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Don't be fooled by Sony's false overpromising

BigManJonnyD | 05/07/2007 | See all BigManJonnyD's reviews (1) »

Firstly, my credentials - I am a game designer for an independent European games company and I have to understand the architecture of a system to program on it. I am also a hardcore gamer across all formats and own all the "next gen" consoles.

The PS3 is a very good console and it does have a lot of potential. However, the same is true of the XBox360. Neither console is being utilised anywhere near it's potential.

Which is the better console? It depends how you analyse the figures. The PS3 has a faster processing set-up on paper and runs a lot cooler than the XBox processor but the XBox processor has a much better and well thought out architecture so the two are pretty much neck-a-neck in terms of real "speed" and processing power... also note that the PS3 is stifled and crippled by too little L1 and L2 cache memory to utilise the floating points effectively so will only ever realise 70% of the hardware potential.

Much has been made of the better RAM in a PS3 but they're both GDDR3 RAM units and the XBox has double.

The graphics processing units are again an interesting comparison. The XBox 360 has a faster overall transfer rate for GPU than the PS3 but the PS3 has better potential for smoothness due to no bottlenecking on the designated RAM (the 10MB buffer for the XBox 360 will prove a slight choke on performance as the consoles mature) - although the anti-aliasing and lighting ability from a handling point of view are quite frankly pathetic on the PS3 - no amount of firmware updates will solve that sadly. Please also note that Gears of War, which Sony claims utilises the entirety of the 360's power doesn't - it only uses around 45% of the consoles potential as it's very cleverly written and designed.

The Blue Ray drive is a massive plus - for Microsoft to only plump for a 12x DVD ROM drive was a bad move. Although more than fast enough for transferring data to the system (both this speed drive and the Blue Ray drive have a similar data transfer rate at top speed), I would have liked to have seen at least a 20x to increase load times, which are really poor on the PS3.

Which console is the best? It depends what you go for - but BOTH score 4/5 in my book. Microsoft have suffered for pushing it out when only 90% complete (note the overheating problems that are posted frequently although I've never had the problem) but Sony have suffered for trying to be "cutting edge" but cutting corners, the specs suggest a paper tiger but Sony have compromised certain aspects of the console to facilitate not making too much of a loss by providing a Blu-Ray drive and this will come back to bite them hard, as will the fact the XBox architecture is much more designer friendly and easier to optimise. Hardware wise, the nod goes to Sony slightly but the performance variance is minute - both consoles have different strengths.

The Wii cannot be compared to either as it's a completely separate gaming angle and experience and you've got to respect the Big N for going that far.

Oh, and anybody who suggests the Sony online experience can hold a candle to XBox live is clearly deranged - or just too cheap and begrudge £40.00 per year - as XBox live has naturally been evolving over the past 5 years and has a head start it'll probably take Sony the next 2 console cycles to catch up on.

Just my 2-pennies worth - I don't want to start a flaming war just be aware that both Sony and Microsoft are PR kings but that Sony's track record of overpromising and underdelivering (PS2 anyone? With the "real life" potential of the Emotion chip???) has again been realised.

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Immaculately Fantastically Absolutely Perfectly Amazing!

peterharb | 25/06/2008 | See all peterharb's reviews (4) »

The world's best console. Let me demonstrate.
The PlayStation 3'S Good Points against the XBOX 360.
1. The PS3 has Free Online Gaming out of the box.
2. The PS3 has Memory Card readers [This version does]
3. The PS3 plays PS2 games.
4. The PS3 has Built-In WiFi, which connects to your home wireless router simply.
5. The PS3 has a simpler Interface.
6. The PS3 has a Blu-ray Drive. This is the future, and allows you to watch movies in High Definition, true HD. Blu-ray discs are the future.
7. The controllers are all Bluetooth, they're rechargeable via the cable that comes with the PS3.
8. The PS3 has built in bluetooth, allowing you to have a blu-ray bluetooth remote, bluetooth headsets to speak to online players.
9. The PS3 has 4 USB Ports, My 60GB PS3 has a PlayStation Eye PS3 camera connected, with a USB keyboard and Mouse.
10. The PS3 is a much more powerful console, it IS the future.
Bad points about the PS3:
.....Oh god, so hard to think of some!
I am so sorry i cant think of any!
On the other hand, the XBOX 360's bad points: how long this wil take!
1. No Bluray Drive
2. Less USB ports, if not, none!
3. No HDMI, only in the 360 Elite console
4. Online costs
5. Controller isnt bluetooth, battery immediately finishes
6. Weak console, gets the 'RROD' Red ring of death! This totally kills the console, and you have to wait weeks for it to be repaired if they let you.
7. the console is ugly
8. It scratches discs easily
9. DVD is now old to be on a 'HD Console'
10. It has no built in WIFI
11. No web Browser
12. No memory card readers
Lots more...
I highly recommend the PS3, you will not regret it, especially with PlayStation HOME coming out soon, a free online community where you meet up with PS3 users worldwide online the PS3, and you get your own appartment, with your own furniture, you can voice chat, text chat with people live, you can go bowling, its basically the sims in high definition it is absolutely amazing, its coming soon. for more info, head to wikipedia.org and search playstation home.
This console is described in one word: Perfect. Simply Perfect!
What more can I say, told you everything. Thanks for reading my review I guess! Buy this console, and I promise you 101% you will not regret!
PS. The PS3 has by far outsold the XBOX360 console!

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After Trying and Testing ALL 3!!

NetworkingGames | 16/07/2007 | See all NetworkingGames' reviews (8) »

Overpromised and Under Delievered

StevenAFC | 25/04/2007 | See all StevenAFC's reviews (1) »

I got the PS3 in addition to my 360, running on a Sony HD TV, there truely is no graphical difference between the two. Resistance fall of man, looks no where near as good as Gears of War on the 360, and Call of Duty on both consoles, look pretty similar. Load times also awful due to the slow bluray disc speed.

Online play is clunky, and so is the interface. The motion sensitive controllers are a gimmick, and the games don't really suit it.

I would say this is an xbox 360 with a cheap bluray player, and poor online interface.

Xbox 360 + Wii is the best combo to have.

PlayStation 3: Worth the money?

Scrawney | 26/05/2007 | See all Scrawney's reviews (1) »

The PS3 while being the most talked about console on the market, both positively and negatively, is also by far the most expensive. So, is it worth it?

Well when I got my PS3 on launch day courtesy of Play.com, I was so excited. I had high hopes for a truly fantastic gaming system. I hooked it up to my less than satisfactory 15" SDTV and played MotorStorm. What a game, even in SD it looks amazing and while it loses its charm in the later stages, the online play just has you coming right back. Resistance is the same but you should really get some pratice in before heading onto the servers.

Now, where the 360 has a big lead over its competitors is in terms of Xbox Live. The trouble is you have to pay. The PlayStation Network, much like XBL, is free and easy to use, admittedly their aren't the more complex features that you get on the 360, like the ability to dip into XBL at the touch of a button, ingame. However, for a free service PSN does exactly what it says on the tin: offers a quick download service and creates a whole new world for you to play online. It does have an advantage over the 360's online service with the inclusion of a full internet browser which has never failed me. With the release of Home later in the year, the PSN will become more than just a download and play service.

Blu-ray, apart from the glorious graphics, shiny design (it'll almost blind you when you get it out the box)and most powerful console in the world credentials, is the PS3's main selling point. On an HDTV it looks amazing, with colours being presented more vibrantly and action flowing better than on DVD. HD-DVD (and I have seen both in action) looks pale in comparison. Seeing as it comes with a Blu-ray player built in, (regular price £400 - £990. Is it so expensive now?) you don't need to buy an add on, like with the 360's HD-DVD drive. Furthermore, Blu-ray has more studio support and is outselling HD-DVDs 3:1.

The PS3 is an outstanding console. Admittedly after 2 days I began to wonder how much more enjoyment I could get out of it but then after downloading a few games, I had another month of fun ahead of me at least. With game prices falling all the time I should add a few more to my collection before the PS3 negativity ends. You may think that the console is too expensive but a Wii is £170 and by the time they go back on sale without being snapped up within 2 minutes, you'd have saved enough to buy a PS3. Besides the Wii is more of a child's plaything that likes Japan too much and after Mario comes out, it's all quiet on the release front. I admit it is a fantastic console and deserves all of the praise it's getting but the novelty wears off after a while. As for the 360 let me put it like this:
Xbox 360 console premium £280 (Elite £400)
HD-DVD add on (£130)
3 Games (£100-£120)
Mimimum Total : £510
PS3 + 3 games and extras £499.99 on Play.

Yes the 360 is still a good console but it merely bridged the gap between the arrival of the fun Wii and more powerful PS3. Let me put it in car terms, the Wii is a Lamborghini, a hell of a lot of fun but the fun will stop when you crash it. The 360 is a Ferrari, fast and visually pleasing but you are buying the badge not the car. The PS3 is a Bugatti Veyron, Hugely expensive but hugely powerful and everyone would have one if it was just reduced by £800,000. If you still don't want a PS3 buy a Wii, they are more fun than a 360 but if you can afford a PS3 get one, it could just be bargain of the century.

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