After a lot of deliberation, I chose the PlayStation 3 in this generation of consoles. The decision wasn’t easy, mind you. After all, the Xbox 360 had much more games (at least, during the time I was mulling it over), and they were games that I desperately wanted to play. Who can argue with Dead Rising, Bioshock, Gears of War, and Halo 3?

But there was a problem with Microsoft’s console: the Red Rings of Death. It’s pretty hard to determine how many were affected by it but based on the information available online, we’re talking about a failure rate of around 30%.

So what did I do? I put everything down on paper. I first compared the cheaper versions of both consoles:

I observed that Xbox 360 Pro owners would pay $349.98 at the very least (unit cost of $299.99 + Xbox Live fees of $49.99), which should already equal the cost of a 40GB PS3. If I want Wi-Fi with my Xbox, I have to shell out another $75 to $99. When the Xbox 360 breaks down after three years, it’s going to cost me $139 to get it fixed.

I then compared the top-of-the-line versions:

At the very least, Xbox 360 Elite owners should shell out $449.98 (unit cost of $399.99 + Xbox Live fees of $49.99). That’s already more than what an 80GB PS3 might cost. Throw in the $75 to $99 wireless network adapter, and we’re looking at an even bigger cash out.

Of course, that’s only for the first year. Naturally, the Xbox 360 would require more money down for Xbox Live and most likely, repairs.

Today, the PS3 has a pretty impressive library of games that could rival the 360, so that argument of the Xbox 360 having more games is moot. Granted, I like Western shooters much more than console RPGs, but I’m not willing gamble $299 at the very least for a console that could break down at any time.

That said, the Xbox 360 is an impressive machine that comes with superior online capabilities and a gamut of quality games, but the cheapskate in me chose the PS3 because a) it really is cheaper overall and b) it’s more reliable. This is why all the talk of the PS3 being more expensive baffles me.

Update:

Thanks for pointing out my serious math boo-boo. I’ve made the necessary adjustments. But you know what? The corrected figures show that the disparity of costs between the PS3 and Xbox 360 is even much bigger–therefore it proves my point: the PS3 is indeed cheaper than the Xbox 360.

OPEN ME

I have never payed for repairs for my xbox. I got 12 months of live for $30. and i play on live with a ethernet cable

I proclaim this thread Fail

This argument will always be chewed out and considered a fail, no matter how legit it is. In all actuality, it's how much I paid for my setup. When the 360 dropped the price to $300, I bought it at that price ($300), bought Live for 12 months ($50), and bought a wireless adapter ($100), because my room at school isn't that big and I don't want a bunch of wires floating around everywhere (my PS3 is on wireless also).

This situation DOES apply to people, but on a video game forum, those extra costs don't exist. And my Live is up in September, so I have to decide if I want to renew it again (another $50), because I haven't played Live in the longest and I only just recently started playing Halo again....

The top of the line PS3 is the 60gb launch PS3. All the other ones are shit.

So this means that the more expensive 360 outsells a cheaper ps3 right? That's the point of this thread? right?

This comparison is a little skewed. If gamers did want built-in wireless networking, a larger hard drive, blu-ray, etc. then yes, people would probably go for the PS3, but some people don't want all these features and so are okay with going without some of those features for a lower price. In that way, the 360 can be less expensive.

Why is this guy paying $139.99 to repair his xbox 360?

Because if he bought a PS3 before July 4th 2006, he's not under warranty for RRoD. And if it's not RRoD he's concerned about, there's alway disc scratching or just plain overheating which he'll have to pay M$ in order for them to fix it

Wait.... i thought the reason the 360 was outselling the PS3 was because the PS3 was nearly double the price....