Game Information

XBOX 360 vs. PS3: an in Depth Look


All gamers are awaiting the release of the Xbox 360 and the PS3. This article takes an in depth look at how the two systems compare.

Graphics:

Everyone has seen an Xbox and a PS2 in action and we are all waiting to see which of the two next generation consoles for the two systems will have the edge when it comes to graphics. We have all seen the screenshots of the games on the two systems but what about actual gameplay graphics. Despite the hot debate, when you look at the numbers the two systems use a different but equally effective method of delivering graphics processing power. The XBOX uses a custom ATI processor with 48 graphics pipelines and the PS2 has a custom NVIDA graphics processor with an estimated 24 pipelines. The numbers are misleading because the PS2 piplines are more powerful than the XBOX pipelines. In the end the two different graphics processors will deliver about the same amount of power, we can expect to see impressive results from both sides.

Games:

Both systems have several franchise titles such as Halo2 for the XBOX and Gran Tourismo for the PS2 that you will see in the next generation systems, but what other games can you expect to see. If you are a fan of genres such as role playing that are dominated by Japanese and other foreign developers such as Square, you should look forward to the PS3. There is no indication that the XBOX 360 is going to gain much more support from foreign developers and buyers than the original XBOX. An article on GameSpot.com reports that only two percent of Japanese gamers are interested in buying an XBOX 360, with sixty percent looking forward to the PS3 and eight percent to the Nintendo Revolution. Overall you can expect to see more games on the PS3 than the XBOX 360, reflecting the selection for the current generation systems. Only time will which console will have the quality of games which all of us are been expecting

Media Type:

Will the media storage type be a factor in the quality of the games? Since PS3 is owned by Sony and BLUray is Sony's next high definition storage medium, the PS3 games will be stored on the BLUray discs which hold approximately 54 gigs. The Xbox 360 games will be stored on Double Layer DVDs which store 9 gigs. Obviously the BLUray discs can store a lot more data, but at the current stage of game development, any game developed will fit just as well on the 9 gig DVDs, so this is not a major factor but one that may come into play later on.

Processing Power:

How do the two systems compare when looking at brute processing power? The PS3 uses a Cell processor with a PowerPC-based core with seven synergistic processing units while the Xbox comes with a Custom IBM PowerPC CPU with three dual-threaded cores that can handle six total threads at a time. An important comparison to look at is the number of dot product calculations per second the systems can perform. The reason this number is important is because it is used extensively during gameplay in 3d math to calculate various things such as vector lengths, projections, transformations, and more. Both systems are clocked at 3.2 Ghz. The PS3 can handle 51-billion dot product operations per second and the Xbox can handle 33.6. There is a debate over which system has more brute processing power and these numbers can be confusing to the average person, but overall it seems that the PS3 has an edge over the Xbox when it comes to overall processing power.

Media Type:

Since PS3 is owned by Sony and BLUray is Sony's next high definition storage medium, the PS3 games will be stored on the BLUray discs which hold approximately 54 gigs. The Xbox 360 games will be stored on Double Layer DVDs which store 9 gigs. Obviously the BLUray discs can store a lot more data, but at the current stage of game development, any game developed will fit just as well on the 9 gig DVDs, so this is not a major factor but one that may come into play later on.

Games:

When considering games, you have to look at the XBOX and the PS2. The XBOX is very popular in the US and has a few great franchise games such as Halo, but the PS2 has an international reach and several popular game franchises such as Gran Tourismo that the XBOX has yet to beat. The XBOX 360 will need to appeal to foreign game developers and consumers to compete with the PS3. Only time will which console will have the quality of games which all of us are been expecting

Controllers:

The controllers on the two systems retain the basic shape from the original systems with some modifications. The PS3 controller has the most dramatic change; it has a streamline shape that looks more like a stealth airplane than a game controller. The XBOX controller is basically the same shape as the previous system with a different color scheme. From the pictures released, it seems the XBOX controller will be more comfortable and natural to use. The PS3 controller looks like it would just slip out of your hand but we will not know how the controllers feel during actual gameplay until we get our hands on them.

Tony James is an author and webmaster. He currently runs the website Freeware Games.net


MORE RESOURCES:

NAMCO BANDAI Games Announces New 'SURGE' Publishing Label
MarketWatch - 5 hours ago
Afro Samurai(R), the high-style title that blends urban hip hop culture with traditional Japanese aesthetics, will be the first game to launch under the new ...


Football Picks

NFL games on TV
Boston Globe, United States - 16 hours ago
The Raiders have the lowest-ranked passing offense in the NFL, averaging 139.5 yards per game . . . Since rushing for 164 yards against the Chiefs in Week 2 ...
For Sporting News SportingNews.com
Northland has no plans to upgrade NFL Network service Greenwood Index Journal
San Diego Chargers: 13 Games Removed from the AFC Championship, a ... Bleacher Report
San Diego Union Tribune - San Jose Mercury News
all 398 news articles


bit-tech.net

BioShock Creator Says Games are the Convergence of Everything
Washington Post, United States - 5 hours ago
To hear Ken Levine cite Ultima Underworld as the game that inspired him makes me smile. I miss the Ultima series, the Underworld games most of all. ...
'Games Are The Convergence Of Everything' Forbes
Ken Levine: "I wish PC gaming was more successful" bit-tech.net
all 9 news articles


OnlineSportsHandicapping.com

It Comes Down to This: A Look at the Conference Championship Games
The Queensberry Rules, MA - 3 hours ago
The Big 12, and SEC Championship games will take center stage, since the winners of those two games will most likely face off for the BCS National Title. ...
College Football: Three Games (and one fight), Two Views CollegeHoopsnet.com
Blog...Y'all Play Nice. SEC Championship Game Tiger Sports Digest
Q & A with Mike Johnson Gatorsports.com
GatorBait.net - Sports Network
all 676 news articles


The "Hi Tech Mommy's" Hot Picks for Family Friendly Video Games
MarketWatch - 11 hours ago
Find out why an Xbox 360 is more than your average video game console, how to rock out like Bon Jovi with Guitar Hero on Tour: Decades, swing a baseball bat ...


Research and Markets: The Latest Report Analysing the Mobile Games ...
MarketWatch - 10 hours ago
This mobile games report looks at the current and future market for both one-off downloads and rental/subscription -based mobile games. ...


Bodog Beat

CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS DON'T LOSE GAMES LIKE THE ONE LAST NIGHT!!!!!!
Los Angeles Times, CA - Dec 3, 2008
What I did want to address, however, was the flurry of comments during and after the loss along the lines of this game providing irrefutable proof that the ...
Pacers-Celtics Preview USA Today
all 40 news articles


New Zealand Herald

Microsoft to Do Ads in Blizzard Games
Tom's Hardware Guide, CA - 3 hours ago
Video game advertising company Massive, owned by Microsoft, just struck a deal of name-appropriate proportions with Blizzard Entertainment. ...
New Call of Duty, Guitar Hero and Tony Hawk games announced Monsters and Critics.com
Activision Announces New 'Call of Duty', 'Guitar Hero', and 'Tony ... G4 TV
Massive Cuts Ad Deals With Activision, Blizzard Adweek
MTV.com - Bizjournals.com
all 185 news articles


Canada.com

The Government of Canada Welcomes Saskatchewan's Participation in ...
MarketWatch - Dec 3, 2008
This agreement will allow the province to highlight its culture, businesses, and artistic community and encourage Aboriginal involvement in the Games. ...
Preening for the Olympics, Vancouver Is Building Up New York Times
Volunteer hosts needed to show off city during 2010 Games Vancouver Sun
Official languages watchdog wants Olympics to offer more in French The Canadian Press
GamesBids.com - Financial Post
all 70 news articles


Globe and Mail

San Antonio
USA Today - 8 hours ago
With Chauncey Billups leading the way, the Nuggets will look for their sixth victory in seven games on Thursday when they host the Spurs, coming off an ...
San Antonio Spurs at Denver Nuggets Odds - Spurs vs Nuggets Betting VegasSports-Odds
Billups powering Nuggets surge HoopsWorld
The Associated Press International Herald Tribune
Sports-Odds.com - USA Today
all 630 news articles

Games - Google News

home | site map
© 2006