Video Game Consoles
Video gaming has become one of the most lucrative industries in the modern world. It has expanded well beyond children and teenagers to encompass people of all ages. The selection is more varied than ever: no longer are only the hardcore players satisfied, but people of all backgrounds can enjoy virtual sports, titles based on movies and books, and games that transport you to whole different worlds and allow you to interact with other forms of life.
Consoles can also be used to access the internet via web browsers,to stream music and movies, and to view photos from computers on a home network. They can become full home theater hubs and their variety of features and applications, as well as their relatively low prices, allow people all over the world to experience entertainment like never before. Together, the three newest consoles have sold well over 100 million units, and the two handheld systems have sold another 150 million. As a whole, these systems comprise the seventh generation of video gaming.
Brand
The console wars between
Xbox 360.
Exclusive titles are a large part of what set the systems apart. Nintendo has been around the longest and owns the most classic franchises, while Sony is a close second after the successful runs of its
first and
Low-Cost Consoles
Give these deals a look if you want to get into this generation of gaming without shelling out too much cash.
Controller
* '''Xbox 360''': Though older Xbox models were sold with wired controllers, wireless is now the standard (nonetheless, the former are still available at pretty reasonable prices). Wireless controllers operate at a 2.5 GHz frequency and last up to 25 hours on the rechargeable batteries. Both versions allow for Xbox 360 keyboard.
* '''PlayStation3''': The PS3's controller, the
Speed and Power
The Wii manages to surpass the original Xbox in graphical power, but unfortunately does not permit high definition viewing; it supports only standard definition 480i and 480p (progressive scan). Games will still look good, but rather than focusing on graphical power, Nintendo opted for a more affordable system with more inventive gameplay. In contrast, the Xbox 360's games are designed to run in 720p high definition, and the system can run noncore supercomputing processor. Games for the PS3 already look better than their Xbox 360 counterparts even though the Xbox 360 was released a year earlier (this gave developers more time to get to know its hardware). The PS3's images are stunningly photorealistic already, and programmers claim that they are just scratching the surface of what the PS3 will eventually be able to do.
The Wii and PS3 have generally short load times. This is because Wii games have relatively small file sizes and run off of optical discs that have enough speed to prevent long load screens. The PS3's optical drive and Bludrive'>360 hard drive.
Memory/Media
* The Wii uses proprietary Optical Discs and has an
SD flash card slot; it does not support CDs or DVDs.
* The 360 supports both discs in a range of formats, including WMA and MP3. It has also been updated to support flash drives. You can also transfer hard360'>transfer kit.
* The PS3 is unique in that it not only supports CDs and DVDs, but it uses
MMC slot and a swappable hard drive.
Backward Compatibility
Backward compatibility is the ability of a system to play games from previous-generation systems. The Xbox 360 is partially backward compatible, while the PS3 and Wii have full capabilities.
The Wii boasts a full range of backward compatibility for games, cables, controllers, and memory cards. The Wii's slotCD, SNK NeoGeo, and Commodore 64. These games can be played either using the Wii Remote turned on its side (ever notice that on its side the Remote looks kind of like the old NES controller?) or using one of the system's other controller options.
The PlayStation 3 can play nearly all discs for the original PlayStation and PS2 via the same slotRay games and movies. If you don't own the disc for a game that you'd like to play for one of those old systems, don't worry: Sony supports a variety of these in the PlayStation Network Store.
The Xbox 360 is backward compatible with some, but not all, games for the original Xbox. Additionally, a hard drive is required to use backwards compatibility, so any Xbox 360 model without a hard drive will be unable to use this feature. Microsoft does not offer downloadable Xbox games the way that Nintendo and Sony do.
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Game Console vs. PC Gaming
What's nice about owning a console instead of simply playing
graphics card or other specs are going to have the necessary power to run the game correctly, as all consoles are manufactured with the same hardware to run the same things.
For local multiplayer gaming, a console hooked up to a TV is far better than cramming many people in front of a tiny computer screen, and many games produced for the consoles are exclusive to their system and are no longer produced for the PC. Furthermore, though controllers are available for computers, console versions usually offer a differentexperience to PC game controllers or a keyboard and mouse.
Xbox 360
Playstation 3
Wii
Related Guides
International Resources
For this resource in your home country, please see:
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FR: Jeux Vidéos
DE: Spielkonsolen
