How to choose what video game console to buy?

Question

What parameters should I consider in buying a game console?

Answer

The parameters you should consider are:

• What games are available for each platform.
• Single-shot price for the console itself as well as peripherals and games.
• Availability of peripherals and games in your region.
• Availability of online extras in your region, such as support for online multiplayer, and their recurring prices.
• Available hard disk space, if you intend to use it.
• Other console capabilities other than gaming - e.g. PS3's Blu-ray drive, the ability to use the console as a media server, etc.
• Finally, investigate the specific games you are interested in, and compare their versions - is one version prettier than the other? Smoother? With less bugs? etc. This is of course unknown for future games, but there are already a lot of games released now. Take a look at this question to find out how to compare the versions.

I intentionally left out graphics or processing power from the above list, since that is either obvious (everybody knows PS3 > Wii) or the differences are small enough that what you need to focus on is the difference in specific games. Game A may look better on XBox than on PS3, while game B the other way around.

Now, as for which parameters should carry more weight, that's entirely up to you. Is price important for you? How about multiplayer gaming? Pretty graphics? Game availability? Make your own decisions about what is more important that what.

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