Although the Xbox 360 debuted well over a year before the PS3, the price difference between the two consoles is now only about £100 ($200). Before making a comparatively expensive purchase, many people waited for both systems to mature and drop in cost, which took about a year. The crucial question is: Which of the two systems should you choose if you can only choose one?
Remember that everyone will have a different opinion and that it is very difficult to give an objective opinion because it will be based on personal experience. However, because I was in a similar situation only a few months ago, I can share my opinion with you and explain why I selected the system I did. This does not imply that one is invariably superior to the other.
I once owned a Playstation. When it first came out, it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen, and I couldn’t see how it could get any better—until, of course, the PS2 was released. When the Xbox debuted near the end of the PS2’s life, I resisted it for as long as I could because I was worried that Microsoft would corner yet another market and eventually control all of it.
The Xbox suddenly had Halo and the Elder Scrolls you’re Your Morrowind (although this was originally on the PC), while the PlayStation had a few games that were exclusive to the systems up until this point. I bought the system just for Morrowind because I was so impressed with it. Additionally, PlayStation no longer held exclusive rights to the Grand Theft Auto franchise, though for a while it would initially release on the PS a year before it did so on other platforms.
On paper, the PS3’s specs appear to be much better because it includes the Blu Ray, the newest version of DVD players in addition to being faster and having better graphics. The PS2’s DVD player was a major selling point, especially when you were trying to persuade your partner that it would be a good investment and not just for gaming.
We have reached a point where the developers are really grasping the system and are producing some truly outstanding games because Microsoft was able to get their next-generation system out on the market far before Sony. The fact that Xbox had a large, vibrant online community in the form of Xbox Live, where you could play against or with friends online while chatting to them via the headset, really swung it for me (aside from a lower price tag). The PS3 also has an online community with a built-in 3D forum called Home, though it is still in its infancy. Of course, if you can afford both, do so because they each have their own advantages.