PlayStation 3 vs. Xbox 360 vs. Nintendo Wii - Comparing 5 Key Features

A lot of features have changed in the Big Console Battle since the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii have hit the stage. Some things which largely influenced the purchase decisions of consumers before, aren't as important anymore. Wireless Internet connectivity was a battle won by the Nintendo Wii early on, since both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 required an additional accessory while the Wii featured it built-in. Today, wireless connectivity is a default feature of all 3 consoles, which means it has ceased to be an influential concern. While the issue of online connectivity has taken a back seat, some have continued to remain important considerations, and others have been pushed to the forefront.

Below are what I see as the 5 key considerations that must be made when deciding which console works best for you. The order that I review each console regarding one of these features is determined on which one I feel offers the best solution to your need. So if PlayStation 3 is listed first, I feel it best handles whatever topic is being discussed. One thing I will say right off the bat is that I don't include a discussion of the types of games available on each console. That is a topic which merits an entire article of its own. If you want to do research on this, consider reading additional articles other than my own.

Video Quality

PlayStation 3 - The PlayStation 3 is the only console which supports Blu-ray technology. Not only can you use the console as a Blu-ray player, thanks to an April 2010 firmware update it can now also support 3D movies and games. This means you can enjoy video games and movies in full 1080p, while also watching or playing in 3D if the feature is available. The PlayStation 3 can also access BD-Live, which allows you to download additional content such as movies, games, and other applications.

Xbox 360 - While the Xbox 360 can create a full 1080p picture for your movies and games, it does not support Blu-ray Discs. It can still play DVD's and can enhance them.

Nintendo Wii - The Wii cannot play Blu-rays or DVD's, making it useless as a substitute for a home theater disc player. And while it can support 1080p playback, the Nintendo Wii will not pay movies in 1080p, and generally displays games in 480p, with the occasional 720p becoming more frequent.

Motion Capturing

Xbox 360 - The Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 released their motion capturing technology in time for the 2010 holiday season. Both aggressively marketed themselves, and prepared a slate of games to go hand-in-hand with the launch. It seems, for the mean time, that the Xbox 360 has won. The Xbox 360 now offers the Kinect, a motion sensing device which does not require a controller to be held by players. Entire games can be played without a controller, and their menu's navigated the same way. Not utilizing the controller does not limit the sensitivity of the device. Many games are available that have been designed with the Kinect in mind, and cover all age and genre ranges.

PlayStation 3 - The PlayStation 3 also released a motion capturing accessory during the 2010 holiday season, it is called the PlayStation Move. The main difference between the Move and Kinect is that the Move requires an eye camera and a controller with a ball on it. The ball is what the camera senses, and records the movement with. The controller vibrates and the ball changes color, adding ambiance and further stimuli to enhance the gaming experience. While it does not have the hands-free quality of the Kinect, it still provides an accurate and entertaining alternative to traditional gaming. There are also many games for all types of gamers for the PlayStation Move, with more being released every month.

Nintendo Wii - The Wii was the first to offer motion capturing technology, doing so with the initial launch of the console. This proved to influence many consumers for a long time, leading to a dominance in the young gamer market by the Wii. But now that the other 2 major consoles have entered the motion capturing market, only time will tell how the stranglehold of Nintendo holds up. I have them third in this list not because the motion capturing technology of the Wii is inferior to the other 2, but because the other 2 can provide motion capturing with a higher quality video experience.

Content Streaming

Xbox 360 - The choice for first and second in this category was the toughest to make. All 3 consoles offer Netflix streaming, further cementing Netflix as the premier choice for television and movie content streaming by consumers. All 3 also offer downloadable content such as demos, entire games, and additional content to previously purchased games in their respective marketplaces. What sets the 360 apart from the PS3 and Wii is the partnership Microsoft made with ESPN to stream ESPN3 through the Xbox 360. Now, if a gamer purchases a Xbox Marketplace Gold membership, they can stream live games and ESPN shows through their Xbox 360. As a Syracuse Orange basketball fan living in Phoenix, let me tell you ESPN3 can provide coverage for out-of-market teams for a fraction of the price of a premium television package.

PlayStation 3 - PlayStation 3 is not far behind in the content streaming debate because of the ability to access Hulu Plus in addition to Netflix. Hulu Plus is a subscription service similar to Netflix, that allows users to access newly aired television shows, movies, and other content.

Nintendo Wii - At this point, the ability to stream Netflix is nice, but it isn't going to win you any special accolades. The Wii has not fallen far behind the others in terms of downloadable content thanks to their massive library of retro console games, but as far as television and movie content goes, Netflix is all you're going to get.

Storage

PlayStation 3 - I give the edge to the PlayStation 3 in terms of storage options because the 2 models available are respectable solutions to the storage space dilemma. The PlayStation 3 is available in 160GB and 250GB. Both of these sizes are large, and can satisfy the needs of even a download-crazed gamer. Eventually you're going to have to delete some things if you keep the console for long enough (we're talking several years), but by that time hopefully you can part with a game you haven't played for a long time.

Nintendo Wii - This may surprise some people who think the Xbox 360 belongs second on this list, but my decision will be explained later. The Wii offers only one capacity size, 512MB of flash storage space. That may not seem like much (and it isn't), but it makes the decision simple. Als o, a gamer can purchase an SD card and use it to expand the hard drive. SD cards can be purchased in capacities up to 16GB or 32GB, which is plenty enough for Wii files, which take up less space than those for the other 2 consoles.

Xbox 360 - The reason I put the Xbox 360 last in this category is because of the 2 different capacities it offers. This console comes in a 4GB or 250GB version. The difference is a little large, don't you think? Basically, Microsoft wants you to realize that 4GB definitely won't be enough without realizing that 250GB is going to be way more than enough for the average gamer. In my opinion, that seems like an underhanded way of upselling the consumer. For that, Microsoft gets last place in this category.

Classic Games

Nintendo Wii - The Wii takes this category hands down. Games for the original Nintendo (NES), Super Nintendo (SNES), Nintendo 64 (N64), and even Atari are available for purchase in the Wii Marketplace. Most can be played using the regular Wii controllers, and a classic style controller is available for those with a true love of nostalgia. Not only do they offer the most variety as far as consoles, they offer the largest number of titles by far.

Xbox 360 - The Xbox 360 offers classic arcade titles to be downloaded, as well as some of the classic original Xbox games. They are a little pricier than what the Wii offers, but that's more the result of Wii games being extraordinarily cheap ($5 to $10) than Xbox Marketplace games being overly expensive.

PlayStation 3 - Similar to the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 offers original PlayStation titles. The reason I put it third is because I like original Xbox games more than original PlayStation games. If a gamer is considering this as a purchasing decision, it is going to depend on which one they prefer.