The Console Wars: Which Console Should You Buy
Games consoles feature on birthday and Christmas wish lists every year, and video games are one of the most popular forms of modern entertainment. However, deciding which console to buy can be difficult. They may share many similarities, but their differences are extremely important to any gamer. Here are some of the essential factors which differentiate the three major games consoles.
Gaming Performance
If graphics are important to you, then you’ll probably want to stick to either the PS3 or Xbox 360, both of which offer some truly amazing visuals. The Wii is generally much weaker on this front, although some of its titles are extremely attractive (the best examples being the Mario Galaxy titles).
Multiplayer Fun
While the Xbox 360 and PS3 both offer online gaming, the Wii takes the crown when it comes to group living room entertainment and party fun, with titles like Wii Sports being particularly popular.
Motion Control
Wii was designed to combine video gaming with physical activity, and really stood out in the marketplace thanks to its innovative motion-sensing controllers. In the last few year however, Wii technology has remained more or less the same. By contrast, both Xbox 360 and PS3 have developed their own competing motion-based control systems.
The PS3 motion control technology is known as PlayStation Move, which functions in a similar way to the Wii remote. The PlayStation Eye tracks the remote’s position and direction of movement, which are reproduced within the game.
The Xbox 360 Kinect differs from both the Wii and PlayStation devices in that its motion control involves no physical controller at all. Instead, the Kinect is able to track the player’s bodily movements using a camera, meaning that game control is achieved purely through physical gestures.
Extra Features
Both the Xbox 360 and PS3 can be used to watch films. Xbox 360 currently supports DVD playback (with Blu-ray support planned for the future), while PS3 supports both DVD and Blu-ray playback. These devices can also store and play music, and can be used for streaming media such as Netflix. The Wii does not support DVD or Blu-ray playback, and cannot be used to store or play music. It can, however, be used for streaming media services.
Console-Specific Flagship Games
Perhaps the biggest difference between these consoles lies in the specific video games that they offer. Most games are available on all three consoles, but an important few are not. These flagship console-specific titles are usually some of the best games available on the system.
The most notable Xbox 360 console-specific titles include the first-person shooter franchise Halo – one of the best first-person shooter series available on consoles; Forza Motorsport – the Xbox 360’s racing game franchise to rival Gran Turismo on the PS3; the Dead or Alive beat-‘em-up franchise, and the Gears of War franchise – a third-person action series offering intense gunplay in a post-apocalyptic future.
Stand-out PS3 console-specific titles include the Uncharted franchise – an action-adventure series of Indiana Jones-like peril; the Gran Turismo racing realism franchise; the unique and creative LittleBigPlanet sandbox puzzle platformer franchise, and the Killzone first-person shooter franchise.
The Wii’s console-specific titles are among some of the most well-known and best-loved game franchises in history. They include Super Mario Galaxy – the unparalleled platform series; Zelda: Skyward Sword – the latest instalment in the legendary Zelda franchise offering some of the best action adventure gaming out there; Super Smash Bros. Brawl – the unique multiplayer beat-‘em-up; Metroid Prime 3 – the latest instalment in Nintendo’s acclaimed action-adventure Metroid franchise, and an array of Pokémon titles.
To conclude, remember that no one console is better than the others – each has its own merits. The decision simply rests on your particular preferences.
