PlayStation 3 vs Xbox 360: Price Comparison Revisited
It’s been 6 months since I wrote the first entry in my PlayStation 3 vs Xbox 360 series, and much has changed. Since the time of writing, both consoles have stepped up to release a higher end bundle, along with a core package with intentions of meeting everyone’s needs. While the PS3’s packages don’t vary all that much in regards to hardware and bundled accessories, the Xbox 360’s sure do. The amount of comments I receive “correcting” me on the prices in Comparison Part 1 has been increasing steadily, so I figured it would be worth revisiting this topic to see how things have changed.
HD Gaming/Entertainment Bundles
Each platform has a “premium” bundle, which is meant for those people who will be spending countless hours each week playing games and watching HD movies. If you want to get the absolute most out of your console, here’s what you’re going to have to fork out… (All prices in USD.)
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|
| System Bundle | $499.99 | $449.99 |
| Wireless Controller | Included | Included |
| Recharge Cable/Batteries | Included | Play & Charge Kit – $29.99 |
| Storage | 80GB HDD | 120GB HDD |
| HD Video Cable | Component or HDMI – $29.99 | Component, HDMI |
| HD Movie Format | Blu-ray | HD DVD Add-on – $179.99 |
| Headset/mic | Equivalent Wired USB – $19.99 | Wired USB |
| Wi-Fi | Included | Wireless Adapter – $94.99 |
| $549.97 | $754.96 |
Update: Corrected the price of the Xbox 360 Elite (had the CDN price originally) and removed the Digital Audio Cable option since if you’re using HDMI, you wouldn’t need it. Both total prices have been adjusted accordingly.
Regardless of which console you favor, you have to admit that it’s pretty impressive that the PS3 tops out at $50 over the retail bundle. Where as, the Xbox 360 will cost you nearly $300 more if you want all of the goodies.
Barebones Bundles
Near the end of 2007, a budget bundle was released for both platforms. These are supposed to be for the casual gamer who’s not interested in HD movies.
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|
| System Bundle | $399.99 | $279.99 |
| Wireless Controller | Included | Included |
| Recharge Cable/Batteries | Included | Not Included |
| Storage | 40GB HDD | 256MB MU |
| Video Cable | Composite AV | Composite AV |
| HD Movie Format | Blu-ray | Not Included |
| Headset/mic | Not Included | Not Included |
| Wi-Fi | Included | Not Included |
| $399.99 | $279.99 |
Overall, the PS3 still packs more bang for your buck in terms of hardware. The option for HD movies is there, even in the base package – all that’s required is a $30 HDMI or component cable. And with the state of the format war being what it is currently, the PS3 has become very desirable. It appears that Sony did make the right move by packing Blu-ray into the PS3.
Some of you may be wondering what happened to the rest of the articles in my PlayStation 3 vs Xbox 360 Comparison series… believe it or not, I’m still making notes and preparing to wrap it up. Part 3 is going to focus on games, and at the time when I got my PS3, there really wasn’t much out. I wanted to see what both platforms had to offer over the holidays and I’ve put a good amount of time into both, so you can expect to see Part 3 rolling out some time in the near future.