X-Box & PS2

milanlad

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I'm into AV, broadband, computing etc etc., but I've never looked at a games consoles. I want to buy either an X-BOX or PS2.

What are the main advantages and/or disadvantages for each setup?

Thanks in advance for any info.
 
PS2

Bigger games catalogue
Smaller controller
No online play out of the box

XBox

Better graphics
DD 5.1 sound
Xbox Live (amazing) - out of the box
HDD for game saves (no memory cards required).


I have both and without wishing to start any arguments believe the XBox is streets ahead of the PS2. However, there are certain titles available on the PSD2 which are not available on the XBox. Also, you may find many more friends, neighbours with PS2 titles to borrow than Xbox.

If I were buying now which would I go for (knowing them both)?

XBOX - without a second thought.

HTH. There are many other threads in this forum offering this info already so worth using the search function.
 
Quite simple, if you like online gaming, XBox, no question:eek:
Graphics are better and online facilities far exceeds Sonys version of the "dashboard"
However Xbox Live has been running longer than the PS2's so who knows what the future will bring?
The PS2 has a bigger back catalogue, but who really buy's old games, surely gamers are always after the next big thing!

Matt

You beat me to it Vol and with better info:blush: :p

Matt:D

PS. Vol, lost you last night after Dutch closed the game:(
 
Usually you get 1 controller and standard lead. Dixons et al sell various leads to connect just about anything, component/Optical for Dolby Digital Sound/SVhs/RGB etc etc. Online disc is £49.99 with headset.

Matt
 
Xbox is not live (online) out of the box. you still have to pay a 40 quid subscription in the end.


for the casual gamer, or the beginner... I wouldn’t hesitate to say the PS2. XB is good, one look at halo will confirm this, but at the end of the day its just one game (well until the second one comes along :D)
the XB is really just geared around live play. so if you aren't going live then you will soon get bored with the lack lustre release list. if you are going online then its well worth a look at.

the PS2 basically just has more. its a great primary system. the Xbox and GameCube are great secondary systems. I could never live with just the XB or just the cube.... I would end up trying to scalp my self with a rusty spoon or something.
if you like football, the PS2 has the best choice. if you like racing, it has the best choice. if you like other sport games, it has the best choice. if you like action adventure, it has the best choice. if you like arcade games, it has the best choice... you see where im going with this...
there are true classics in the back catalogue too.

graphically the XB is the most powerful. but as yet no game has shown the true potential of the system. my view is that the GC has produced the best looking games so far. and although old, the PS2 is no slouch in the graphics department either. look at the more experienced developers games to justify this.

the XB outputs DD 5.1 through a separately acquired cable. all games support this. its a MS requirement.
the PS2 can out put a variety of sound. most common is pro logic II. less common is 5.1 as this uses processing power of the machine. and then there is the DTS support. games such as SSX3 and GTAVC use this feature. but overall the XB is the sound mans choice, especially when you can create custom soundtracks.

personally, I would rate them in this order:
PS2. Basically it has the most games that I prefer to play on it.
XB. massive potential. online leader. iffy one player though.
GC. slow and steady. when the good games come they don’t disappoint.

so to answer your question.... buy all three. problem solved ;)
 
Originally posted by NAI
so to answer your question.... buy all three. problem solved ;)
I agree, although I'd get the PS2 last or even not at all. I have all three systems and my favourite is actually the GameCube and PS2 is definitely the weakest. The XBox is probably the best bet all round if you're only going to get one machine.

XBox now has a pretty good catalogue of games, it generally sells well and is well supported (unlike the Cube in PAL markets), has the best online play, has the best hardware, and multi-format game releases are typically better on the XBox.
 
i would wait a year and a half and get the next nintendo console :D
 
Get a Xbox and connect it at an av system and you will be amazed. ALso get live which is awesome. The xbox now has some top notch games with more to come.


A big back catalogue of ps2 games means nothing if 90% of them are rubbish! Trust me i've played a lot of them on my mates one.

If you can pick one up cheaply then get a dreamcast! A great choice for a 2nd or perhaps 3rd machine.

It may have had a short life span but the games were excellent and I spent many an hour playing them. :smashin:

Gamecube may also be a good choice
 
Originally posted by NAI
Xbox is not live (online) out of the box. you still have to pay a 40 quid subscription in the end.

Agreed, but you can use the 2 month free trial offers in effect making it Live Enabled out of the Box and available to play online on Xmas morning :D (with the right game of course but most bundles now include a Live enabled game - MM3, PGR2, etc)
 
Originally posted by NAI
personally, I would rate them in this order:
PS2. Basically it has the most games that I prefer to play on it.
XB. massive potential. online leader. iffy one player though.
GC. slow and steady. when the good games come they don’t disappoint.

It's all down to personal preferences, and I have to say I disagree. And as for the "iffy one player" on the XBox comment I really can't see where that comes from?

If you are only going to own one console, IMHO it has to be the XBox. Many titles these days are multi-platform, and in most cases the XBox version is superior.

Throw in some pretty good XBox (console) exclusive titles - Halo, Project Gotham Racing 2, Top Spin, Crimson Skies, Knights Of The Old Republic.

Then add the best console online system bar none in XBox Live, along with a great price and some very attractive bundles, and it's hard to see past the XBox as the one to get.

The PS2 does have many games, that's true. But how many truly quality games? The main example that is often quoted, the Grand Theft Auto series, is coming to the XBox anyway now.

I've had all three consoles. The Gamecube I gave away to my mum as I never played it, the PS2 I only ever use with my kids on the Eyetoy... The XBox is the only console that I ever play for my own enjoyment.
 
Just remember that there is no 'best' console; only a right one for you, and that's the one which best suits your needs. That may be one with a wide variety of games and assured long term prospects (PS2), or one with great technical performance and online play (Xbox), or one which is affordable and allows you to play Nintendo's first-party titles (Gamecube).
 
Well I'm fairly crap at playing any type of game so an online game playing system (XBox Live) would see me jumping up and down on the console mashing it in frustration in about 15 minutes :)

I like racing / driving games and also the old style games (defender, etc). One BIG point for me is the cost of games, at £25 to £50 a game I buy maybe a couple a year - they're just all to damn dear! And if you spend £40 on a game and then find out you don't like it you're stuffed, no store allows you to take them back and swap (well, some will over xmas but not many)

I bought a PS2 when they first came out and like it. Had a quick play with an XBox (a present for son) and couldn't really say its that much better graphically.

One good thing is with a large back catalogue of games for the PS2 a lot of them are coming out at budget prices, which for me would make my mind up. Oh, and just because they're old doesn't mean they're crap. Is GT 3 A-Spec crap? I think not! :)

And if I wanted the latest, greatest all the time I'd have a super PC platform and be spending £400 on the latest graphics card every 3 months! No Way!!! :)
 
Game prices aren't as bad as you suggest. For starters, Game have a 10-day return policy so you can try out games and make sure you don't get a duffer.

However, I'd recommend you buy online from places like Amazon and Play.com, where most new games are just £30. Also, your local indie retailer should be pretty affordable (mine sells new games for about £35), and they'll give you better trade-in prices for your old games than somewhere like game. In effect you can buy a game for £30-35, and then trade it in later for about £15-20, which is a far less expensive way of doing things.
 
Originally posted by fraggle


I bought a PS2 when they first came out and like it. Had a quick play with an XBox (a present for son) and couldn't really say its that much better graphically.


Thats because games companies make games for the ps2 and being lazy just port to the xbox and gamecube without optimizing for them.

See games specially made for xbox and gamecube and they are miles better then the ps2.
 
I have both .
The only games I bother playing on the PS2 are GTA3 and VC.
The Xbox is used 90% of the time. Halo, KOTOR, XIII have all had a huge chunk of my gaming time this past year.
 
Originally posted by fraggle
Well I'm fairly crap at playing any type of game so an online game playing system (XBox Live) would see me jumping up and down on the console mashing it in frustration in about 15 minutes :)

I like racing / driving games and also the old style games (defender, etc). One BIG point for me is the cost of games, at £25 to £50 a game I buy maybe a couple a year - they're just all to damn dear! And if you spend £40 on a game and then find out you don't like it you're stuffed, no store allows you to take them back and swap (well, some will over xmas but not many)

If you are 'crap', then XBox live would actually be good. All you need to do is find a set of similarly skilled players and you'll have a whale of a time.

And if you do buy just a few games per year, the XBox makes even more sense as you can get much more out of the game by playing online as well as single player. Games like Mechassault (very average in one player) have huge replay value online, and can be picked up very cheaply now. Plus of course the XBox Live system allows new content to be downloaded for games like MechAssault, Splinter Cell, GRIT, etc.
 
Originally posted by Willy
Just remember that there is no 'best' console; only a right one for you, and that's the one which best suits your needs.
exactly :)
each platform has different "types" of games that cant be beaten on other consoles
for instance (this is just my opinion)
the gamecube cant be beaten for platform, RPG or racing games
ps2 has the best fighting and novelty games and the biggest library
never realy played an xbox and dont like microsoft anyway

you just need to find what you like and go for that otherwise you will be dissapointed whith what you buy
 
Ah the ole' which console is better debate! Technically as has been said the X-Box is the most powerfull and has 5.1 sound. However the technically better console is not always the Best! To say one is better than the other is just daft really as it's a very personal issue. My mate for eg. has just traded in his X-Box for a PS2 with pro evo 3. Pro evo 3 is only available on PS2 and PC and who in their right mind would buy the PC version?? Not because the PC version is bad but just because it's a game to be played with your mate(s) on a comfy sofa infront of a large widescreen telle! Pro Evo 3 is IMO not only by far the best footie game ever made but one of the greatest video games full stop. Then there's the Gran Turismo series, which are also PS2 exclusive and although PGR2 is class GT3 is still my fave racer, well until GT4 comes out. Then there's the Dual shock2 pads, easily the best console pads going. Ok so X-Box has Halo, but this is now available on PC and is far better with a mouse and keyboard anyway. I guess if you analyse the PS2 and X-Box games enough then you can detect better graphics etc on the X-Box but I noticed very little difference between X-Box SCII round my mates and my PS2 version. SO the PS2 is more popular, better looking, has better controllers, a larger games library and the best footie and racing games IMO. The X-Box has better sound and sharper graphics. It's all a matter of weighing up the pro's and con's and how they affect you and then make your decision.

GT
 
the argument that ps2 is popular, is not a selling point, millions buy the news of the world, doesnt mean its worth reading.:)

the graphics are noticeably sharper on xbox, take something like panzer dragoon - would be impossible on ps2. also textures are miles better.

having had both, i d get an xbox you can do so much more with one, esp modded one. mines got 1000s of MAMEX arcade games like outrun and space harrier on it, and theres absolutely loads of games out for it,

eg gta vice city, deus ex, ridge racer evo, proj gotham 2, halo with halo 2 in 4 months, beyond good and evil, top spin, rallisport challenge, crimson skies, in fact too many good games. The pepl who say theres just Halo dont know what theyre talking about.
 
In my opinion - xbox all the way:)

even once you've concidered the superior exclusive games, and the superior ports (gta:vc may have taken a while, but it blows even the pc version away), there's a whole new bunch of tricks awaiting you if you buy a mod chip.........


It'll play nearly every video and audio format known (mp3,ogg divx xvid ect), it has fully work emulators for the old skool consoles - megadrive, snes atari, commador and loads more.....i can even play mario64 and lylat wars/starfox 64 on my xbox lol.

Then there's the ability to store full games on the hdd, meaning quicker load times and you dont even need the cd. You can upgrade the hdd to practically any size you want now (12gb is the most popular choice), then you can store films, games, whatever you want on it.


Yes i know, that does basically make it a pc - but it's a pc for around £130 that also does everything an xbox does:)

Modded xbox's are the the best consoels right now.
 
what annoys me about the xb is that it may be the most powerful console in the world.... but it still cant remember the damn time!? :laugh:

oh and i really hate having to 'log-on' to a game that is only ever going to be played in single player on XB. i almost returned motogp2 for making me do this.
the fact is in some XB games, the single player experience feels tacked on. and the online element is the main part of the game. but really lets not get bogged down with debate.

its either the XB or PS2. GC is genius but not the best for the casual gamer.
the XB and PS2 pretty much have the same games. PS2 has a few more. XB has better online.

but remember online is a single aspect of games. not there entirety. games have always been single player and will always be single player.
 

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