo at least have the sense to use state of the art CD loading techniques that are proven to have minimal wear to discs.
Speaking of faulty hardware, Ever heard of the RROD? Yeah, it plagues about 1 out of every 3 Xbox 360s. It is also the number 1 thing I have against the 360.
While we're on the hardware front of things, PS3 has a lot more potential with it's Blu-Ray format and even has a built in Blue Ray player, meaning as DVDs are slowly phased out over the next few years, you wouldn't have to worry about upgrading since you'd already have the tech right in front of you. Too bad Microsoft didn't have the foresight to not produce an (External LOL) HDDVD add-on to the 360, but sour grapes and denial has prevented 360 from letting it's users enjoy the fruitfulness of the true winner in the HD format war. Sure 360 can use Netflix streaming, but your films are intangible and you can't even access any of it without all these numerous subscriptions anyways.
PS3 also makes great use of PSP, enabling you to trade photos, demos, movies and more between the two and you can even use your PS3 (and even play movies and some games) from pracically anywhere in the world through remote play on PSP. What does Microsoft have? Oh yeah, lame Zune syncing. Whoopie!
Let us not forget the FREE online virtual hub HOME, coming soon to PS3, which will be a true revolution to online connectivity.  Not only will gamers be able to mingle, make new friends, play games and watch movies together in a realistic environment, but they get their own virtual living quaters that can be personalized to the smallest detail. What is Microsoft's equivelent? Oh yeah, silly Mii rip-offs and lame chatrooms... That you have to pay anual fees for.
I could go on and on, but my fingers are getting tired of typing. Nevertheless, PS3 is not as bad as 360 fans try to make it out to be, and the extra $100 investment is well worth your money for all the extra swag and functionality you get. 360 isn't worth it if you want a streamlined, hasslefree gaming platform with no hidden costs. Even though I have all three of the current console generation systems, I find PS3 to be the most enjoyable. But don't take my word for it. Let common sense be your guide.
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