Game consoles are more popular these days than ever. They’ve come a long way since the days of the Sega Mega Drive; Modern 7th generation consoles have amazing graphics, great controllers, and offer many amazing games to choose from. The most popular video game consoles in the world right now are Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Sony’s PlayStation 3, and Nintendo’s Wii. Which is the best of the three?
The short answer is: they are all good. But that’s not why you’re here, is it? So let’s take a look at the Wii first. This game console was launched in 2006 and as of December 31, 2010, it has sold 84.64 million units worldwide. In other words, it is the leader in terms of sales when comparing Xbox 360 vs PS3 vs Wii. This is largely due to its innovative motion controller that allows players to interact with the game using not just buttons, but gestures as well.
Wii is probably the most unique of the three consoles reviewed here: its graphics capabilities are definitely the weakest, but the control system is the most innovative, and the target audience is different too. While the Xbox 360 and PS3 cater to the hardcore gamer crowd, the Wii appeals to casual gamers and people who have never played video games before. They offer many easy, fun, and family-friendly games. If you’re a casual gamer, this console might be what you’re looking for.
Second, we have Microsoft’s Xbox 360. It is the second console in terms of sales (50 million units worldwide as of January 5, 2011), which is slightly ahead of the PS3. Unlike the Wii, it supports HD quality video output and has a fairly powerful CPU and graphics system (although perhaps not as powerful as the PS3’s). Xbox 360 has several very popular games that are exclusive to the platform, such as the Halo series. One of the strongest aspects of Xbox 360 is the online multiplayer mode and other services offered through the Xbox Live network. In my opinion, Xbox Live is the best online console community, definitely beating PlayStation PSN. If you like online gaming, I think Xbox 360 is a great option.
When talking about Xbox 360, Kinect should also be mentioned. It is an add-on for the console that was released in 2009. Kinect allows gamers to play using gestures and spoken commands, without using any controller. You could call it Microsoft’s answer to the PlayStation Move and Wii MotionPlus systems.
Finally, we have Sony’s PlayStation 3 console. With 47.9 million units sold worldwide, it lags a bit behind Xbox 360 in terms of popularity. PS3 probably has the most powerful CPU and graphics system, although not all cross-platform games can take full advantage of it; as such, the PlayStation 3’s graphics are often on par with the Xbox 360. It’s also the only seventh-generation console to have a Blu-ray player, further adding to the PlayStation 3’s technological superiority. If you want to have Blu-ray and play exclusive PS3 games like LittleBigPlanet, then this console is for you.
The console offers free online gaming via the PlayStation Network (PSN), though it probably loses out to Xbox Live in some ways. It also has two motion-based plugins: PlayStation Eye (digital camera, similar to Kinect) and PlayStation Move (motion controller, similar to Wiimote).
We hope this article has been helpful in helping you choose which console to buy. If you still need more information, visit Wikipedia for a more detailed comparison of Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii.