The much-awaited next-generation games consoles are finally here. Here's our quick take on them, with buying options.

Xbox 360: This has been out for over a year with a wide range of excellent games already. Though the graphics might not be quite as powerful as the PS3, the 360 is high definition, considerably cheaper, and available now. It already has the well-developed Xbox Live community for online gaming, and is designed to work seamlessly with MP3 players, video cameras, and other media devices. It can even link to a home network and communicate directly with your PC. Must buys/rents (in our opinion) are Halo 3, Gears of War, and Oblivion.

Wii: OK, the graphics aren't High Definition, but the Wii makes it up pure fun with the innovative motion-sensing "Wiimote" (not to mention the cheap price). Yes, it is a different kind of gameplay, which will appeal to non-gamers. Nintendo won't win in the pure power/graphics category, but the broad appeal and price will probably expand the hobby to non-gamers more than the other consoles. It really does bring a whole different level of interactivity as you swing the wiimote as a sword or aim as a gun. Hardcore gamers will probably pick up a cheap Wii in addition to either an Xbox360 or PS3. Must buys/rents (in our opinion) are Zelda Twilight Princess and Red Steel. You should definitely buy Wii Play with Remote, worth it for the value of the extra remote alone, plus several more fun minigames like in Wii Play.

PS3: Yes, this is the most powerful in terms of processing power and graphics out there, so if you must have the state of the art, the PS3 will be it. The numbers are impressive; it's 250 times more powerful than the PS2. Much of the cost is the built-in Blu-Ray High Definition disc drive; if this new Sony format wins out against the rival HD-DVD format, then much of the price will be justified to get the high-spec drive alone, (though that is still a toss-up). Sony needs to break into Xbox Live territory and push online gaming, which the PS3 will undoubtedly do. Must buy/rent games are Resistance, Fall of Man, and Heavenly Sword.

 

Games Console Comparison Table

	Xbox 360	Wii	Playstation 3
Maker	Microsoft	Nintendo	Sony
Top resolution	720p	480p	1080p
Processor Speed	3.2 Ghz	.7 Ghz	3.2 Ghz
Main Memory	512MB	64MB external, 512MB internal flash memory	256MB
Graphics Memory	10MB Embedded DRAM	3MB Embedded	256MB
Graphics Chip	ATI at 500 Mhz	Hollywood at 243 Mhz	RSX at 525 Mhz
Floating Point Operations	1 TFLOP	1 FPU	~2 TFLOPS
Price (Amazon)	Buy (20GB version) for $349.99	Buy for ~$394+ (so high currently due to low supply, regular price $250)	Buy (60 GB version) for ~$455

Games-Rental-Guide.com is not responsible for variations in pricing or difficulties ordering these consoles. The data is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing. Happy Gaming!