Wii or PS3?

November 16, 2007 Tech Clash

With Christmas rapidly approaching, many will have to make a crucial decision – Playstation 3 or Wii? These are two vastly different video game systems, so it all boils down to what type of gamer you are. Some people want to sit on the couch and veg out; others want to feel like they are part of the action. Whatever the case may be, these two systems offer distinctly different kinds of gameplay.

If you are the kind of person who doesn’t like to sit around lazily and play video games, then the Wii is the way to go. The wireless “controllers” are basically like 3D motion sensors which can sense how fast and in what direction you are moving the controller. The Wii turns games, especially sports ones like tennis, into more of an activity than a sluggish way to kill time. Instead of merely hitting a sequence of buttons on a typical controller, you have to physically swing the controller like a tennis racket. It’s hard not to move your feet and step into each swing like you would if you were in an actual tennis match, and I’ve seen even fit people work up a little sweat after a few games. This kind of action appeals to a much broader range of people, as anyone from children to adults – regardless of how good you are at “normal” video games – can pick up a Wii controller and have a great time.

While the Wii may offer remarkably active involvement, those who enjoy amazing gameplay and incredible graphics cannot shy away from the Playstation 3. This thing can even play Blu-Ray DVDs, which in case you aren’t familiar are basically high definition DVDs that can play in 1080p (if you are still completely clueless what this means, you need to go buy a new TV). The most realistic commercial video game system around, the PS3 is downright amazing. Even when playing online – which in older systems used to a rough experience because of how much lag there – you can barely notice a difference in gameplay. The graphics in sports games are so good that you can see sweat beading down players’ foreheads. Plus, unlike the Wii, the PS3 is actually consistently available in stores. They’ve even been so kind as to offer a 40GB version now, which starts at $399.

Here is a great diagram from The Onion to help analyze this great debate further: