Xbox Live Gold vs Playstation Plus: How Do They Compare?

Tested: History is filled with battles of epic proportions, from Nintendo versus Sega to cake versus pie. But this generation, gamers are being confronted with another tough decision — Xbox Live or PlayStation Plus? While Xbox Live Gold has been a paid service since its inception, Sony has always maintained that its PlayStation Network would remain free. While that promise hasn't changed, the arrival of PlayStation Plus has surely shaken things up.

[deadreckoning666]

They don't. One is centered around features and the other revolves around content and discounts. Only a fool would try to compare the two.

@Action Bastard- Well put.

[Imperator]

One forces you to pay for stuff that's FREE on every other console (at least, if you want to play the mulitplayer half of your game aka, 50% of the game.)

The other offers discounts on games and even some great Free GAMES. hmm, I wonder which one's better. lol.

[darthv72]

It may get put back on you that one service "forces" you to renew in order to keep that "free" content alive.

Let me give you a perspective. One service has been paid from the beginning and has improved since inception. The other service had been free until a recent option to join a discount club was made available.

Based on that information it is easy to formulate that the later of the two has more to take away from the free side it still currently offers. Thus creating a sort of incentive for those who are not members to become one.

PSN plus has potential to be great provided they do not take away from the side that got them started. However, this is business, the more sony sees members sign up the less they see the free side as a viable source of income.

I should point out that by "take away" I am referring to imposing restrictions to the free members with regards to content availability or worse...limiting of game sizes/types.

Something tells me there will soon be "members only" games and spaces in home that the free members will need to sign up for in order to play. Maybe not right away...but it could very well happen.

[rkimoto]

"Today at 8:00 PM in our riveting primetime Emmy Awards winning show, where we make useless comparisons, we will compare Live vs. PS+... Don't forget to also tune in tomorrow as as we'll compare a car vs. water, Who will win???? Who would reign supreme (a la Iron Chef)????"

[ActionBastard]

They don't. One you need, one you don't.

[ExplosionSauce]

These comparisons are stupid and nonstop!
They're completely different.

[PSfan09]

one service is to play online and other is a discount offering.

[SpaceSquirrel]

Yeah, they aren't the same services.

[thewrathman]

TRUE

one is bargain bin hunting the other is buckingham palace.

its like comparing poundland to harrods

ill let you argue over which is which

[klado]

Let me take another of your bubbles, thread was pretty well going until you poped to troll about ps+...this troll need to guy one bubble again.

[D4RkNIKON]

One has value that surpasses the subscription cost within the first month. The other charges for features that are free on virtually every other platform to date.

[PaPa-Slam]

Playstation Plus All the Way.

[ForROME]

MY GOD HOW MANY OF THESE ARTICLES CAN WE MAKE IN A WEEK JESUS! annoying as Fck

[Godmars290]

Just how many times does it have to be said:

One has to be bought to fully utilize a console while the other doesn't.

[klado]

True, people who disagree, are retards apparently.

[bjornbear]

one is a service you NEED to subscribe to to play online

the other is a service you CAN subscribe to if you want free content and more services.

only way they can be compared is the fact that they both have a price point.

[Brklynty1]

like seriously they arent even comepeting with each other one leans towards social networking and the other to content and rewards...

[nygamer28]

bubbles for you sure

[GameScrub]

This whole NEED and CAN is dumb! Didn't they show an article here earlier on N4G about how only 12.5 million people are live subscribers? While the rest just sit at home being silver accounts.

It just goes to show that YOU DON'T NEED XBOX LIVE. Just like you guys keep saying it's an option for PS+ is the same thing for live!

Apparently single game players don't care about the fact the game has multiplayer and are happy to not pay for LIVE so they are not losing in half their game since they apparently DON'T CARE

[D4RkNIKON]

Ok lets re word it then..

XBL Gold is NEEDED to play online
PSN+ is NOT NEEDED to play online

Hope that makes you happy. You can't disagree with truth, but you can dislike it. Thanks for stopping by

[bjornbear]

they NEED to pay.

people that want multiplay on PS3, DONT NEED TO PAY, but thay CAN pay if they want free stuff =)

thus why the argument of NEED and CAN is not dumb, its perfectly plausible.

once service adds ADDITIONAL content, its AN OPTION.

XBL however isn't an option if you want online gaming, its an ultimatum: you don't pay, you don't play.

and lets face it, if you own a 360 its most probably to play online

why bring single player into this, these are ONLINE SERVICES.

[ATLGAMER]

How can you go that long without online...thats why ps3 have more users online

[nygamer28]

i dont mind paying for live cause im not a broke whiny bitch,it get about 40,000 a year,money not an issue

[g4me_he4d]

I get the feeling that people feel so darn insecure that they have to make all these pointless comparison. The fact remains the same where one service you have to pay for multi-player while the the other does not. If you like live fine that's your business but if you feel that ps+ offers value for money go for it. Now that I have cleared my chest enough with the comparisons!!!!

oh and have a look a this pic

[A LIVING LEGEND]

This reminds me of the recent article in 'Waterworks monthly' where bottled water was compared to natural fresh water....very interesting.The author contends that paying for water is a ridiculous concept but it is very good water.
He then goes on to say that regardless of the benefits of bottled water,one should never pay for it.
Personally,I'm still shocked.

[thebudgetgamer]

i dont want the same experience on two consoles.

[Dayngls]

they dont compare at all!! but playing online for free automatically WINS everything.

[Ronster316]

One innovates (XBL)

One imitates (PSN)

One has hundreds of great arcade games (XBL)

One has no more than a dozen great arcade games (PSN)

My £32.99 for XBL is money well spent

And keep those never ending waves of great game deals coming to XBL please Microsoft, your spoiling me.

[SoSLy]

Since when did XBl become innovative? so paying for something(which is suppose to be free) becomes innovative now?

Your brainwashed by Microsoft...

And you clearly dont have a PS3 since you dont know just how much content the PS Store have.... you know what i do with the money instead of paying for online? more games

Fanboys like you make 360 gamers look like shit

[Ronster316]

and then come back here and tell me which arcade service offers more (scroll down to XBLA v PSN exclusives)

http://scrawlfx.com/ps3-360...

I make 360 gamers look like shit?

You are clearly deluded.

You know nothing about the powers that XBLA has over PSN both in sales AND quality.

[Folezicle]

I agree partially with what you say about the guy above.. The PSN doesn't immitate. But xbox live marketplace has a wider selection of arcades and dlc.. This is coming from someone that owns both consoles.

I personally think that Lives service is alot better than the free PS3 service.. Mainly because Microsoft has more money to spend on it.. So really Ronster u can't compare PSN with Xbox Live..

Regardless both consoles are good, Fan-boyism is stupid and the companies want these console wars.

[4me2]

I think you forgetting one very important fact:
Like other 99% of XBL Gold members YOU pay a fee to PLAY ONLINE Multiplayer games. Other stuff that you get is just make you feel good and justify paying for something that competition offers for free.

My XBL gold expired in March and when I tried to watch Netflix I found out that I have to upgrade(pay) to Gold (MS offered 1 month for $1) to access something I have already paid for(Netflix) or to access services that are fee anyway.
I bet that if online on 360 would be free number of Gold members would be no more than few %.
You could also spend your 32.99 on few arcade games that you don't have.
Multiply that by 5 years and that is many games that you don't have.

"Microsoft, your spoiling me" you say... really?

[Time_Is_On_My_Side]

If you took away the online feature from XBOX Live and added it to the Silver service, would it still be worth it?

My opinion of why it's so popular because it's mandatory to have if your game has online, since half of the feature need a separate fee. If XBOX Live only had features cross game chat and party chat wouldn't be worth the money for me.

[quadalupeupe]

if xbox Live silver had basic online multiplayer might be a different story but its really bare bones online for Xbox Live Silver

Xbox Live Silver = no online multiplayer, no netflix, no party chat, delayed demos

PSN basic = online multiplayer, netflix, no party chat

[zero_gamer]

These services don't compare at all. Ever wonder why there is no N on PS+?

[SoSLy]

wow... n4g is becoming a pure flamebait site... theres too many of these things comparing the 360 to PS3... Putting Microsoft's name to bash the Playstation and vice versa... Bashing exclusive games and bridging them to the console... these articles are pure bullshit

[zero_gamer]

"PS3 has no games"
"$600 is a very expensive machine"
"Cross platform games play better on Xbox360"
"PSN is a joke compared to Live"

M$ fanboys make me sick.

[ALFAxD_CENTAURO]

And guess what Fanboys threw the first stone back in 2005?

¿Wii, PS3 Fanboys when this consoles were not even in the market? =O

[A LIVING LEGEND]

Hmm.My initial impressions were likely correct yet....I ignored them in hope that common sense would prevail.Enough with hope.Onward with common sense.XBL should count it's lucky dollars that PSN didn't launch simultaneously.
Sell them freedom and they will pay,offer it freely and they will look upon it and ask 'at what price '?

[gamer7804]

You forgot to mention that MS has the integrated Zune Marketplace that not only has Movies with party viewing and movie trailers, but also will have the Zune Music Marketplace shortly. These also aren't limited to your console, you can watch/listen these on PCs or the Zune Player. There is also Seamless web integration that allows messaging and cross messaging to windows live friends.

[Serjikal_Strike]

the other one is giving me 15 months of free content and dicounts and free online gaming

[zero_gamer]

Wow @ the disagrees given to my previous post. You DO realize I am calling bullshit at the classic PS3 bashing remarks given by M$ fanboys right? It's in the quotes for a reason.

Unless these disagrees are from M$ fanboys to begin with.

[animelover10487]

basically renting the games as long as you have the service only way this is worth it is if you buy enough content to get more than 50$ of savings in the end making Sony more money. Games like Wipeout that supposedly make it worth arent yours to keep unless you shell out more money to buy it even thought you already got it for "free". So far all i have gotten from it is the warhawk dlc then i saw that they only gave it to me because it was on sale for 2$. :( just my two cents

[mcnablejr]

'buh buh buh.. they are different'

lame.

i will stick with live thanks.

[Folezicle]

Grow up..

And this is coming from someone who plays the 360 more often than the ps3

[Folezicle]

Nothing is perfect, everything has flaws.