XBL vs PSN : A True Comparison

The Xbox 360 versus PS3 war is one that's seemed to have raged on since the dawn of time and in the end, most of us have came to the conclusion that it boils down to personal preference rather than which is really superior. One feature that can be truly compared however is the online experience that each console has to offer; in one hand we have Xbox Live and in the other, Playstation Network

[Dante112]

"It all boils down to what you personally prefer; do you enjoy perks for your money and great first-party online titles? Or would you rather have an amazing social experience whilst battling it out on early DLC? Let us know in the comments below!"

True, I like the PSN because I don't have to pay any money to play online. I love their PSN games as well, really different than the arcade games I play on Live (Journey, Flower, etc).

[DaveM]

I like them both equally. I recently bought a PS3 because of the PSN+'s great scheme and the exclusive titles are more attractive than the 360's :) But I still highly regard my 360.

[T900]

Steam has more features than any of these services.

Imo Steam > all

[PoSTedUP]

PSN because i like Home and all the free stuff and experiences it comes with. and the free MMO DC online. truly a gamers delight. did i mention it's all free?

[Hicken]

@T900

So when comparing XBL and PSN, you choose Steam? In that respect, you'd choose PC if you had the only options of 360 and PS3? If a dog or a cat were your choice, you'd pick a porcupine?

What relevance does Steam have to this comparison?

[EVILDEAD360]

If Xbox live sucked and was 60 dollars there is NO WAY that 7 years later you would have a community even close to the 40 million strong.

The PS3 has Blu-ray, free PSN, etc. and no matter how many of these articles claiming they are the same experience.the numbers dont add up.

I love my PS3 Slim but there is no way I would pretend that the online experience tops Xbox Live.

I've purchased a zillion games over XBLA through the years, but my favorite addiction literally is the PSN store. I love it..

Again I love my PS3 Slim for so many reasons..but playing online on PSN for multi-plats just feels like going back in time..the old day of not playing with your fam and best friends while not in a party just feel like a looong step backwards.

But there are so many other advantages that both have but Live feels like a lifestyle which is why some people never even think to get other consoles..Sony has advantages that they don't advertise which I never understood..Sony NEVER hyped up the NFL pass that I bought..Sony had Amazon first..Sony has minis..which had Angry Birds first..and they could easily embrace IOS games.

I love Zune movies and Kinect on the 360...but for the HUGE movies it's my PS3 Slim and Blu-Ray all the way.

I bought the Sony 3DTV and IMO Sony has the best access the 3D movies. So I buy them all the time off of the store.

I own them both and love them both for different reasons.

Again, there is a REAL reason why gamersLOVE Xbox Live and believe me this topisc is older than dirt and we definately have been talking about it since the gen started..

I'm just keeping it real..if you live in some remote country that only plays PS3s then your experience is simply going to be different..so enjoy your preference..nobody is wrong.

Evil

[ShinMaster]

I don't get this pretentious talk of "community". Is it any more special than LBP's community, for example? A community where people actually share and create ideas?

What's 40mil XBL accounts to PSN's 60+mil? (I generously subtracted multiple accounts from the registered 90mil).
I'd say that's a fairly large community as well.

Let's not spin this any more than it needs to.
People pay for XBL Gold because they want to play games online. They have no option.

__

On topic.
Not hating on XBL, but I personally like PSN overall because I can get access to all the gaming and non-gaming features like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, MLBtv, NHL, VidZone, Vudu, Twitter, Foursquare, YouTube, Skype, Facebook, Flickr, Music, Blu-ray, Video and Voice Chat, exact same Online Gameplay, etc etc on PS3 and Vita WITHOUT being forced to pay anything extra JUST for the privilege TO ACCESS these features.
PS Vita, unlike the PS3, was built for Cross-game Party chat, and it offers it for FREE as well. And up next is the PS4.

[nukeitall]

@ShinMaster:

The fact that you compare PSN number of accounts to XBL tells me you are misled. It's not the number of dormant accounts that matters, it is the number of active people that play what you want to play.

The friends I add on Xbox Live frequently play more, have mics and tend to play online games. If you have to pay to play, you damn well use it. Having a microphone as standard and making it easy to use it with cross game chat and party chat definitely helps.

Problem with PSN is, people get a new account and don't use their microphone. Many of my friends sometimes just want to change their name, so they create a new account because you can't do it on PSN. On XBL you pay to change, but at least you can.

Xbox Live also has less cheaters, because once you get banned you have to spend another $40-60 to get back in and potentially a new console. On PSN, you just open a new account!

PSN is great for what it is, but it is no way comparable to what XBL offers in terms of community. Anyone that tells you otherwise hasn't used XBL long enough, or is just plain lying!

There is a reason why more PS3 users are connected to PSN, but the most active users are on XBL. When people pay, they most definitely play!

[ShinMaster]

""There is a reason why more PS3 users are connected to PSN, but the most active users are on XBL""
That's pretty much the same thing.

Everyone having mics is not always a good thing. There are people who don't like using mics. And there are people who shouldn't be using mics.
This doesn't necessarily make it a better community and neither does paying to play, change name or get back on XBL.

By now, anyone that really wants to use a mic on PS3, HAS a mic.
Maybe this is a good way to keep d-bags away, the same way charging everyone to play is a way of keeping cheaters away....somehow.

Anyway, I stick with the rest of my previous statement/post.

[darthv72]

I will say that the point they were trying to make was a bit skewed though. The features they listed for the gold vs silver were worded in such a way as to make it seem like silver really got nothing out of live. Here is an example:

"Well, for $50 a year Xbox Live Gold members gain access to a plethora of services including: being able to buy games and movies over the marketplace, apps such as Netflix and Hulu, marketplace deals, party chat and the ability to play multiplayer games online against other gamers around the world."

Truth be told, silver members can buy games and movies over the marketplace and take advantage of marketplace deals. So lets remove the questionable phrasing from the original comment and show it like it really is.

"Well, for $50 a year Xbox Live Gold members gain access to a plethora of services including: apps such as Netflix and Hulu, party chat and the ability to play multiplayer games online against other gamers around the world."

While it doesnt really change the fact silver doesnt get as much as gold. It does put it into the correct context of the service itself.

Another example of incorrectly representing the information is on the part of PSN+:

"With PSN+ you'll gain early beta access to selected games, you'll get to trial full games for an hour, you'll get free themes and you'll even get full games for free."

While you may be able to keep a few things that are in fact free...the other stuff you dont. They are free for the life of the membership. Which simply means that if you let your membership expire, so does access to the "free" content. This mainly seems to apply to the games themselves as opposed to the non gaming content.

What irks me most about these opinion pieces is the twisting of the facts into something that benefits the writer as opposed to the reader. I wont argue that both services have their good and bad but they need to be properly represented in an unbiased view. We pretty much know that is almost impossible to do in this generation.

[mewhy32]

Is the guy kidding? Security a draw??? Hello mine and 75 million other's personal information was stolen all at the same time an spread over the hacking community for all to see while Sony waited 3 days to tell anyone about it. A draw??? I think not.

[Bobby Kotex]

I have a 360 and a PS3, my 360 is boxed up in the closet because of Xbox gold. I just saw zero value in it.

[Intentions]

In the end it will be the person's preferences.

[_Aarix_]

Yes but almost everyone here prefers psn and some claiming it being better as "fact"

[oNIXo]

The only reason I like PSN more than XBL is the type of gamers that are on PSN. It's rare, on PSN, that I get into games with kids that are yelling at their parents while playing, morons that are blasting incomprehensible music over their mics, or people calling me and my family names and insinuating that they have done horrid things to my mother. Most folks I hear playing PSN are more mature and make my gaming more enjoyable. Just my opinion.

[NastyLeftHook0]

If i can get the same online gameplay for free, Have services like amazon first, ps+ then thats all i want from a service.

[dubt72]

Yes, IF you could get the SAME service for free, but you can't. Frequent scheduled downtime, lack of cross-game chat...no, thanks.

[StrawberryDiesel420]

stfu troll boy, I'm always online. Everyday I play online and never have a problem so stop spreading BS lies you fucking son of a whore.

[TKCMuzzer]

Why do people keep banging on about cross-game chat. I only want to chat to people playing the same game. I don't want to chat to people playing other games.
By the way, you can cross game chat on the Vita so the PSN is capable and when Sony release the PS4 I will be glad to see the back of the cross game chat argument, especially if Sony offers it for free.

I am very rarely effected by downtime, it only usually applies to accessing account details and very very rarely interrupts online play.

[Bobby Kotex]

No one cares about cross game chat you troll.

[Prototype]

I chose PSN because it's more of an option, not a "requirement."

[darthv72]

once you sign up for PSN+ it becomes more of a requirement than an option.

[oNIXo]

@darthv72

dafuq?

[Treian]

OMG Stop comparing and bitching about which one is better. Just play your damm games and stfu!!!!!

[maniacmayhem]

So strange that this comment makes the most sense.

[dawnfang]

This is a website, based on discussion... of course there will be comparison, perhaps YOU should shut up and leave if you don't like it.

[theWB27]

Most people don't discuss, they bash and disagree because of difference. I hardly call that discussion.

[Cueil]

not to mention you can poke holes into that "comparison" it'll look like an afghan when you're done poking holes in it.

[TKCMuzzer]

It's always an amusing read for 5 mins though, so let them carry on.

[Qrphe]

PSN due to it being free, but I agree as far as these types of services go, Steam is the best

[Cueil]

there is a difference of a free/pay structure. Sony can shut down their service at any time and the only people they are beholden to are the PS+ users. They have to credit lost time to PSN+ users and while you don't want to think it their voices have more weight in complaints. My guess though is that Sony's PS4 has PSN that cost money and is more in line with Live then with the current PSN.

[RXL]

the fact that it is free AND the ps3 has a blu ray drive is what ultimately made my decision easy..

[SockeyBoy]

I choose XBL because the exlclusive arcade games, cross chat, easy navigation, and I feel that XBL is its own social network. I'm not saying that I hate PSN because I don't, but the only things that attract me to PSN is pns +. I know people say its free, but I really dont care. You always will find a deal buying a 12 month card for XBL.

[kingslayer1000]

XBL vs PSN : A true flamebait article

[Cueil]

bubbles for Truth

[ThatsGaming]

The security thing is BS...

There is a difference between a hack where every single user id, personal and credit card information are taken (aka Sony last year), and a situation where hackers don't actually hack the accounts but instead trick live support or 3rd parties to get your password and log in... That is not a hack is fraud and trickery...

No self professing hacker would ever call the xbox situation a hack... Hackers get through the computer systems of the organization not 3rd parties, or phone support.

There is no way that equates to nobody has an advantage...

[dubt72]

"My apartment building gets broken into a lot more than that one, but security is not an issue."

[ThatsGaming]

Security is always an issue, but to say Microsoft and Sony have equal records on console security is like comparing the Comptoms part of LA to Beverly Hills...

They both get break ins, but in one area you are in constant fear whereas in the other it is an exception.

That said, Sony has taken steps to improve. But, that does not immediately erase their failure to keep everyone's information secure.

[Cueil]

one is Social Engineering and the other is h4x0rz

[Caffo01]

Anonymous wanted to hack Sony, that's it.
If they wanted to hack Microsoft they could have done it.
Hell they hacked governments, do you really think they couldn't hack Microsoft?

[MetalProxy]

Shhhhhh! dont make sense they dont like that.

[playboi28]

How is the security thing BS? The subject there was security, not hacking. So, you're analogy about home security has flaws. PSN's issue would be compared to someone picking your lock or kicking your door down, right? So, how is this any different than the upscale way of tricking the conceirge into thinking you live there and opening the door and letting you in to rob the place like XBL? They are both holes in security and in my opinion, I feel far less secure with people getting permission to steal my stuff.

[thebudgetgamer]

I like them both because I get two completley different experiences when playing my two favorite consoles.

[ChunkyLover53]

I have to go with XBL, mostly because its set up much more socially and they change things up every other year or so. PSN has had the same look and everything since 2006. Also, I think communities stay around a lot longer on XBL, I mean you can hop on GTA4, Halo 3 or even Gears Of War 1 and find plenty of players.

Not to say that PSN is bad, but I just prefer XBL.

[k-dillinger]

@ChunkyLover53 -this guy is one of the main reasons 360 has no games yall xbots are to worried about being social connect with friends at all times of the day y'all don't even care about the games smdh did you buy a VIDEO GAME SYSTEM to be social or play games at least with psn you can have both equally while xbl you mainly get the social part and no games sad very sad when y'all think like this and trust me the lack of games micro has will come back to haunt them later..

[ChunkyLover53]

I actually play competitively on the Xbox 360, so having social aspects like party chat and being able to advertise my clan and website in my profile is very important. Having the ability to send out quick voice messages and do mass messages to all recent players also helps for recruiting and things like that.

I think you mistook when I said social, as something entirely different. I play Xbox Live and enjoy the social aspects that help me meet new gamers and potential clan members.

As for having no games, I play Modern Warfare 3, Forza 4, Gears 3, Halo Reach, Battlefield 3 and a ton of other games on my Xbox 360 currently, so I'm not sure where you have this idea that people throw away their games or tire of them so soon after release? I go back and play a ton of older games.

[FunkMacNasty]

Wow K-dillinger.. What a goddam$ed TROLL you are. Chunky was stating his OPINION and it makes him an "xbot"? It is people like you that give N4G a reputation for being overrun by immature nonsense spewing fanboys.

Also your comment was a total fail: People preferring XBL has NOTHING to do with the lack of exclusive IP's MS has. Anyone with more brain cells that you would figure out that your comment is nonsense.

You should quit while your ahead and GTFO.

@ ChunkyLover - props to you for your graceful and diplomatic response to K-dillinger.

[sGIBMBR]

@FunkMacNasty

It's not just a reputation, it's true... And sad!

[Omnislash]

PSN:
-Free multiplayer gaming
-Access to all subscription services (Netflix etc..)

PSN+
-50$ a year
- Free games every month.
- cloud storage
- discounts on video games

XBL Gold
-60$ a year
-Same as Free PSN
- If you dont have it you cannot use yoru subscribed services.
-No free games every month.

[maniacmayhem]

Dont forget
XBL Gold
-Cloud storage
-Game Alerts and Messages(not sure if thats what its called but its really handy)
-Cross game chat

[dawnfang]

I don't find the game alerts important, nor the cross game chat. Cloud storage is nice, but I'm sure the PS3 will have that soon if they don't already. PS3 seems way better.

[maniacmayhem]

@dawnfang
I love the game alerts, i have some buddies living in the south that are fighting fanatics and its always good to let them know I'm up for a few rounds.

I love cross game chat and especially when making parties. It comes in super handy and I have used it ever since 360 dropped.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

It should be noted that with XBLG EVERY downloadable arcade title has a free trial / demo.

[isarai]

only thing PSN does not have on that list is cross game chat. Cloud storage is on PSN+, you can message each other anytime.

[joeorc]

"only thing PSN does not have on that list is cross game chat. Cloud storage is on PSN+, you can message each other anytime."

Well to tell you the truth, PS3 does indeed have cross game chat!. But you can only do that while in Playstation Home. And not all Playstation Home games support it, if they do not leave the R2 trigger open. but it does indeed have cross game chat. try it with no mans land if you do not think this is true!

[Cueil]

Xbox Live isn't a service in the same way PSN is... any features added to Live are automatically supported on every game and that is the true difference between PSN being a service and the Xbox 360 being a device that uses Xbox Live. When you understand the Xbox Live isn't a gaming service you'll finally start to understand. Xbox Live has grown far far further along then anyone ever anticipated. It's completely taken over the consumer side of Microsoft.

[CaptainPunch]

I pay $30 a year for my Xbox Live, I know how to find deals.

[playboi28]

And that is a good deal compared to free?

[artdafoo]

No im not paying $45 a year just so I can enjoy in game chat, who gives an eff.

[CaptainPunch]

Nice argument /s

[dubt72]

It's okay, he just doesn't have friends to play with online...

[MacDonagh]

XBL has an indie marketplace that has it's fair amount of crap, but has some really strong, interesting games in there. Does PSN have an indie marketplace or something similar to it? I haven't been online with it since I downloaded Flower..

[playboi28]

They do but they don't separate it like XBL.

[Bowzabub]

Obviously the Wii is the dominant console for online.. /SAR- CHASM!!!

[dawnfang]

Definitely!! With amazing games that everyone plays online, like Mario Kart! ;)

[Bowzabub]

Yeah, add me... 563666775884336809754342762245 6478426777834713567833774334566 4376543456543456634788864334567 6446677436776434567753567754577 7456765

[jetlian]

your know an article is wack when they discredit MS games because MS diddnt actually make them lol. Still not on psn

Anybody else agree/disagree buttons giving an error?

[TronEOL]

I still don't understand this comparison. If the article doesn't compare the Live you get out of the box to the PSN you get out of the box, then this comparison is null and void. Just like many (try all) of the other comparisons existing on the internet.

The FACT of the matter is the most basic XboxLive is far, far worse than the most basic PSN. That is an absolute fact. Not a single person can honestly disagree (trolling is allowed).

You get far more from the PSN basic (non-plus) than you do from XboxLive basic (Silver).

Then when you compare XboxLive Gold (Premium) to PSPlus (Premium) it starts to balance out a bit more. But barely since XboxLive just starts to catch up giving people the ability to play online. Then has SOME features that separate it like Cross Game Chat and such.

But even then, if you look at Sony's Vita, Cross game chat is a basic PSN feature, not a plus feature. So the PS4 will probably follow suite (and if the PS3 could have it, it'd be on basic PSN).

Then start adding in things like PSplus giving you 12 free* (Ala Netflix) games every year, and tons of discounts and such. It starts to go back into PSN being better (for gamers).

So truth be told, the PSN does edge out XboxLive in terms of bang for your buck.

And in my opinion, XboxLive Gold is looking more and more like a Cable box with the ability to play games. Whereas the PSN is more of a gaming service, with ways to watch TV and movies on the side (comes with PSN Basic).

So there you have it. A legitimate comparison. Rather than always using Gold as the standard XboxLive, since it isn't.

[CaptainPunch]

Expect PSN is a bore

[CandyCaptain]

You have the wrong word there brah. It's except*, it means something completely different then what you have there. Plus that key in on the other side of the keyboard so you can't even say it was a typo. Otherwise, yea as I read this thread, it's full of trolls and grammatical errors from both camps. lol

[Hicken]

You're making too much sense. No self-respecting Xbox lover will be able to stomach your logic.

[Gazondaily]

How is Xbox Live Gold barely playing catch up?

I'm sorry but PSN is a joke when it comes to the social aspect of multiplayer gaming. The original Xbox even gave you the option to have a voice chat in the dashboard.

You cannot even send voice messages over PSN? The online experience is completely inferior because it isn't social at all. The fact that many people end up using Skype when playing on the PS3 is a testament to the failure of PSN in this regard.

No party chat in this day and age is a joke. Even things like appearing offline before you sign in....basic things are missing.

Xbox live is integrated brilliantly into online games. It's seamless unlike PSN where you're graced with a slow nd cumbersome dashboard log in screen.

When it comes to actual online play with your mates, Xbox Live is head and shoulders above the rest. PSN's lack of basic features strikes at the heart of competitive play.

[Raoh]

LOL at paying for XChat.

so overrated. I've chatted on pc for years for free.

But the biggest thing I hated about people wanting to chat with me on 360.

I'm playing a role playing game, its story intense, strategy intense.. and you want me to chat with you? If I wanted to chat with people I'd go out to the bar or invite people over. As a grown man, i don't see chatting as something to do.

The other more important issue, i'm playing an online game. Let me get this straight you want to chat with me about lord knows what and ignore my squad/team that I should be talking to?

I hate those type of gamers/people.

[cstyle]

lol at that article... sorry but xbox live is still king in the online department. As far as security goes , live has never been taken down by MS because of hackers. They both are great services but xbox live is still superior. It has more content, its more unified, the display is better, it has voice and gesture integration with kinect, demos for all arcade games, and achievement comparisons with friends. Plus, there is much much more.

Also, ms keeps updating the service with summer and fall updates(something sony doesn't do). Sony knows its service is inferior too, thats why they are stepping up with the free ps plus content, which won't really matter in the end. Xbox live is still the better service this gen. Next gen will probably be no different because software just isn't sony's thing. The only downer is the price but its totally worth it. Ive never ever paid full price for the service myself. I always find discounts and deals which is ok by me. Sony has improved but still have some work to do. Sorry guys but its the truth.

[BattleTorn]

IMO, XBL.

But I won't deny it's a personal opinion.

I absolutely love cross game chat, and couldnt imagine living without it - seriously.

When I jump online most of my friends are playing *their* SP favorites, and if anyone likes playing games in groups (ie BF3, GTAIV, RDR, ect) then you probably know how difficult it can be to coordinate everyone to getting on the same game.
PEOPLE DON'T RESPOND TO GAME INVITES!!!

But they will jump into your party to talk, and allow you to time to convince them to play with you.

If I had to rely on Game Invites and in-game chat, all my friends wouldn't play a 1/4 of the time we do.
Has anyone ever had a MP match disconnect? Well on XBL we're still talking.

Bottomline, jumping into a party-chat with my RL-friends is literally the first thing I do when I get either online or sometimes when I get home. It's great cause theyre always there. On PSN I'd have to join their game, which sometime their playing SP, and sometime all I want to do is explain why I'm not coming to play.

And ON TOP OF THAT, PSN doesn't even have Voice Messeging! And you can't view Trophies when they pop up, (you have open/scroll/sync/search/open. -- on XBL it's 1 button) It's the little simple features that makes me wonder why Sony doesnt add them.

[playboi28]

I personally get tired of the chatting. Sometimes, I'm deep into a single player game or watching something on Netflix or Hulu and someone decides they want to have a conversation. Also, I might be in the middle of an actual MP match and people want to have private conversations that take me away from the game.

As for the XBL vs PSN, I belive that if the PS3 came out first, Microsoft would have a harder time charging people for their service. A lot of people were chatting heavy before the PS3 even came out. And at that time, the PSN was really crappy.

[BattleTorn]

LOL I've been paying for Xbox Live before either of the 360/PS3 came out. (So XBL's fee existed long before the PS3/360 release)

I had XBL Gold on the Original Xbox. Those days were sick! Halo 2, Jedi Academy, Splinter Cell:Chaos Theory, Rainbow Six, Mech Assault.

aaah, I enjoy just recalling them.

[MysticStrummer]

The only comparison I need is the word of multiple friends who once had 360s and now have PS3s. None of them think XBL is better.

[Rock_On_PS4]

PSN is free and you can play online free of charge. You have to pay for XBox Live Gold to play online.

PS3 sells more console systems than the XBox 360 primarily because it has free online. 80% of the game libraries on the XBox 360 and PS3 are the same. More exclusives on PS3 is another added bonus.

PS3 has Blu-Ray and has lower hardware failure rates than the XBox 360.

[cstyle]

"PS3 sells more console systems than the XBox 360 primarily because it has free online."

Then how do you explain the 3 mil lead by xbox. Don't use that one year excuse because ps3 has been out long enough to have overcome that by now. Especially since you say its better.

[isarai]

1year head start, why does no one remember 360 came out a year before PS3? compare current sales of PS3 to 360 sales this time last year and you get your answer

[BitbyDeath]

@Jetlian, yes,i am getting errors whenever I try clicking agree or disagree. Even the reply button has stopped working since yesterday.

Might be time to find a new gaming news site me thinks.

[IHateYouFanboys]

why do people championing PSN/PS+ always overlook the fact that Live Gold gives you access to big discounts on games/DLC every single week of every single year? its like PS+ apart from the "free" game rentals that cease as soon as your subscription lapses.

this week these are the XBox Live Gold Member ONLY deals of the week (games only, there are avatar items too but not many people care about them understandably):

From Dust - 33% off
Sonic 4 Ep 1 - 50% off
Sonic Adventure - 50% off
Sonic Adventure DX Upgrade - 50% off
Sonic CD - 50% off

source: http://marketplace.xbox.com...

so no, Gold isnt essentially the same as the free PSN option. free PSN doesnt give you deals like that EVERY SINGLE WEEK - PS+ does. how much does PS+ cost? as much as Live Gold.

on the article, i dont know how they give "nobody" the win for Security. PSN has been completely hacked and broken wide open, XBox live hasnt. yes, some idiots fall for phishing scams and end up having their Live account stolen, but guess what? the same idiots would fall for it if people were after their PSN account. Security is a HUGE win for microsoft over sony.

[isarai]

XBL gets hacked all the time, MS just isn't making a big deal about it. I've had both mine and my brothers credit card info stolen off of XBL. We just canceled the cards and got new ones. PSN was hacked majorly once, XBL gets individual accounts hacked constantly. so no one wins

[playboi28]

But you are leaving out the fact that PSN+ gives free full games, not just discounts. I haven't seen many free XBL games except Hexic HD, and the stupid advertising games from Doritos and for the Yaris.

[isarai]

I prefer PSN for two simple reasons

1) It's free

2) It offers everything i need

I don't care how good XBL is, or how it's "only $50/year" it doesn't validate a charge when bigger better services are completely free(steam) even more so when i have to pay to use other services i am already paying for, i mean i bought the game, and i'm paying for internet, so why do i have to pay MS?

And don't give me that PSN is laggy/slower bullshit. I've been playing on both platforms for 5yrs and have noticed no difference between the two in terms of stability or download speed. At least all sony's exclusives have dedicated servers for lag free online play which is more than i can say for some of 360's games(gears 2 online was horrid) Don't get me wrong i love all consoles and play them both avidly, and i realize that overall XBL offers more features, but IMO i don't NEED cross game chat, and it's not worth paying for

[Bonerrr]

All my mates are on live so it's an added bonus, party chat is helpful when i'm on Skyrim and others are on COD for example. It's a great service with a very attractive looking dashboard. It's easy to use and i never have difficulty using it.

[isarai]

They based the entirety of the online experience on CoD? and CoD is where the "Hardcore" gamers are? this article is a joke

[Rock_On_PS4]

The 360 cheated and its first year sales should not count. The real sales war between the X360 and PS3 is the head to head sales war since the PS3 launched late 2006.

Aligned sales from launches the PS3 is ahead of the X360 for first 5.5 years of its life.

Head to head the PS3 is beating the X360.
Aligned sales from launch the PS3 is beating the X360.
Total sales the X360 is beating the PS3 by 2 or 3 million because it cheated by launching a year before the PS3.

[gamer_70]

"X360 is beating the PS3 by 2 or 3 million because it cheated"

Are you for real??? Absolutely foolish post.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

Again, PSN, Free games and free Multiplayer, XBL,a fully a tailored Multiplayer experience. It depends on what you want. I prefer a tailored social experience XBL.

[ExCest]

"latency issues have been at an all time high and the developers of each CoD title have progressively shunned PSN all-together with delayed updates and content"

Acti got paid not because PSN is slower (is it really? Doubt it)

[mayberry]

as stated above^^ "out of the box", psn is miles better than live "out of the box". If you pay for the "upgraded" versions of both, then I feel psn is still the better choice.

[TheObserver]

I don't understand why the 360 camp say that they have "community" on XBL. I can hardly call the verbal vomit of retards and annoying brats on XBL a social experience.

[ALLWRONG]

If you're a loner with no money choose PSN. If you have friends and money choose XBL. If you like security choose XBL. If you don't care about security and don't mind people looking at your account info choose PSN.

My comment is extremely biased, but it's still true.

[JesterMd]

I prefer Xbox Live. The social aspect is awesome as it's like hanging out at the bar with your friends but never leaving your living room. Especially, when your friends are overseas. Too many times, I've sent a beacon on Facebook via Xbox Live, letting my friends know which game I'm planning to play that night, and one by one, they all join the party chat and we get to gaming. All in the meantime, we're all having a couple of drinks along the way. It's really easy to meet up with your friends on their and have a blast.

[jacobie74]

you get what you pay for everybody no's what you get when its free crap that's why i don't mind paying for online play just look at the differences people always complain about why ms charges people for online just look at how many times sonys online been down that's why i pay so i can play games not sit and wait for some crappy online server to get back up but watch all the hate i get even the sony fans no's this but will not confess to it sony fans kill me

[DivineAssault]

PSN isnt all that but its solid & free.. PS Plus is a much better value than XBL to me.. I mostly play fighting games online so psn works for me.. I cancelled my XBL gold 2 years ago due to microsofts lack of 1st party offerings.. I dont play that many western games either so i dont care for xbox

[SpinalRemains138]

Focusing on which online experience is superior means that games suffer.

Stop being so concerned with connecting to everyone. It's retarted. play some games!

[vega275]

i just enjoy playing on live. i tried psn and it's just garbage in my opinion and plus doesn't seem worth it to me since i own a ps1 and 2 and if i feel the need to play old games for free, then i will plug them up or better yet i could just fire up gametap and play rented games for free.

[MidWest_MoFo]

Cons of having a Xbox 360 compared to PS3:
-DVD media format
-Mandatory Online Subscription Service
-Lack of Bluray Support
-Paying extra to get a battery for your controller
-It's basically a toaster

(*points gun at 360*) DIE!!!

[DaveM]

On the terms of those of you asking why I said the security section is a draw/neither. It's because neither of them deserve to 'win' for such a major flaw!

[Elvis]

XBL vs PSN...? What is this 2008?

[InTheZoneAC]

psn does everything any one can ask for....and does it for free

people saying xbl is faster are just speaking out their ass and repeating the general theme of fanboys who are too stuck up to accept that they're jealous they pay for something others get for free.

it's like if xbl and psn were THE EXACT SAME CAR. XBL users pay to keep all the features running: Gas, A/C, radio, power windows, power steering, etc...PSN is the exact same car, exact same features, only difference is the PSN car doesn't allow you to talk to other PSN cars as a group.

/thread

[the worst]

the PSN is just better
xbox live games lags

[CYBERHATER]

Both systems have something to offer. However Xbox has better network communication and is faster. Other than that they are pretty much equal.

[deletingthis34675334]

Well PSN wins because it is free, even if it is technically inferior to Xbox Live. There is no good reason to pay for online play apart from a good MMO, and this is especially true when your dashboard will be full of annoying advertisements, even for Gold members. The Xbox360 is the only platform that charges for online play. Shameful cash grab is shameful, but the masses lap it up.

[guitar_nerd_23]

I find online gaming in general a bit of a chore, local multiplayer is where it's at for me.

[oldfriend86]

I feel like the only reason for XBL is because it was out longer, meaning your friends will have it. Luckily, all my friends migrated to the PS3, rendering the 360 useless. Besides, I never felt the online play was any better than PS3, at least not $60 worth. I will concede though, that while being a paid membership, you'll see less douche bags online. And XBL to watch Netflix? Please. Party chat? If you have enough funds to have a 360 AND gold membership, odds are most of your other devices will have a web cam.

PS Plus is much better. I mean this month alone more than paid for the $50 service worth of games. Also we don't need to buy a Netflix account AND purchase another membership, just to watch.

On an unrelated note, trophies > achievements. The achievement system are point based, what the hell does that even mean? I could've simply played a lot more games than a friend to accumulate that many points, but it doesn't account for skill. It's easier to compare trophies in that I have more gold and platinum trophies than you.

[LiquifiedArt]

The party feature in XBL is the only thing really holding any argument between the two at all.

Fact is...PSV has the same party feature implemented and thus far it seems to work perfectly fine. PS4 will most likely improve on PSV's implementation and the entire conversation of which is better PSN vs XBL will be a no brainer.

Once PSN has party chat and moving between games in the same party then the conversation is pretty much over. Ofcourse, if Sony screws us and makes chat only for PS+ (which isn't how the PSV is) then all bets are off, but that would be a terrible move.

[Jazz4108]

The real argument is how many people feel sonys service is worth paying for. Would you pay 60.00 for psn. No one would and why sony can't charge for it as its a mess and tacked on service with very little intergration.

[geddesmond]

True comparison my ass. There is video party chat on PSN that can only be accessed outside of games while in game there is cross game text chat. If this was a true comparison this would be included.

Secondly the PS3 has a web browser and twitter, Facebook and every other social network can be accessed easily and fast. I've often spent hours browsing the PS3s web browser with a 20 Euro wireless keyboard and mouse thats compatible with the PS3.

The no mic on PSN is a big lie. More people use them on Xbox because one comes free with the Xbox but I have never played a game were no mics are in use. Go on Socom 4.confrontation, everyones using them, go on Mag, same thing, play ME3 MP, every single game has people using mics.

Yeah Xbox wins because of COD LMAO. Also quit the lag BS. A lot of PS3 titles use dedicated servers, something thats missing from most Xbox titles and thats a dam paid subscription. Lag on P2P connections is existent on both platforms. Don't try sugar coat it.

P2P connections rely on your internet connection, not Xbox live or PSN. You get games on both platform that run great but also pretty bad. Just watch some elpresadors COD vids for Xbox n youtube and hear him constantly scream about lag or go on ME3s forums and read the constant lag complaint for both platforms.

Not to mention how some updates for games don't even reach Xbox live because of crappy MS policies. Some examples, Dungeon Defenders. The PS3 got a patch 6 weeks ago that fixed freezing issues, added a higher level cap and gives better weapons. Xbox dudes have to wait til august for this patch, then ask valve about the same thing. Heck even some Xbox games were never patched while on PS3 they got fixed.

When you write an article calling it a true comparison, make sure you get all the facts right first

[Jagosix]

Hello fellow gamers. Let me start off by saying WTF is wrong with some you guys? Xblive is a great online system for consoles. Hell it paved the way for Sony. If it wasn't for Microsoft, Sony would still be in the stone-age of online gaming. Most of the features that are on Xblive have been copied (implemented) on PSN. Thank you Microsoft. Almost forgot about Nintendo. They started the avatars with the Mii, So Microsoft took it a step further. Thank you Nintendo.

Now on to the PRICE. Let's break this down. $60 a year is about $5 a month. Really... and you guys b!tch an moan about it as if it was your last dollar being spent. I can guarantee all of you that do complain about Xblive costs waste more money on other things that's not needed. Like cigarettes, junk food, alcohol, soda, etc.. Try this .. just add up the things that I mentioned for one month, I'll bet all of you it'll easily costs more than a mere $5 a month. So please STOP WITH THE $60 A YEAR! Whew …

Okay now, I'm not downing PSN+ , however I prefer XBlive. Others might prefer differently. Guess what, there's nothing wrong with it. Some of you complain about the interruptions. That can be controlled by you. The annoying, excessive, obscene ignorant people online can be controlled by you. Obviously some of you really don't know much about the features of Xblive or the X360 beyond playing games. That's very sad. Microsoft implemented a lot of features into the Xbox360 and continue to still add on things that a lot of you don't know about.

To this day the Xbox360 is still the only gaming console that has custom music in any game. That to me is a godsend. Now Sony and Nintendo should do the same.

The money making side of this. Microsoft has made a profit of 1.6 Billion dollars (2011) off of Xblive alone. Can Sony and Nintendo say the same ? Uuhhmm ..no. It takes money to maintain a service like that. The money has to come from somewhere. Microsoft was upfront with what they're charging from the start. In business, there is no such thing as free. Someone has to pay to maintain the servers, housing, electricity (power), customer service, etc.. the list goes on. Sony posted a 2011 loss of $6.4 Billion. They need to get the money from somewhere...hey how about plus. We can do what Microsoft does. There's nothing wrong with that. After all it's a business.

[MYSTERIO360]

This article also forgot to consider avatars for each service and im sure everyone would agree that PS HOME is much better then the xbox avatar. I also find myself spending much more time on my PSN then i do on the xbox because of PS+, home and exlusives. So i guess its a PSN win for me. Sorry xbox fans but you are basically paying for free APPS and cross/party chat.

I think MS weapon to entice players to stay with gold is that its a paid service so people want to get their money worth by spending as much time on it as possible. On PSN there isnt that urgency (even though its a great service) as we are free to access it at our leisure. just saying