MikeB on 28 March 2007
IMO a weak comparison...
What Xbox 360 Elite is Missing that PlayStation 3 has:
* Next-Gen disc format support: HD-DVD Add-on for Xbox 360
Still won't make the XBox 360 on par as games cannot benefit (and if they could it's just a 1x speed drive). I view the Blu-Ray drive as a long term benefit to allow software developers more freedom in making bigger, more impressive games.
And I myself prefer not having to swap discs, I wouldn't have liked God of War 2 for the PS2 to come supplied on many discs. Also take into account that usually game data will be duplicated on the seperate discs. Considering costs I think from a commericial company standpoint they rather keep the amount of supplied discs as minimal as possible, thus this may result in game design sacrifices.
In addition to this a 12x speed DVD drive will only load dual-layer discs at 8x speeds which on average is considerably slower than a 2x speed Blu-Ray drive, so considering loading times developers are already making sacrifices (if possible) to keep the amount of data to fit on just a single layer. The PS3 Blu-Ray drive is able to read at a sustained 9 MB/s, which is more than sufficient to stream data like loads of high quality textures. With sustained reading speeds it's easier for game designers to predict how much data can be streamed, with DVD this is greatly dependent on the location of the disc being read.
I think Blu-Ray was an excellent future-proof choice by Sony for a successor to the PS2, just like a DVD drive was a good choice for the PS2 instead of using CDs like the PSX did.
* Wireless Internet support: Xbox 360 Wireless Adapter -- $99.99
Great all these external, non-integrated components... The XBox 360 already comes with a huge external powersupply (and 2 big rigid cables at the back which prevented me from nicely fitting the console in my media cabinet), yet the HD-DVD again requires its own addtional power supply. IMO too many cables and not very stylish.
* Xbox Live 360 12-month Gold Card -- $49.99
Only 12 months? What happens after this, will people stop playing online games?
* Headset for online play: Sony Ericsson Bluetooth Headset -- $109.95
(Other options: Logitech Mobile Express Headset $49.99)
Already have a mobile headset for my mobile phone. A dual function is nice, more reason to buy a headset for your phone or vice versa.
* Sony Computer Entertainment Component Cables -- $22.99
* HDMI Cable for PlayStation 3 -- $59.99
You need both? 60 USD? I thought the the Sony cables were cheaper than that at least there are much cheaper 3rd party cables.
* A 60 Gig Expansion for the HD -- Fujitsu 60 B 2.5" -- $64.88 (you'll also need an enclosure, thanks Eurogamer Forums)
Better wait until you run out of space, when the time comes maybe a 120 GB drive will be cheaper. Maybe if you want to use Linux as well 120GB may not be a bad idea currently.
The thing which got me interested in the PS3 in the first place is the Cell, no XBox 360 addon for that...
Some things I disliked about the XBox 360 the most was having to worry about scracthed discs, with Blu-Ray discs scratches are almost non-existant due to the protective layer. (Also there is less worries about finger prints and the Blu-Ray more precise reader is more tolerant to scratched DVDs). Here in the Netherlands there are lots of complaints regarding discs being scratched by the XBox 360, yet Microsoft has been unwilling to compensate those effected.
The other thing I dislike about the XBox 360 is the noise the DVD drive generates, I am unable to play a DVD game without waking up my girlfriend at night. My PS3 is located in a storage cabinet and will not make any noticeable sound, I can't hear the fans even after playing for a long time. I have to open the glass doors and put my ear inside the cabinet to really hear anything clearly.
How much are such things worth?
