Once and for all: PS3 or Xbox 360?

PS3, hands down.

-Blu-ray tops the 360's standard DVD. The PS3 is also considered on of the best blu-ray players on the market for the price.
-Free online gaming opposed to a paid subscription for xbox live.
-Adding wireless internet capabilities to the 360 will cost you extra cash, where it's standard on the PS3.
-Same price point for 120GB of storage.

The ONLY reason to go 360 is if you're into specific game series, such as Halo or Gears of War.

What the choice really comes down to is games. Make 2 lists; one for 360 and one for PS3. List all of the games (already released and upcoming) that you want to play, in the appropriate column. The longer list is the console you buy. It's that simple.

If the lists are equal, you can start thinking about things like reliability, controller design, and subscription costs.

360:
1. Community - there are a lot of people online, and more of your friends probably have a 360.
2. Awesome shooters - among other genres, but the major advantage for the 360 is shooters.

PS3:
1. Multimedia - price per gig, blu-ray, wireless.
2. Capabilities - some games that are already out (R2, MGS4) or will come out soon (MAG, GT5) are simply not possible on the 360.
3. Future - Purely speculative, but PS3's motion controls seem like they have a lot more potential than the 360's.

For full disclosure, I have a PS3 (that I got in 2006 right after launch), and this is my preference. It really depends on what you want to do with it: if you're in it only to play games with people you know, the 360 is probably a better choice. Another main consideration is the titles that are out or are coming out in the near future.
Good luck on your choice.

Depends on what you're going to use it more for. The Xbox is slimmer on features, but has a better gaming community and online services, though there is a relatively nominal yearly fee. Personally, I also prefer the controller, which is better constructed and isn't just a rehash from 1994 (Sony needs to get on that).

The Playstation has much better media features, with better format support and affordable hard drives. It is capable of games with better graphics, but since 90% of big title games are ported to both systems, you'll only get that benefit on PS3 exclusives. Its online features are free, but you get what you pay for (only just got voice chat, no "party" system, downloads take over your system, downloadable content for games is sparse)

I'd say the main difference is in how much time you want to spend on games vs. media. Xbox has a edge in game features, while the PS3 is a bit more of an all-around box.

I can see this getting ugly.

XBOX 360:

Exclusives: Halo, Gears of War, Fable, Forza, Splinter Cell, GTA Downloadable Content, Mass Effect

PROS: Much better online service, wider range of downloadable content, more timed-exclusives, limited backwards compatibility.

CONS: Xbox Live costs extra. Several (expensive) accessories (Battery Pack, Wireless Adapter, etc), no Blu-Ray.

PS3:

Exclusives: Metal Gear Solid, Uncharted, Ratchet & Clank, Gran Turismo, LittleBigPlanet, Killzone, God of War

PROS: Blu-Ray player, free online play, excellent downloadable content, fewer expensive accessories, better first- and second-party support, PSP integration.

CONS: Online service isn't as good, fewer timed-exclusives, no backwards compatibility.

In the end- choose the one with the games you want to play, AND consider the manner you want to play them. Modern Warfare 2 will be great on both, but I can almost guarantee online multiplayer will be better with Xbox Live. Conversely, Sony is the king of good franchises, and you won't see Naughty Dog, Insomniac, Polyphony, Sucker Punch, Team ICO or SCE Santa Monica making games for anyone else.

I have had both, and while there are arguments for each system, you have to pick what matters to you most and start there.

I like the 360's controller.

Except for a couple of proprietary games, just about every game is available for both consoles.

XBox360 has the most mature, slick, and well implemented online gaming system. If playing against your friends online is a big deal for you, the 360 is the way to go.

Unfortunately, the 360 has been plagued with hardware issues. The Red Ring of Death is legendary.

If online gaming is not that important to you, the PS3 is a much more refined console with almost none of the hardware issues the 360 has, plus it has a BluRay player.

I don't know a single person who hasn't had to send in his Xbox 360 for the red ring of death problem. And my cousin is on his 14th one. That was enough to sway me into buying a PS3.

Then I found out about the built in wi-fi, motion controllers, free online gaming, built in bluetooth, and integrated web browser (things that aren't often advertised). It's also a lot easier to setup and move around with the HDMI port. One cable is all you need to start playing in full 1080HD.

Since the Xbox and PS3 are both similarly priced at this point, and have many of the same games, I really don't see any point to buying an Xbox anymore. Unless you're a Halo fanatic.

Simply put, the PS3 will become the center of your AV experience. If you do chose to get one, try to get one of the old 20,60, or 80 gig ones so you get backwards compatibility.

the only good side to having a 360 is that more people (in America) have them, so you can play with your friends. But you will pay a lot more because of the subscription fees and the 360 WILL break, its not a question of will it break, its a question of WHEN will it break.

Bottom line is the PS3 is better, but less popular in America.

Buy both.

I have both (actually all and then some) and use the XBOX way more, but like having the PS3 for Bluray and Sony exclusive games.

It's not a matter of which is better any more - if you have both you have it all.

X-box Red Ring of death is 80% caused by the user. Either the console is jammed in a tight cabinet and overheats, or the console is plugged into a crappy surge suppressor, that causes the console to malfunction. The xbox has been out longer, so it only appears as more fail.

The PS3 and Xbox consoles are made first and foremost for gaming. They are both very equal in standard single player gaming. That being said, online gaming, digital downloads of games, rentable movies, music, and communication with friends are the growing demands of these systems, and the X-box is light years ahead. You can rent movies directly from X-box, or from netflix, or stream music/movies/photos from your pc. Facebook and more music services are coming.
Most importantly, COD MW2 Online Multi-Player will play much better on the 360.

PS3 - no explanation necessary.

For me, Xbox360 is the clear winner.

For those of you who complain about having to pay for the Xbox Live gold service, I would state the following: A) It's very cheap... (the price of a game for a year subscription) and B) It's easily worth every single penny. The service is unmatched. Well integrated, fully featured, easy to use and lots to offer.

Chances are, if I'm playing a video game it's going to be played online with other people. If I want a single player experience or have some friends over its the Wii.

The only clear advantage to the PS3 is the built in Blu-Ray functionality. Outside of that you're comparing apples to oranges as far as exclusive content and which controller is more comfortable etc. Pick your poison.

Uncrate is obviously aimed at a demographic which is older and more refined than most blogs. As such, I’m quite surprised that nobody has mentioned a maturity level comparison. Online play on the PS3 & PSN is a very pleasant and enjoyable experience.

Xbox Live is full of some of the worst trash-talking fools that I have even heard. In my 3 months of playing on the 360, I have heard orders of magnitude more.. cussing, racist remarks and outright offensive maturity than I have in 3 years of the PS3. I was stunned and shocked at what was said, and it was obvious from the voice that I was listening to a teenager. Do I let these this crap bother me? Not at all. The problem is, I have to work to ignore it.. And this stinks. I bought the thing to play games, not as a practice on how to not be offended by idiots.

As such, my PS3 is now exclusively used to play online when I am not playing with friends. Xbox 360 online play is only with friends and friends of friends. Everyone talks about the glories of Xbox Live Gold, but no one ever mentions the young, bigoted and extremely unpleasant experience it is (along with being such a refined user experience minus the mongrels).

Best of luck.

Bottom line here is exclusives and your obsessive compulsive compunction as a completionist. The DVD Blu-Ray argument is a non-factor with digital downloads on both system; who absolutely needs another Blu-ray disc? The Xbox 360 achievements are far superior to the PS3 trophies and much more satisfying in scope. If you had a blast playing Metal Gear in your youth, get a PS3. If Halo is your digital crack of choice, get an Xbox. If money has no real, tangible meaning in your world, get both!

If you're looking to save money then the PS3 will do just that. There's no fee for service with online gaming. The Blu ray player is obviously included also.

If you're planning on buying a gaming system for gaming then XBOX 360 is your system. $50/year comes out to just over $4/month. I don't know who makes that a "con" in the XBox category?- just have one less latte a month, pack of cigs, or one less Big Mac meal at McD. Buy a separate blu ray player. Chances are a stand alone component will be better than the two'fer that you get with the PS3. If it's better than this Yahama Blu Ray player then even I'm getting a PS3. Chances are though, it's not so I'll pass.

Those PS monitored and maintained servers for their live network are not nearly equipped to handle such a large volume that will be surging on next Tues. While everyone on PS3 is trying to play MW2 with the live game bogging down I'll be on my XBOX360 playing at full speed. $50 a year is a small fee to pay for consistent and unified gameplay network.

You get what you pay for.

Get an Xbox 360. If you do decide to get a PS3, it's not a bad choice.

I work on Wall Street covering the video game industry and have these thoughts:

Xbox 360 Pros:

1) Xbox Live = best online game community BY FAR. Yes, there's going to be tons of teenage knuckleheads, but Xbox Live is BY FAR the best online gaming service. PS3 does not even come close. Not only can you play games online, but you can download free game demos, watch movie trailers, use Netflix, download cheap arcade games and about a million other things.

2) Less Expensive - xbox is marginally less expensive than the PS3.

3) Pick this console cycle's winner: Xbox. Xbox has sold way more units than the PS3 (Wii has sold more than both of them). This means that developers will develop games exclusive for the Xbox or that many games will be developed for Xbox, then ported for PS3, which results in better games.

The PS3 is this console cycle's "failure" due to very poor sales (although they have recently picked up and the install base is large enough to justify further development).

4) Xbox platform is easier to develop on = better games. Playstation's development platform is notoriously difficult to program on. Xbox is super easy, and thus developers can build amazing games easier.

Xbox 360 Cons:
1) HD DVD lost the format war. Does anybody really care about next-gen DVD? If you do care, PS3 has Bluray, which "won" this format war.

I should mention that anybody browsing Uncrate should be watching digital downloads, not using DVDs. It's almost 2010. You should be focused on building up a digital library of movies, or subscribing to a digital provider instead of buying soon-to-be-outdated DVDs.

I bought both of them despite my wife's nagging.

Xbox 360 has the best online community indeed. The games are cheaper and has a solid controller.

PS3 has better graphics as well as a HD Blu-Ray to boot. No need to get expensive standalone Blu-Ray players as it hooks right off into any home theater receiver available nowadays.

In any case, tech savvies like us are more interested in digital downloads more than buying discs which often gets cooped up in the store room;collecting dust....

Yeah...360 breaks easily, I'm already into my second console...

I have both but vastly prefer my PS3.

I suppose the 360 has a better online community, IF you're okay with paying at least $30 a year to and listening to racist homophobes in your games more frequently than you would ever imagine.

Once you get used to it, I think the PS3 controller is better than the Xbox one. It seems just a bit smoother and has a much better D-Pad. Plus, it's rechargable right out of the box.

Oh, and the Xbox User Interface? What a joke! You have to look for 2 minutes and jump through tons of menus just to find anything!

Spend the extra cash and get a PS3. Dell has the new ones for discount often. Just Google: "Dell PS3 coupon" and you'll find it (I'd post a code but it changes often).

"X-box Red Ring of death is 80% caused by the user."

I suppose this might be true if you define "caused" as to include the purchase of the Xbox to begin with.

I have both. I treat them with equal care. I'm on my first PS3 and third Xbox. (And I'm typing this on an ancient Thinkpad -- I know how to keep my hardware running.)

My Xbox is still in the shipping package I received back from Microsoft after my last Red Ring of Death. I am keeping it only for Left 4 Dead 2, and I don't want to risk another failure by using it in the meantime.

The PS3 is the better value. I do prefer the Xbox's "chunky" controllers, but Sony's are perfectly adequate. Sony's "online community" may not be as fully developed, but I really don't have that much time to sink into anything but plain old multiplayer gaming. And I don't feel like multiplayer gaming is vastly inferior on the PS3.

I would vote for the 360 just for this and this

I have had both. I'll answer your question a slightly different way from the usual 'games vs media' debate.

While the PS3 is more of lifestyle system,the xbox 360 is better for games (because of titles, not hardware) this is only part of the equation once you dig into it.

1. investment: The PS3 is cheaper by a huge amount than the xbox 360 in the long run.

2. Online: PS3 is functional and xbox is slightly better. In my opinion they offer similar features, but the 360 supports gaming with friends in a more user friendly role.

3. Presentation: The 360 looks like a game console, feels like one and works very well for one. The PS3 looks like it came from the future, has a slick interface and tends to be silky smooth while using it (DVD volume aside, too quiet for leaving your reciever at a normal volume) The Earth visualizer and music player are top notch.

4. Hardware: The PS3 is built to last, the 360 is not. I have seen more than 10 xbox's die (My brothers are on their 3rd) while having the same PS3.

5 Processor: the 360 has a more common processor, the PS3 has something crazy (just read the wiki on the CELL if you want) but what it boils down to is that games made FOR the ps3 can blow you away. Metal Gear Solid 4 was a leap in video games. The problem with this lies in how much it costs to develop for relative to demand, people pay the same price for a 360 game that took less time to make.

I would get a PS3 if you are over 21, and a 360 if you are under 21.

Good luck.

One thing nobody has mentioned yet is longevity.

X-box 360 - A great system with some excellent exclusive franchises (personally i've never got into FPS games on consoles so HALO does nothing for me, but GOW was awesome) however they've pretty much already done all they can as far as system performance goes. Current X-box exclusive titles look as good as they're ever going to about now, and with talk of Project Natal looming its entirely possible that the hardware itself will be obsolete as soon as next year.

PS3 - Developers are still only just uncovering the full potential of the Cell processor, the first game to even come close to using 100% of the power of it was Uncharted 2 and just look at it. The PS3 hardware is going to remain viable for at least 2-3 more years and is easy enough to upgrade with HDD space etc down the road that it's going to be with you for a long time yet.

Add that to the issues mentioned above - Blu-ray, WiFi, Bluetooth (I just went out and bought the cheapest mouse/keyboard & headset combo i could find and they're all working great after about 5 minutes of setup, no need for proprietary hardware) all built in, netflix to come, regular and effective firmware updates and a free, although patchy and still developing, online service and i think the choice is clear.

Well it's a matter of preference as many have said before. The thing many people have said which is a complete lie is that the PS3 has better graphics. The ps3's graphics card is awful and running most of the game actually requires using the CPU to process some of the graphics. While the 360 has a much better graphics card than the PS3, the PS3 does have the upper hand when it comes to the CPU. Having the blu-ray player in the PS3 is a pro, but also a con. The con being that blu-ray players have extremely low read times so the games must be installed to the HDD of your PS3 in order to play them properly and this also creates longer load times. Ultimately I'd say if you want multimedia go with the ps3, but if you're in it for purely gaming go with a 360. There are hardly any exclusives at all for ps3 that are worthwhile (only little big planet to be honest) and it seems like Microsoft is buying rights to many of the previous ps3 exclusives as the days go on.

If you want my true advice I'd say PC Gaming has the upper hand no matter what in terms of multimedia and gaming, but if you don't like tinkering with self-built machines I'd stick to consoles.

There are a lot of answers here that lay out the pros and cons of each system. In short, PS3 may be a slightly better piece of hardware, but the 360 has a more active gaming community built around it. I personally prefer the 360, but I'm considering getting a PS3 too, now that the price has come down. You have to decide what's best for your "needs".

I just wanted to add one thing I haven't seen posted here in regard to the XBOX failure rate. While it was high early on, it has decreased dramatically with the introduction of more efficient chipsets. I'm on my second 360 after getting the Red Ring of Death on my first generation set. My new console has the "Jasper" chip, which is designed to run cooler (and quieter) than earlier versions and the failure rate is MUCH lower. I've had it for almost a year with no problems.

So if you're considering reliability in your purchase, just be aware that today's 360s are not the same as the 360s from a couple years ago. Another thing to think about is this: if someone who had THIRTEEN separate XBOX consoles fail on him, still went out and BOUGHT number fourteen, he's either a serious masochist, or there's something about the 360 that makes it worthwhile.