Get it:

Pros:
Blue-Ray
Free online gameplay
Free online (i.e. Surfing the net, google etc)

Cons:
With most multi-platform games the Ps3 gets the short end of the stick because it is harder to code on

i'm surprised nobody has mentioned that the PS3 can read any USB drive while the 360 requires a proprietary drive. i fill my 2TB external w/ movies (i rip my own dvds, of course) and other stuff downloadable at some sites and plug that straight into the PS3. the 360 can take a flash drive but that's not as cool as being able to plug in a huge drive. i just wish the PS3 could play matroska files.

also, i vastly prefer the PS controller to the xbox controller.

Got the ps3 have had it for 3 years and have loved every moment of it, has more exclusive games for it like god of war for example(awesome game), plus psn is free. Never had many negative issues with mine, so if you got the cash then i suggest you get it!

It has been mentioned that the new consoles are most likey due in the fall of 2012 so unless money is not issue, why not wait or upgrade your pc.

Sure a blue-ray is nice but I just bought a new one at BestBuy for $80. When the PS3 was new it was a great way to pick up, what was then, a pricey blu-ray. They are pretty cheap these days because they are starting to push the 3D tv's and players.

- Point - The PS3 clientele is definitely preferable to the Xbox crowd if you like to have a mature gaming experience.
- Counter - The annoying players flock to COD type games so, if you like those type of games, you'll find more people to play with on Xbox.

- Point - PS3 hardware is far beyond Xbox. The Bluray discs can carry several DVDs worth of data on it so some games in the future (think GTA5) will need multiple discs on Xbox.
- Counter - Developing on PS3 is esoteric according to many developers so lots of games are designed on Xbox, then ported to PS3 meaning that the game isn't up to its potential plus the port often diminishes quality. Once games reach the DVD limit, they will start to be developed on PS3 more.

- Point - PS3 has Bluray. Holds faaaaar more than DVD and is the new format for movies and general HD data.
- Counter - Xbox has HD-DVD... you never know. Maybe they'll find that Bluray causes cancer and Xbox will get the upper hand. Look at what happened with Betamax vs VHS.

- Point - PS3 is free to play online. They have PS Home, which is improving daily and pretty much acts like a virtual ground for talking to other gamers. That is also free. WiFi comes built in with all models.
- Counter - Xbox often gets DLC before PS3. They have cross-game chat (something the PS3 community is torn about whether or not they even want).

- Point - Xbox has "Kinnect" which is a hands-free control system. It's pretty neat, right?
- Counter - PS3 has had this for about five years. It's called the "Eye" and nobody ever really cared. It does the same thing as Kinnect and actually does waaaaay more with the "Move". Augmented reality will become a thing of expectation with Sony games in the future.

All in all, Sony suffers from the same curse Sega did. Incredible technology but obscure execution and terrible marketing. Hopefully, they'll overcome this when developers tap out the Xbox capabilities for development (something that hasn't even come close to happening on PS3).

So it depends on what you like to play. If you like mindless "fragging" and fps stuff, buy an Xbox (or better yet, a PC). If you like adventure games, RPGs, and social networking, pick PS3. If you like exclusives, pick your flavor.

Hope that helps.

I dont understand why no one has crack't the play station 3 and Xbox.
so you can play the games on a PC. maybe the graphics?

can you link play station 3's together like they do for super computers?
so you can play fast games? LOL.

they should be upgrading the consols soon?

I've owned both systems and loved each of them but i'm learning towards the Playstation 3 being the superior console. Here's a short reason as to why...

PS3 Exclusives far outweigh Xbox Exclusives in both quality and quantity. Xbox has Halo, Gears of War, Fable, Forza and Halo as their heavyweight franchises... That's pretty much it. PS3 has Metal Gear Solid, Resistance, Warhawk/Starhawk, Uncharted, Gran Turismo, Motorstorm, Little Big Planet, Final Fantasy, Killzone, Infamous, Heavy Rain, God of War, Heavenly Rain, Ratchet and Clank and so on... That's just the tip of the Ice-berg regarding Sony's Heavyweight franchises lol.

PS3 has an in-built Blu-ray player and WIFI. Xbox doesn't. For Xbox you needed to fork out an extra $200 just to get the WIFI and HD DVD add-on accessories. It was such a fail on behalf of Microsoft that they discontinued the production of the HD DVD accessory as it was crushed by PS3's Blu-ray in-built feature.

The Gaming communities on PS3 are more matured and fun. If you desire screaming children who have yet to grow pubes, Xbox is your console.

The Xbox in general is geared more towards the youth than the adult audiences. No one can deny this. The Kinect and avatar feature is a fine example.

That's all i can be bothered talking about for now, my PS3 is calling me!

I think I am going to go for it but for now gotta wait for work to slow down so I will actually have some time to enjoy it.

I am glad to hear you are going for it. the ps3 community welcomes you and hopes you enjoy your stay.

I would also like to add that:

the ps3 UI is far superior to anything else in the console world, so much so that it has only undergone one change in its lifetime and that was to add too what was already present, very easy to use and very customizable with purchasable themes from the ps store or dl them from your favorite website strait off the ps3s web browser.

ps3 has some sort of flash support and full on divx support.

you can connect your pc to your ps3 via your router to access all your pc media on ps3

3D support for both games and movies (no gimmick here, uncharted # is absolutely beautiful in 3D)

no proprietary HDD

there are of course features the console is capable of that are under utilized by developers such as:
video capture for direct youtube upload, screen grab, remote play, custom soundtracks, multiple psn id login, mouse and keyboard support, cross platform multiplayer, ps eye camera
,
playstation home (kinda like second life) has come along way in its 4 years. even though it is notorious for nickel and diming you on virtual content there is quite a bit of free items and even more items you can win as a reward. the games of ps home remind me a lot of flash games on a pc, simple but fun. there are quests through out the year which earns you free items. you can group 8 people together to communicate via headset or use the chat room feature. you can launch into any game from within home (great place to get your clan all pumped up before battle). load times are far and away better from what they were 4 years ago. it is imo the better way of social interaction on a console.

Netflix has the best layout on ps3 (other than pc of course).

playstation plus is a very worthy alternative to a gold membership of xbl. $50 instead of $60, im pretty sure services are the same now that xbl has cloud saving for game saves (well other than online play of course). not sure about xbox but playstation offers free games, discounts, and content to subscribers every month (example: i just got the back to the future video game for free, all 5 episodes.

HD remakes of ps2 classics. now i know this is a sore subject because of the removal of bc, but to those who never played the franchise before it is nice. to those who have played them or own the ps2 versions its not all bad. they do add in trophies and the hd does make those classics shine pretty good. also most of them are coming out with 3d support too.

the playstation 3 is definitely a great HUB for all your entertainment needs.

i have been playing games my entire life, 20+ years, ive had and played all kinds of systems. through it all i can assuredly say that i am a console gamer and the ps3 was without a doubt the console for me. personal preference is a big part of it too mind you. have always loved the duelshock controller design. love having movies and games in one device. love the 10 year life cycle (ps2 is still going and its almost 12 years old!), every year the games just look better and better.

as a gamer i suspect someday i will leave playstation for something better, but it definitely wont be anything from microsoft as they tend to copy more than innovate. maybe apple or google will make a home console, or maybe some unknown company will come outta no where. until then i will continue enjoying my playstations and my ever growing library of games

PS3 - Better for single player experiences minus games that actually run better on 360 like Bayonetta.
That, and for imported games

X360 - Great overall but scores multiplayer games & has a more competitive environment online.

So is it free to play online? or do you have to pay for it? I believe it has been mentioned before but im dead tired right now and too lazy to read and find So what are some game recomendations for the system?

ps3 is superior hardware and online is free, but if you have a 360 or pc, I would pass now. 360 has the biggest numbers for install base (sanz wii) and every single multi plat is coded out from 360. so even more impressive hardware (pc/ps3) gets a shotty port. it sucks but it is now life. all major multi plat releases will perform better on the inferior 360. there is the exclusives like uncharted and god of war 3, but it does not level out in the end IMO.

though I will say, I think psn has a much more "friendlier" online community then xbox 360. but don't forget how easy the hackers said it was to penetrate psn security. I would pass man, and just wait for the next gen before sinking money in another system unless you can score it real cheap.