Playstation 3, because it's not owned by Microsoft, the company that already charges an arm and a leg for software we do not need, that crashed on us, that uses up our system resources, etc. Ok, Playstation is just a better performing system as well, it has more games, better games, and it's controllers are easier on your hands!
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PS3. Xbox is.....well, the first thing wrong with it is that it is made by microsoft. That company can barely handle SOFTware (which should be its sole purpose judging from the company's name) and its hardware is just lousy. More games (and IMO better games) are PS3 compatible, and a better pool of online players.

Graphics is better too, AND you can use it as a bluRay player. What is not to like?
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The PS3 is a better quality thing because it's got blueray, and it's basically got the same game selection as the Xbox 360.

However, many more people have an xbox 360.

Despite many people's complaint that the Xbox is made by microsoft, both systems are actually really good.

They are both such good quality systems, that my personal opinion is that the better quality system is the one that the most people you know have. My younger brother and every single one of his friends has an Xbox 360, and he talks to them all the time through it while they play. If he were to buy a PS3, he would personally know only one person who owns it.
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Hi,

I own both and there are a few things that make the PS3 the better option in my opinion. And, they might not be the obvious things, but they matter when you use them:
1. Noise: the Xbox makes an enormous amount of noise, the PS3 is silent. Having the Xbox in your room is like having someone vacuuming at the same time

2. The XBox has this gigantic converter on the power cable, which is heavy and is always in the way. Plus, it's not easy to hide. The PS3 has this part integrated in the console, making for a much neater overall look

3. The controller of the Xbox runs on standard batteries, I prefer the PS3 option, which has rechargeable batteries integrated in the controller and you can recharge them with the USB cable that plugs into the console.

4. It's feels akward inserting discs into the XBOX where with the PS3, it's very sleek. It's hard to describe, but the button-less, touch sensitive operation of the PS3 really has a cool factor to it, in addition to being more easily to operate.

All-in-all, you get what you pay for in terms of product quality. The Xbox is the cheaper option, and it feels like that for sure, build quality-wise.
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The Xbox controller is more bulky, and has a slower learning curve than the PS3 controller. The controller alone has won many people over to playstation.
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I choose XBox 360.

But if I had the money, I would end up having a PS3 as well.
- I want the PS3 so I can play 1080p movies using the hard drive and network. I don't have the big screen TV that are so popular now, so that hindered me purchasing a PS3.

I didn't have a good experience with the first generation PS2. I mean, I had a PS2 right when it came out. Because of the type of DVD player they had in the PS2, it didn't allow me to play some games. The games would frequently freeze on me.

Also, a software update didn't help me either. Since I had the unit for more than a year, I couldn't return it either or get a new DVD player installed. I had no choice but to purchase a new PS2 if I wanted to play newer games. I didn't do this of course. I was able to look up on the Internet as to what might be wrong, and based on a hardware code on my PS2, it told me I had a first gen DVD player and games would freeze on me.

It didn't help that at the time, Sony also discontinued their Sony Clie (Palm Pilot) product and support and never updated it. Their lack of support for anything computing based didn't impress me at all.

I did end up buying a Sony Ericsson phone, and it turned out the phone wouldn't support a memory card greater than 256MB, so I wasn't able to use the newer "Duo Pro" cards.

Regarding the PS3, they have previous versions of the hardware that had at least 4 USB ports, ports for various memory cards, and software support to play old PS2 games. But they had to cut costs, and they eliminated all those options. I like flexibility in products, and since it had a Blu-Ray drive, I was almost willing to buy one. But then Sony changed their strategy and to cut costs, they minimized on the amount of features. So I held off on purchasing one.

I also have a PSP, and the Internet experience on that really blows. The browser is a PROPRIETARY browser they've created themselves and it is piss poor at displaying webpages (i.e. digg or even CNN) - whereas my iPod Touch rocks for Internet access.

I don't like Sony because of sticking with proprietary standards that they come up with themselves, and if it loses favour, then they are on their own in supporting it. Once they decide to totally drop support for it, and if you have a product that has bugs in it, Sony will say sorry, can't help you. Sony probably has a better hardware track record than XBox.

I doubt this would happen with the PS3 though, but my experiences have soured me.

My experience with XBox 360 is somewhat fresh. It froze on me for the first time. You have to watch out for the RROD (red ring of death), but I think Microsoft has made some improvements since then. The newer XBox you get the more recent hardware version you are likely to get.

One suggestion is, take a survey of your friends and find out what they have, because most likely you will be playing with them.

Why I got the XBox 360, because my gf/ex-gf got one... (go figure huh).

I am by no means a Microsoft junkie, I own a MAC and I think its more solid.

Here is a link to an article about why XBox and Wii are better:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13846_3-10129576-62.html?part=rss

Regarding the controllers, I like the XBox controllers because I can use standard AA batteries. If PS3 had the extra USB ports that it had before, then charging the controllers through them would be easier. Now you have to buy the extra accessories to charge the controllers via a regular wall plug. I don't like NiM batteries any how. Unreliable and must be charged in a religious method. If they were lithium-ion then different story.

With XBox, I didn't have to buy many accessories. I play by myself so I only need 1 controller. I had to buy the XBox Live Gold Subscription which is $60 and lasts for 1 year, the latest card gives you 1 month free, and then I had to buy cables to hook it up to my monitor.

Regarding the Blu-Ray drive, at first it was a good deal because regular Blu-Ray drives were expensive. But recently, I read an article that said Blu-Ray drives are getting cheaper, so that takes a bit of the nostalgia away from the PS3.

What kind of gamer are you? That is a good question to ask, if you are casual, then the Wii might be a good fit.

XBox and PS3 are mostly about graphics. If you have a GF, having a Wii might make it easier to include her when playing games. The controllers are much more easier for the Wii.

I have a Wii as well.
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As somebody who has owned neither of them. I would say PS3.

Why, because with my experience when I go to a friends house and and they have either a PS3 or an XBOX, they have to spend 20 minutes explaining to me how the game and controller works.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/33749589@N07/3166291756/

Makes of embarrassing and uncomfortable gaming sessions when I can't figure out the controls quickly

This fella even goes in depth about the confusing controllers and how Wii has done real well capturing that market.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw_upFVDIkQ
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For the gaming experience, PS3. For having a console that allows you to hgave a variety of media available, X-box 360.
Source(s):
My knowledge

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As another person who owns both, I'd say that, up until a few months ago, I played mostly on the 360 and watched a lot of movies on the PS3. Recently, though, there are a lot of really good games and I find myself playing on the PS3 a lot more. With blu-ray, new games coming out, Little Big Planet, and a good selection of downloadable movies, the PS3 is the one I would hang onto if someone said I had to give one up. But I like 360 too, especially now with the Netflix integration (and Halo!).
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I have years playing video games and I have seen three console generations so far. The advice I can give you is to ignore specs and hardware about the consoles and pay close attention to games that are being release since that is what you are going to be playing anyways. Currently, the console I would buy it will be the PS3 since I am a super fan of Metal Gear and Silent Hill and those games are available only on PS3.
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Looks like the vast majority favor the PS3 and I have to agree. Blu-Ray alone makes it the winner and there are plenty of good games.
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MGS4--- Need I say more.
I like the PS#3 overall!!!
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I was dragged kicking and screaming into the Microsoft camp by my two 12 year old boys. I loved my Sony playstation(s) and the content you could only get on the PS2. It was disappointing to see Sony drop the ball. There is so much content that is only available on Xbox that even if the PS3 was cheaper, the content would steer buyers to Xbox. Oh, and the fact that the Xbox is Hi-Def capable AND cheaper. Now with the installed base of Xbox live subscribers, the Netflix deal, another Halo game coming out, Xbox looks unstoppable.
The Xbox beats the PS3 on; console cost, game content, on-line game content/interaction, downloadable movie content, integration with the largest IM group (MSN), and backwards compatibility.
The PS3 beats the Xbox on; HD disc player, Built-in Wi-Fi, and the ability to fry an egg on the lid.
Winner; Xbox 360
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Between the two, the PS3 is definitely better.

All gaming aside, the PS3 is the best blue ray player you can buy for one important reason: updatable firmware. Sony recently released the Blueray 2.0 spec., which is only different from Blueray 1 on the software level. Most Blueray players must be replaced if someone wants Blueray 2, but because the PS3 is designed to have its firmware updated, it can be updated to conform to Blueray 2. For this reason, the PS3 is a good choice even if you don't want to play video games on it. As far as the XBox goes, with the death of HDDVD, your only choice is standard def. until Microsoft releases a Blueray player add-on for it (which it is rumored that they are) If they do, wheather or not it will be updatable like the PS3 remains unseen.

As far as online gaming goes, PS3 wins here as well. Microsoft is the only company that makes you pay for the online gaming service after you've already purchases a console and game from them. Want to play online on a PS3, plug in your internet cable and go. If you want to do the same on an Xbox, you have to break out your wallet and pay for a Xbox Live Gold membership.

Finally, the PS3 is also more backwards compatible. Drop any PS2 game in and it will play. Sure you can do the same with the Xbox 360, but personally, I don't know anybody who has/had an original Xbox.

So, with all that said, the PS3 is a much better choice than the Xbox, but if you want some real fun, go buy a Wii.
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There are a lot of biases towards either (a lot of Sony biases on here already), but it really depends more on how you use your console, and what you expect to get out of it. There is no "better" or "better deal," just what is better for -you-.

The two main pros for PS3 may not even matter. The Blu Ray player is only relevant if you have a TV with 1080p now, as with Blu Ray being the official next standard, the standalone players are dropping in price all the time. If you won't have a 1080p set for 1-2 years, then the PS3's Blu Ray means nothing since you could get a cheap player if not one for free at the time you buy a new TV (such deals aren't hard to find).

The free PS3 online may or may not be relevant. Remember that no matter what it is, free never should be equated with better. It just means it's free.

Despite the Xbox Live Gold service costing $60/year, it is generally considered to be the better of the two in terms of ease of use, features, and most importantly reliability. If both services were free or both cost the same, it would be nearly unanimous in favour of Xbox Live.

At the end of the day, which exclusive games you're into, in addition to how much online you plan to play, what kind of TV you have, and what system do all your friends have, will be the things you need to consider.
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Most of the experts are going to say that the two systems will offer little difference in "NextGen" quality. The consensus seems to give a slight edge in graphics to Xbox 360 and slight edge to Sony PS3 with sound. So from a stand point of just playing games you can't go wrong with either system. But which system is the better value? Sony offers free online game play while Xbox 360's, Xbox Live, requires a fee. Sony PS3 uses the Blu-Ray format which has won out in the format wars between Blu-Ray and HD DVD. This means that you can watch movies in HD on your PS3. This is a definite bonus and if you look at the prices for Blu-Ray players and combine that with the price of a Next Gen game system, you'll find it is far cheaper to just own a PS3.

Both Sony PS3 and Xbox 360 are designed to be full entertainment systems with movie downloads and other content, the Sony PS3 seems more capable as a full entertainment system. Sony PS3's have proven to have rather robust computing power as they have been used in a number of scientific projects strung together to create small Super Computers! Comparison's between the two systems seem to indicate Xbox 360 is actually more powerful at running games than PS3 but as indicated above PS3's design has a variety of other possibilities outside of just gaming.

In terms of price, Xbox 360 is the cheaper of the two at a recently lowered $199.00. But Sony PS3 has recently seen a $100.00 price cut but still sells for approximately $299.00. But when selecting a gaming system one must inevitably look at the games.

Xbox 360 has more available titles than Sony PS3 and each have titles that are exclusive to the console. Xbox 360 has the Halo franchise while Sony PS3 has the Metal Gear franchise. Most of the more popular titles are available for both systems so it ultimately boils down to your preference for the exclusive titles. Some game developers have expressed a distaste in the different manner in which they have to program games for each console. Sony PS3 uses a format that is different from that of Xbox 360. The Xbox 360 is said to be easier to work with because it uses a more familiar system. Therefore, to work on games for PS3 the developers have to do a bit more work; do many things all over again which sounds annoying. But there are not many, if any, developers that will not develop games for the Sony PS3, so this shouldn't be a big concern when choosing between the two.

Ultimately it boils down to this: would you rather play Halo or Metal Gear Solid? Or maybe you favor one controller set over another. If you're comfortable with the Sony format which hasn't changed, fundamentally, since the first Playstation then PS3 is probably for you. If you favor the Xbox controller scheme then Xbox if for you. But don't forget extra batteries for the Xbox controller a concern you won't have with PS3 as the controllers are rechargeable.

As for manufacture and malfunction, Xbox 360 has had a considerable number of defective consoles reported by 360 owners. Many Xbox 360 owners witnessed the "Red Ring of Death" or "RROD" when their consoles power ring would glow an unfamiliar red and the system would not boot. If this should happen to you, Microsoft will fix your console at no charge. But it will take at least three weeks to fix the console and ship it back to you.

Recently Sony PS3's have fell victim to a system malfunction related to the heat that the console generates. Users report that game play will repeatedly freeze after 30 minutes of use. Sony charges approximately $160.00 for the repair and it will take approximately three weeks to fix it and send it back to you. Between the two consoles, it seems Sony has had less problems with the PS3 than Microsoft has had with Xbox360.

So in terms of the better value, PS3 seems to be the better long term investment. Sony PS3 may be more expensive but it has proven to be far more dynamic than many critics initially thought. With the Playstation Home Beta opening up the console is showing even more promise.

But if you're just interested in just pure, hardcore gaming with great graphics and award winning titles like Gears of War and the upcoming Gears of War 2, all at $50.00 less than the Wii, then go for Xbox 360. But be warned, you get what you pay for!
Source(s):
http://kotaku.com/search/xbox%20360/
http://kotaku.com/search/Sony%20PS3/
http://kotaku.com/search/RROD/RROD/
http://kotaku.com/search/Sony%20PS3%20Home%20Beta/
http://gizmodo.com/search/Sony%20PS3
http://gizmodo.com/search/Xbox%20360

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I really can't believe the number of people siding with PS3.

Regardless of your feelings about Windows, Microsoft and Xbox have consistently paid it back to the players, while Sony has over-priced and under-delivered. The Sony library is full of Madden and Xbox games with the notable (and tiny) exceptions of Metal Gear Solid 4 and ... I guess God of War? Little Big Planet? ...Ratchet and Clank?

Yes, no Metal Gear hurts. But I'm not paying for a Sony-controls-my-entertainment system machine. I don't need a blu-ray player that also sometimes plays Madden. And I don't need Sony's lame attempt at stealing the Wii's gimmick with its SixAxis motion controller (which it feels like having brain damage to play with).

Xbox has better titles. It has better support. It does occasionally have the Red Ring of Death situation, but Xbox is fast about fixing it and usually really helpful. Plus with my Elite system, I've had zero problems. Sony's hardware has similar issues (and it did at launch, big time), except you get to pay them for them to fix their manufacturing defect. Thanks.

The real kicker, however, is Xbox Live. While it costs $50 a year, that's negligible once you realize how many games it supports and how massive the community is. Gears of War online is amazing. Halo online (sometimes) is amazing. And what it comes down to is, while there are plenty of games shared between the systems, they're more fun to play online on Xbox. I've never been anything but satisfied with my Xbox experience. Can't say the same about a Sony system since my original PSX.

If you're serious about gaming, Xbox is your only choice. If you occasionally play Madden in your dorm room and want to watch $35 blu rays, buy a Playstation. Just don't get surprised when it gets dusty or when your wallet's a little light.
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Lazy me, I copy/pasted my response from another question (with some editing):

Xbox Live is pretty fun. It's a fact that more people have Xbox 360's than PS3's, which leads to the conclusion that you're more likely to have real-life friends to play with if you have an Xbox 360. I like to see what my friends are playing, achievements are addictive, and my hard drive is stuffed with demos. The enormous selection of games (which includes backwards compatibility with select Xbox games), the online social environment, the graphics capabilities, combined with the new price point ($199 for the core system!) make it pretty much the only obvious choice.

The PS3 is something I would like to have if I ever just randomly have $400 lying around. The price of Blu-Ray players has gone down enough that the PS3's player is no longer a selling perk. And given the fact that so few PS3's are actually being purchased, when compared to the Xbox 360 and the Wii, it makes you wonder what kind of a lifespan it's going to have.

Basically, it boils down to this:
- Graphics comparisons are negligible. You can't really tell the difference unless you're extremely discerning.
- Almost every game you can get on a PS3 is also available on Xbox 360 (and then some). The few games that are exclusive to the PS3 do not yet justify the price difference. (Sorry, Sackboy, you little cutie.)
- Right now, Xbox is coming bundled with two games (and one of them is actually good)...and it's still $100 cheaper (although you get a 20gb larger hard drive with the PS3).
- And here's the worst part: The PS3 consoles currently available no longer have backwards compatibility with PS2 titles. Sony removed the GPU that made it possible. Why? To force you to re-buy your PS2 games from the PlayStation Network store. That's just shameful.

PS: People selecting their console based solely on the argument "it's not Microsoft" seems silly to me.
Source(s):
http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/Systems/80gb.html,
http://www.amazon.com/Xbox-360-Holiday-Bundle-2008-Drive/dp/B001FPBZ3U/ref=...,
http://vgchartz.com/

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Don't believe the partisans on either side, they're basically equivalent in most important ways. The PS3 is a more powerful machine, but that doesn't really translate into better graphics or gameplay, and it's more expensive. It's online system is far inferior to live, but it does act as a blu-ray player, and a good one, if you want that. Most of the games are the same between the two, the few console exclusives there are for both sides don't make a huge difference (I think that the Xbox has better exclusive games, but Little Big Planet has gotten excellent reviews, and it's PS3 only). I would give the edge to the 360, mostly because of the Xbox Live and the cheaper price tag but if you want a blu-ray player, then the PS3 is the way to go.
I think one thing that everyone will agree on is that you don't really need both, it's a big expenditure to get the other once you have one and adds very few games to your library of possibilities.
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