Best console for crime?

April 29, 2008 9:52 AM

Should I get an XBox 360 or Playstation 3 to play Grand Theft Auto IV?
posted by plexi to sports, hobbies, & recreation (19 comments total)

I have the opposite dilemma as you- I have a 360 and a PS3 and am deciding whether or not to get GTA IV for 360 or PS3.

I've heard that there's exclusive content that's only going to be released on Xbox Live (more missions, etc.), so I think it makes better sense to get the 360 - if you don't mind paying for xbox live service.
posted by unexpected at 9:53 AM on April 29, 2008

Is GTA4 the only way you're going to use your new console?
Are you interested in exclusive game titles for either system?
Interested in Bluray playback?

If not, the game is going to be effectively identical on both systems, so it should come down to price.
Whichever one's cheaper this week.
posted by jozxyqk at 9:57 AM on April 29, 2008

The IGN review says it is better on the PS3.
posted by ND¢ at 10:00 AM on April 29, 2008

What other types of games do you like? There aren't as many exclusives anymore. Ratchet & Clank, Uncharted, Heavenly Sword and the upcoming God of War 3 are PS3 exclusives. Those were my reasons for choosing the PS3.

List of PS3 games, sortable by exclusives.
posted by peep at 10:05 AM on April 29, 2008

To add to unexpected's answer - you don't have to pay for Live! to get downloadable content. You generally have to pay for the actual content, but not to simply connect to Live!. You only have to pay if you intend to play online, which may or may not be a deal-breaker for you. I think the game comes with a free one-month trial of Live! Gold, though, which is the subscription needed to play online.

If GTAIV is the only consideration, and you don't mind having to pay a subscription to Live! to use multiplayer(or don't care about multiplayer at all), go X360. Otherwise, you'll need to look at other things like overall game libraries(do you care at all about Metal Gear Solid IV or Final Fantasy XIII? PS3 exclusives. Gears of War and Halo titles are, if you don't count the PC, X360 exclusives.).
posted by owtytrof at 10:05 AM on April 29, 2008

Well, you don't have to pay for Xbox Live to download content. You do have to pay for Xbox Live to play online with multiplayer.

If you do buy an Xbox 360, make sure its a newer console with the 65nm GPU, and also that its the Pro edition with the hard drive. I've heard that GTAIV has issues with Xbox 360 core systems, and that using the hard drive for caching really helps.

As far as both systems go:

The plusses for the PS3:
Free online play (no Xbox Live subscription)
Slightly better framerates and less pop-in, somewhat slightly better look.
SIXAXIS motion support (though most will probably turn this off)
Slightly improved load times due to hard drive install.

For the Xbox 360:
Future downloadable content. May be new missions, may be additional city content. Given the amount of money MS paid for exclusivity, this may be significant.
People are saying that the Xbox 360 version runs at a slightly higher resolution (720p vs the PS3 630p). This doesn't seem to be apparent in the end visuals, however.
Achievements / Gamerscore can add gameplay.

If I had to bet, though, I would guess that the PS3 version will get the additional content -- it may not be "downloadable" but would more likely appear as a physical disc or may be included in the inevitable "Game of the Year" edition that will probably come out this holiday season.

A lot of enthusiasts are buying the PS3 version now, and will consider the Xbox 360 version once the DLC is announced, to see if its worth it.

Personally, I'm getting the PS3 version now, I have a launch Xbox 360 and am extremely worried about red-ringing it at this point. I also have a huge aversion to paying for downloadable content on the Xbox 360 since the DRM right now locks to a specific console, and mine is on the road to failure at this point.

Without either, I would say: get the console that has more other games that you would want to play. If you want to play online, get the version for the console that most of your friends will have.
posted by curse at 10:08 AM on April 29, 2008

People are saying that the Xbox 360 version runs at a slightly higher resolution (720p vs the PS3 630p). This doesn't seem to be apparent in the end visuals, however.

It is apparent when playing at 720p, as the PS3 version is a little blurrier as it needs to be rescaled from 630p to 720p, and the x360 is a little sharper at 720p, as it's at the native resolution. As to which is more visually pleasing though that's pretty much left to individual preference. (full disclosure: I already picked up the x360 version last night.)
posted by yeoz at 10:23 AM on April 29, 2008

The other point in favour of going for the Xbox 360 version, is that the online multiplayer service is more established than the PS3 equivalent. A 360 allows players to invite friends who are playing other games, and see the status of any friends at any time. Also voice chat is much more common on Xbox live (which can be a double edged sword) which means that co-operative games are often more effective on the 360.

Of course you have to pay an annual fee to play on live, but you do get more for your money.

Realistically, you're probably not going to notice which platform you are playing GTA IV on, so it will come down to other questions, such as the price that you can get each for, what other games you want to play and whether you want to be able to play Blu-ray discs, much more than the minor variances in performance of GTA IV.
posted by Mattat at 10:31 AM on April 29, 2008

Do you have friends who will be playing GTA4? Which console do they own? What other games do you like playing? Any upcoming games for either console that you are looking forward to? Are you interested in the blu-ray capability of the PS3? Do you enjoy online play for other games?

Don't make your hardware decision based on one game that's available for both, because I honestly don't believe the difference between the two versions is enough that you will notice when playing. When viewed side-by-side, perhaps yes. Get the console that is the best fit for you and your friends and gaming tastes.
posted by Joh at 10:41 AM on April 29, 2008

As an aside, a friend had a PS3. We ran Linux on it, which was the only interesting thing to do at the time. Now he has an Xbox 360, and we play games on it. (Not GNibbles or whatever it's called.)

If you solely want GTA4, maybe the PS3 is better. But none of my friends with the PS3 have found many other good games for it.
posted by fogster at 12:37 PM on April 29, 2008

Go to the store and see what controller you like better. The 360 will eventually support Blu-ray so that isn't much of an issue unless you want it now. If you are going to play online, Live is far superior to the PS3's offering. Do any of the exclusive games turn you on? Because that might make the decision really easy.

Although I am a geek. I have both. That is the way to do it. ;-)
posted by Silvertree at 12:38 PM on April 29, 2008

Not that I'll let it stop me from picking it up, but heads up that there have been reported lockup issues on both platforms.
posted by juv3nal at 12:56 PM on April 29, 2008

The 360 will eventually support Blu-ray

Whoa, slow down there cowboy, no one knows that for sure.
posted by tracert at 1:17 PM on April 29, 2008

Whoa, slow down there cowboy, no one knows that for sure.

They don't? :-D

Ok, assuming that nobody does know and look at a few things. Microsoft could have made the HD-DVD built in instead of an add on but they didn't which makes it easy for them to add a Blu-Ray player. Microsoft is trying to make the 360 a media hub. How could that possibly be the case if they don't support the current HD standard, especially with the current broadband speeds? Really, it is a coin flip on what is better except for the fact that the PS3 can play HD disks. Do you honestly think that Microsoft is not going to remedy that flaw?
posted by Silvertree at 1:44 PM on April 29, 2008

No, but I honestly think that nothing has been officially announced yet, and that bold statements about things you aren't sure about are not good advice.
posted by tracert at 2:17 PM on April 29, 2008

I am sure, based on what I wrote and on other things. I don't go spouting off when my name (or even a user name) is attached. But if you would like to continue the discussion contact me via mail please so that we don't hijack this thread.
posted by Silvertree at 3:40 PM on April 29, 2008

Lazlow, who does most of the in-game audio, says go with Xbox for downloadable content
posted by shinynewnick at 6:45 PM on April 29, 2008

Even if the Xbox gets Blu-ray down the line, it will most likely be available for movies only and not gaming. What developer would be willing to make Blu-ray Xbox 360 games that only a small subset of Xbox consoles can play? For me the small price difference between the PS3 and Xbox means I'll get the one with more technical strength for the second half of this generation's life cycle--in other words, a PS3.
posted by reformedjerk at 9:46 PM on April 29, 2008

FWIW, Tycho at Penny Arcade doesn't seem to see a clear path.
posted by rush at 6:12 PM on April 30, 2008