PS3 vs 360 vs Wii: Which games console should you buy?

In the past, the labour of trying to decide which games console to buy was a vastly different affair to how things are today. Things were so much easier back then, don't you think?

Sony PlayStation or Sega Saturn? Was that even a real choice? PlayStation 2 or Microsoft Xbox? Again, that was a no-brainer wasn't it?

But PlayStation 3 vs. Nintendo Wii vs. Xbox 360? Now there's a tough one for you. It's a case of unbridled future-proof power and dynamism, versus pure no-holds-barred family fun, versus sheer power and a plethora of fantastic games. So which one to choose?

[Blood_Spiller]

Good article, love the conclusion - "Ultimately, it's got to be about the kind of games you want to play. So take a look at the shops and see which platform offers you the most."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

[RadientFlux]

Exactly

[bluebrad1974]

For what it worth, the contributer of the article is a member of the Sony Protection Group.

http://sonyprotectiongroup....

Here is a link that self describes SPG

http://www.sonyprotectiongr...

[razer]

them I can do it in one word. JOKE!

Anything that needs protection can't defend itself on its own merits. Interesting to see so many familiar names on that list from this site.. I knew there was a fanboy sickness here and this just explains it a little more..

[BubblesDAVERAGE]

I think the ps3 provides the best games in ever genre this gen from shooters to rpgs and so on...thats why I will always have a sony system..

[IdontTakeSides]

exactly it offers something for everyone...

[ShadoWulf]

This is true; however if you like some particular area you're going to pay less for a console that specializes in it. Wii for party games, Xbox for shooters, and other cliche. A casual gamer isn't going to buy an expensive PS3 for one or two games.

[360Jamaican40GigFL]

i want a jaguar hell yea they have so many games coming out and it has globs of power

[kss]

ps3 all the way, baby...

[kss]

ps3 all the way, baby...

[kss]

ps3 all the way, baby...

[vloeistof]

ps3

[Edwin1989]

yeah PS3,

btw, are you from holland?:P

[Leg-End]

because of the variety of games it gives you - from dark shooters (cod4, killzone, resistance) to colourful games (rachet,jak (pleeeeaaaseee)) and family/party games (singstar, eye toy )

the 360 has only dark games, the wii has (pretty much) only kids games

i'm not a fanboy, but thats the reason i bought ps3 but it definetely a difficult decision this gen - especially now that mario galaxy and bioshock are on the other sides

[RadientFlux]

< looks over at his kiddy/family xbox360 games... Viva Pinta, Beautiful Katamari, Blue Dragon

Seriously the whole the xbox360 only has shooters argument is just as stupid as the PS3 doesn't have any games argument. I guess what ever makes it easier for fanboys to sleep at night.

[razer]

Never take console advice from Leg-End.

The 360 has the best selection of games, genres and styles..

[Leg-End]

or sega genesis if ur a yank!

[BubblesDAVERAGE]

Too many FPs...WAy to many...and they are all supposdly good....whne to me there all about the same from halo to half life and so on ......i dont understand why people like all these game i mean some are fun like halo but its like buying the dame game over and over bu smae can be said for most genre even my fav the rpgs(turnbase)

[Beren]

Too many FPS, i am getting bored of them , i wish to see more games with a real history, or a good RPG to save the year :O

[Bloodmask]

and games catalog Xbox 360 is a good deal. It has been out far longer than both the PS3 and the Wii. A lot of the older released games from last year can now be bought at bargain prices.

Not to mention Mass Effect is just on the horizon. I am an RPG fan...and the 360 has a decent selection this year...Blue Dragon, Eternal Sonata, Mass Effect, and also Lost Odyssey is coming out just after Christmas. Both other consoles do not have a good line-up of RPGs coming out this year. However I do like Twilight Princess on the Wii.

[BubblesDAVERAGE]

You might as well get a DS then...because its rpg line up is much more appealing then MS..

[Bloodmask]

I do have Nintendo DS...and yes they do have good RPGs. I also am looking forward to to Contra 4. But this article is about 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii...

Do you see the difference??

[resistance100]

I disagree

Folklore and Oblivion are great RPG's, plus you have Enternal Sonata, White Knight Story, Disega 3 coming out early next year. Not to mention the likes of FF13, FFvs13, Star Ocean4 (poss, but most likey heading to ps3) and more. Saying the ps3 has a week upcoming RPG line-up is clearly mistaken

[jackfatal]

do u have a game like Folklore?? and oblivion is better on ps3!!
there is also a card game(eye of judgment) adventure/action ratchet and uncharted shooters u have UT3 or Haze or resistance u want online u have warhawk u want hhmmm...?? basically u have everything on ps3!! x360 also have good games in most of these genre's but not all!! and x360 is famous for shooting games dont forget!!
gears of war
halo 3
bioshok!!

[BigPenguin]

I have no interest in FPS's, or sandbox games save oblivion(meaning I do not like GTA ect.). I am all about the RPG's, strategy/puzzle, and platformers.

Mass effect and Catan are the only things on the 360 that interest me, I really wish their were more, because I want a 360 to round out the collection, and it just does not seem worth it.

But the argument that their are good RPG's on the 360 is not a very good one(mass effect will redeem the 360 in that market though, god damn KOTOR1/2 and Jade empire were great).

[ItsDubC]

I actually enjoyed my Saturn much more than my PS1 so for some it was definitely a real choice.

My parents bought me a PS1 only because I was spending too much money on Tekken 3 at the arcades playin w/ the other regulars.

[Meus Renaissance]

We all have the console(s) we want already.

[FullyLoaded420]

Just get them ALL...

Too Expensive you say??...

Get a JOB!!

Why be a FANBOY??

[PS360WII]

yup all 3 is the way to go :)

[ukilnme]

Indeed. PSwii60 FTW!!!

[pornflakes]

i'll buy a ps3 when pirates will own the hardware.

[Kenshin_BATT0USAI]

I don't see that happening until blu-ray burners and discs are around 100 or 200. Plus they gotta find a way so people can still enjoy multi player games.

[Lord2008]

I go where the games are

[beaner71481]

I have a wii, bought it at launch and i have found that although there are alot (ALOT) of games, there is hardly any content, most of the games for the wii appeal to me not and come off as quickly packaged crap hiding the 3 or 4 games worth playing in a wall of nothing.

[Anego Montoya FTMFW]

j/k kinda.

go where the games are?

ok.

well then in 2008, you`ll be buying a ps3.

[BigPenguin]

Completely agree beaner. I got a wii at launch, my 1.25 games are getting lonely(Zelda and 25% owner of Mario party). Here is looking forward to Super Mario Galaxy, played like 4 hours of it at gamestop the other day, pretty savage.

[HarryEtTubMan]

ps3 HAS GREAT games witha AWESOME 2008 list.... I'm going with the PLAYSTATION 3!!!!

[jackfatal]

choose the x360 over the ps3 now are the x360 fanboys or shooter fans!!
now the prices is in the same range plus the ps3 have much more and they have some great games now too! come 2008!! thats the year when the ps3 will shine high with the biggest hits in gaming history!!!

[ShadoWulf]

You guys seriously sound brainwashed. "Shine high?" Seriously.

[titntin]

Pretty reasonable article for a change. Its difficult to argue with his conclussions.

Being a game nut, I have everything and enjoy them all, but I do agree that the choice is hard this christmass.
If your not a casual gamer, and want the largest choice of games right now, maybe the 360 is the choice. However, the PS3 is at last showing its hand, has more than enough great titles (exclusives and multi format) to keep most people happy, and I think most would agree its the best positioned for the future, so I'm expecting quite a lot of people to pick one up now.
Personally, I prefer playing my PS3 to my 360, its just so much quieter, but I'll take the good stuff where I find it and I've played some brilliant games on 360 this year!

[damnwrx]

'_* PLAYB3YOND '_*

[Silver360]

just feel wrong I just don't like the trigger buttons and the light weight of the cont6roller on the PS3. Never had a PS2 never wanted one so I don't care about the PS3 games so 360 for me and if Sony ever comes out with something good I will borrow my brother's ungimped 60 gig PS3 to play it on. Buy a PS3 not this year or next maybe never.

[BigPenguin]

Favorite controller of all time was the Xbox's original controller, followed by the dreamcast. I hate the little 12 year old hand sized controllers all the systems have now.

[BubblesDAVERAGE]

The seconed console to get wiht your ps3 is....a psps...that is a great system when you get use to the controls along wiht a ps3 it is about the best combo ever....ohh yea the whole wii60 thing is a joke just look at the numbers ...xbox is not doing as well as we hoped if thye sold ten million bye december of last year and are at 13 million worldwide this year.....looks like anoter xbox to me

[ukilnme]

I agree that the PS3/PSP combo is nice but the 360 and Wii have plenty to offer as well. Anyway just do what you do and watch while Wii Jump In and Play Beyond.

[Nagthragarthoth]

Xbox360 is for those who don't mind waiting two months every other 3 months while it gets repaired.

PS3, well it's it's just a swiss army entertainment knife.

Now that nobody in their right mind can say that the PS3 doesn't have any games... PS3 is definitely the way to go.

[ukilnme]

PS3 only is the way to go for dumb@ss, closed minded Sony Fanboys. Kudos to the open minded Sony Fans. PSWii60 FTW!!!

[razer]

And I play it a hell of a lot more than my PS3.

[Rooftrellen]

Wii is for children under 9?

I suppose that really expains why Target is taking Manhunt 2 off the shelves. People think like that, and, therefore, just becase a game is rated M, its on the Wii, so a 7 year old should play it!

[BubblesDAVERAGE]

That is always a route taken bye the true game lover.........I can not disagree with getting them all

[hardcorehippiez]

360 was good i cant say much bad about it bt mine red ringed and now that the ps3 has started to gain momentum i think ill stick with that.is truly great for films which was the main reason i got it at launch in the 1st place. and besides ive heard rumours of a 360 emulator coming soon :)

[witchking]

... buy all three of them.

[IGNFTW]

FOR ME.I BOUGHT A 360 BECAUSE I COULD AFFORD IT AND WILL BUY A PS3 BECAUSE I WILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD IT SOON

EDIT: IT REALLY IS STUCK (ITS A LAPTOP)

[ShadoWulf]

I think you should buy a new keyboard. Your caps lock key seems to be broken.

[makingdamage]

The ps3. Just beacause of the things to come. Don´t see any interesting games on the other consoles...

[OOG FunK]

ah the flame fest...illl say get a ps3 if you are a jpan rpg lover which...I hate and all those other japenese aimed games with guys you think could be girls with their crazy hair and crap....I just like more North American style games then anything hence the 360 and the fact I play FPS games so....get a 360...if you dont like FPS well boo hoooo no one cares cuz its the biggest game market. All in all the 3 systems offer a little bit of everything and some offer better then others in certain things just all depends on what ya like and what you wanna play.

[Double-Edged]

Better games
Better Online
Better Diversity
Better Library
Better Multiplatform games
Better Downloadable Content
Better System features
Better competitive games

and the whole gamertag is sick.
No waiting, just simply playing.

[Double-Edged]

360 is the only system where you can PWN people.

[Edwin1989]

comments are editable for 15 minutes?? sheesh spammer

[Marceles]

Bought all 3. Maybe there'd be 33% or 66% less fanboyism if everyone else could do the same, but to each his own. Uncharted, Mass Effect, and Mario Galaxy...damn it's gonna be a good November.

[Edwin1989]

not everyone wants to spend that amount of money for games...

I bought a PS3 and I'm very happy with it, but there are more things in life then just games :)

[jazzmanb]

again, oblivion on the 360 is far and away better than the ps3 version..not only graphically, but in downloads...there are at least 10-15 downloadable quests and full on expansions that are exclusive to the 360 version..so please do some research before blabbing away with nonsense..also folklore isnt an rpg,and it isnt that great either[just beat it actually]...the 360 is the way to go,no ifs ans or buts..its bot even close,especially with mass effect around the corner,xboxlive,and the microsoft customer service...sure there are the famous rrod issues,but all the new 360s are future proof,thanks to the heatsinks,top that off with a new 1 week turn around for broken systems and what more could you ask for...the ps3s are in the stage now where the dust that has creeped in to the system well start to cause heating issues...i guarentee that the ps3 isa going to have huge failure rates down the line,im certain of it...GOOD LUCK WITH SONYS NOTORIOUSLY TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE....my ps2 broke 4 freakin times on me,and each time it took more than a month to get back....the future is all 360..=trust me..

[DFresh]

PS3
There's no doubt right now who's going to win the console war games are officially starting to look better off of the PS3 then Xbox 360.
1. Burn out Paradise
2. GRAW 2
3. Rainbow Six Vegas
4. Assassin's Creed
5. Soul Caliber 4
6. Elder Scrolls Oblivion
7. COD 4
the list only goes on
PS3 has way more titles put together with the PS1, PS2, and PSP.
The only reason why XBL has the advantage over the PSN in features is because it's already been out for 5 years on the original Xbox.
By the time Home comes out they won't even know what that program XBL is anymore.
Online play is more superb on the PS3 with over 40 players playing at once, impressive.
MS only has FPS games(Halo 3, Bioshock, and Mass Effect)
How can you say there's more diversity?
When on every single Xbox 360 commercial they show only those games while
the new PS3 commercial showed not only FPS games but racing, adventure, RPG, and PSN games.
XBL has crap for downloadable content what the hell is Geometry Wars anyways looks like a game for math nerds if you ask me.
PSN has not only hardcore games like Super Stardust HD but games also as simple and graceful as Flow.
You can also download games to your PSP too.
Sure you may not be able to download movies on to your PS3 right now but once Home comes out you can do way more than watch movies.
Can you explore a City and build a Pimp House on XBL? No only on Home.
Can you play mini games in a virtual arcade through your XBL? No, only on Home.
Can you watch trailers and movies from a virtual theater? No, only on Home.
I can go all day what the PS3 can do and it still won't matter because I know it's the best of the 3.
I know cuz I played every console before picking up the PS3 in August of 2007.
Seriously once you have the best you don't need the rest.
Not to mention Blu-ray sells way more than HD DVD all around the world.
For example:
U.S 2:1
Canada 2:1
Australia 3:1
Europe 4:1
Japan 9:1
and
with support from Pixar, Disney, Paramount, FOX, TNT, Columbia Pictures, etc. along with owning 1/3 of the Movie Industry and
having the best people work on their products put Sony at the top right now in electronics along side with Apple and in videogame sales with all the PS3, PS2, and PSP combined.
One last thing about the PSN everything is in 1080P.
There case solved I believe I made my point.

[MrBIGGLES]

the writer is a f@g. way to cop out.

[joydestroy]

great article.

[Shaka2K6]

Where the best most fun exclusive games are.
also the best value, the x360and wii are both huge rip-off specially the wii the price tag for that POS should de 100 bones at max.

[jazzmanb]

dfesh,thats funny because out of all the muti ports you mentioned,the 360 ones look or are going to look and run better...the ps3 is the slightly less powerful system,it has nothing to with programmers etc..its the bottlenecked hardware...one look at ratchet and uncharted and youll see the obvious lack of shaders and advanced lighting....seriously your a fool if you really honestly think the ps3 is more powerful.....if you dig the ps3s library thats one thing,but the power is just not anything special;...also the verdict is out on blue ray,and with blockbuster going out of business,id put my money on the 1/4th the cost to make hd/dvd...in fact im certain that if one format has to die,it well be blue ray because of costs...vhs/beta anyone?

[leon76]

PS3!

[gamesblow]

Ps3, easily... More for your money. It offers "reletively" the same experience for the consumer as the xbox 360, but then furthers that promise on games by allowing blu-ray playback, online access, free online gaming, music and picture streaming, O.S. support, custom HDD upgrades and so much more. Ps3 is easily, at 400 bucks, above and beyond the value of the xbox 360 and certainly the wii.

[PopEmUp]

Wii - yes i'll buy for GF for Xmas
x-box 360 - nah It gonna give me RROD again
Ps3 - perfect it has everything from games such as casual all the way to Fps, but not just that it includes high-end multimedia player with a built in blue-ray player that must buy then and most of all it look great