Finally, they're all here. The
Xbox 360 has had the next generation gaming market to itself
for a year. Now its two competitors, the Playstation 3 and
Nintendo Wii, are here. No more speculating about speed. No
more guessing about memory. Now we can take a look and see
exactly how they stack up compared to each other.
Let the console wars begin again.
Price
The PS3 has two
configurations much like the Xbox 360. The PS3 comes in a $499
version that comes with a 20 GB hard drive and a $599 version
that comes with a 60 GB hard drive; Wi-Fi; and memory stick,
SD, and Compact Flash slots.
The Xbox 360 has two configurations. It comes in a $299
core version and a $399 version that comes with a 20GB hard
drive.
The Nintendo Wii is the cheapest of the bunch with just
one configuration that costs $250.
Processing Power
The
Playstation 3 comes with its Cell processor. It's a PowerPC
based core that runs at 3.2 GHz that also have seven DSPs that
run at 3.2 GHz. This configuration can do about 2
Teraflops.
The Xbox 360 has a Custom IBM PowerPC processor. This
processor also runs at 3.2 GHz. However, Xbox went with a true
3 core processor compared to the one general processor of the
Cell and seven additional DSPs. This configuration can do
about 1 Teraflop.
The Nintendo Wii includes its Broadway processor, a
PowerPC based processor running at 729 MHz.
Disc Media
Part of the reason
the PS3 is so much more expensive than the Xbox 360 is because
the Sony decided to include a Blu-ray drive on the system. The
drive can play both Blu-ray movies and regular DVDs. The Xbox
360 comes with a DVD player and an HD-DVD add-on is planned.
The Nintendo Wii uses a DVD drive; however, the system will
not work for playback of movies, just Nintendo
games.
Backwards Compatibility
The
Playstation 3 is just like the PS2 was. You'll be able to play
both PS2 and PSone games on the PS3. Nintendo is taking things
a bit further. Their system will be compatible with the
Gamecube games and also the Gamecube controllers since the two
systems use very different controllers. Not only that, but the
Wii will also have the ability to download games from the
original Nintendo (NES), Super Nintendo (SNES), and the
Nintendo 64.
Sweet Features
If you want high
definition gaming, then the PS3 is the way to go. It comes
with a Blu-ray drive built in and can output in 1080p.
Although the PS3 controller may look familiar, it's had some
updates. The controller is now motion sensing so in some games
you'll be able to move your character or fly a plane just by
moving the controller.
The Xbox 360 was built to work with Windows XP media
center. If you have a computer that already has media center
on it, you'll be able to view pictures, videos, and even
recorded TV by using your Xbox. You won't need to put your PC
in your living room to take advantage of having a Media Center
PC.
The Nintendo Wii decided to completely change the way
gaming controllers are built. In the past, one controller was
always held with both hands. The Wii's controller looks more
like a TV remote control than a game controller. It has a
built in motion sensor so, for example, to swing a sword, you
simply move you hand just like you were really swinging a
sword.
Hopefully this review has helped you compare the three
next generation gaming systems. Each has its pluses and
minuses, and feature that are unique to it. Ultimately, your
decision will likely come down to which system has the games
that most appeal to you. And that is a decision that only you
can make when deciding on a system to buy.
Gary Ruplinger
About the Author:
Gary Ruplinger is the editor of
PS3ASAP.com. To learn how to buy a PS3 without paying too
much, visit his site. Stop by GameSystemReviews.com in
learning how to buy game systems at wholesale
prices.
Article Source: www.iSnare.com
