Compare Video Game Consoles
XBox, PS3, Wii
There are so many gaming companies out there and giants like Microsoft, Nintendo and Playstation are rolling out newer gaming consoles by the year. This has made the gaming console market extremely competitive as everyone is running for the top spot. In such a situation, if you are looking to buy gaming consoles then you should compare video game consoles before your purchase them.
When you compare video game consoles especially the top end models, then it helps you in making a buying decision. The reason is that most of the comparison reports will bring out the pros and cons of each gaming console. When you compare video game consoles, you will also get information on the technical aspects, the graphics, the controller, display, audio & video capabilities, networking capability and the most important of them all, the price.
If you are wondering how to compare video game consoles then let us inform you that it is quite easy thanks to the internet. There are quite a few gaming console comparison websites that offer the various technical and non-technical details for all the gaming consoles available in the market today. All you have to do is choose 2 or 3 gaming systems that you would like to buy and compare. You can compare video game consoles from the same company or from different companies. Here is a comparison of the three top products:
| Features | Microsoft Xbox 360 Core System | Sony PlayStation 3 | Wii |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Home Console | Home Console | Home Console |
| Processor | 3.2 GHz IBM PowerPC® | 3.2 GHz Cell | 729 MHz IBM Broadway |
| Installed Memory | 512 MB GDDR3 RAM (700 MHz), shared with GPU | 256 MB XDR RAM (3.2GHz) | 64 MB GDDR3 RAM |
| Gaming Type | Single Player/LAN/Multiplayer/Online | Single Player/LAN/Multiplayer/Online | Single Player/LAN/Multiplayer/Online |
| Resolution | 16:9 widescreen 720p, 1080i, 1080p (will downsample to standard definition) | 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p (will downsample to standard definition) | 853 x 480 (480p) in widescreen or 4:3 aspect ratio |
| Graphic Processor | ATI-based custom processor, 500 MHz, p to 512 MB GDDR3 system RAM (700 MHz) plus 10 MB embedded DRAM (eDRAM) frame buffer, 21.6 GBps to system RAM; 256 GBps to eDRAM | NVIDIA-based RSX "Reality Synthesizer", 550 MHz, 256MB GDDR3 (700MHz), 22.4 GBps | ATI Hollywood processor, 243 MHz, 24 MB of system RAM (486 MHz) plus 3 MB of embedded DRAM (eDRAM), 3.9 GBps |
| Hard Drive Size |
Core System: No Xbox 360: 20 GB removable hard drive Elite: 120 GB removable hard drive |
60 GB or 80 GB replaceable hard drive. | No. (Does include 512 MB of internal flash memory for storing saved games, downloaded games, and other data). |
| Optical Drive | 12X dual-layer DVD; HD DVD drive offered as $179 add-on (for movies only). | Blu-Ray | Proprietary optical drive |
| Audio Support | 5.1-channel Dolby Digital | 5.1-channel Dolby Digital (HDMI), 7.1-channel LPCM | Dolby Pro-Logic II |
| Communication Type | Bluetooth o IEEE 802.11b o IEEE 802.11g o Fast Ethernet o Gigabit Ethernet | Bluetooth 2.0, Bluetooth controller interface, Wi-Fi. | Integrated Wi-Fi for networking and Internet access; Bluetooth 2.0 for controllers. |
| Expansion Slots | 2 Xbox 360 Memory Unit ports (64 MB or 512 MB). | Flash memory card reader (supports Memory Stick, Compact Flash and SD/MMC). | 1 SD card slot, 2 GameCube memory card ports. |
| Input/Output ports | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Price | $279 - $449 | $499 - $500 | $249 |
When you look at these consoles, you will find the technical and non-technical details and the price. These are the various features used to compare video game consoles by critics and testers. This information is vital for making a buying decision.