PS3 CONSOLE

It's finally arrived. How can the PS3 possibly live up to it's high hype, ridiculous price? By being the best ever console and media entertainment system ever . . . ? After being pushed forward countless times, Europe finally has the taste of the latest PlayStation in its hands. Apart from just being a game console, this is a true all-rounder — the cheapest Blu-ray player you can buy, a media server for your music and digital video, and a web-surfer. Compare to the xbox360 there seems to be little it can‚t do, but remember it does cost more than any of its competitors or those that came before it. Can we really believe it? Yes it actually cost £425.

The Boss
Although the ps3 has a juicy price tag, but a little demonstration justifies the price tag. Take one XBOX 360. Now tape its huge power supply, the £130 HD
DVD drive, a Wi-Fi adaptor and a Quick Charge kit — so you don‚t spend a load more on batteries for your controller — to the top. Compare that messy, noisy pile of tech to your PS3, which is sitting quietly on its own thanks to a built-in power supply, Wi-Fi and Blu-ray drive. It‚s an easy choice, even ignoring the fact that your XBOX 360 still has no motion-sensitive control, no HDMI, less processing power and 40GB less storage.

Control
So we say the ps3 is better, what is the experience like? All we need to describe is one word 'amazing'. The SIX-AXIS controller — it senses tilting through three axis and acceleration through three axis, hence the silly name — although the Nintendo Wii‚s controller is more entertaining when a group of friends are around. The impressive graphics and the ok lunch titles are compensative enough.

E1Games asks the question, "Who is the boss? and the answer, "PS3, AMAZING!"

E1Games rating for the PS3 — 5 out of 5

Pros
Best Blu-ray player yet. Free online gaming.

Cons
No hi-def upscaling for old DVDs and games. Controllers don‚t have force feedback.

Tech Specs
Processor: 3.2GHz cell processor
Wi-Fi: Yes
USB: Four ports
HDMI: Yes

Dimensions: 325 x 98 x 274 mm
Weight: 5kg

Disc media type: Blu-Ray
Hard drive storage: 60 GB
Internet/networking capability: Yes
Memory card type: Memory Stick, Compact Flash, SD/MMC
Ethernet: Yes
Memory card slots: Yes
Online gaming: Yes
Backwards compatibility: Yes
Wireless controllers: Yes

Don't forget the PS3 is available now!

XBOX 360 CONSOLE

The XBOX 360 can do a terrifying amount
Innocently powering the console on by pressing the X button on the wireless controller is akin to firing up a web browser on a computer. And, like the web, the 360 is deep, man, very deep . . .

The fact that it's still ostensibly a games console and doesn‚t have one killer stand-out game is, in our opinion, by the by. The Halo/GTA title will come and, in the meantime, the 360‚s media tricks are more than enough to keep us occupied.

Port the saviour
You can plug cameras, MP3 players — iPod and PSP included — and flash keys into the two USB ports hidden behind a flap.

You can also enjoy music and photos on a networked Windows PC
You will need a media center pc if you want video and TV. The is a place called the Xbox Live Marketplace and it is filled with with high-def trailers, themes and more.

It comes with a Prog scan DVD playback as standard, although it doesn't upscale movies to high-def.

E1Games says, "The XBOX 360 is good value for money, but it could have offered more"

E1Games rating for the XBOX 360 — 5 out of 5

Pros
Xbox Live content is second to none. Easy to use. As games consoles go, it's a bit of a looker.

Cons
Hardware isn't awesome.
Wi-Fi not built-in.
No upscaling on DVDs.

Tech specs
Processor: 3.2 GHz PPC Tri-Core Xenon
Storage: 20GB
Wi-Fi: No
Bluetooth: No
USB: 3
Firewire: No
DVI: No
HDMI: No

Dimensions: 309x83x258mm
Weight: 3.5kg

Memory card type: Proprietary
Memory card slots: Yes
Digital audio: No
Analogue video: Yes
Online gaming: Yes
Backwards compatibility: Yes
Disc media type: CD, DVD
Wireless controllers: Yes

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Nintendo Wii CONSOLE

The little white box that makes our grandparents funky again — shall it overthrow the power PS3 and XBOX 360?

This little white box does not have a hi-def graphics, no next-gen video formats, who cares about all this stuff if it brings the whole family together. It is easy to operate, we do not need to update our already updated flat screen to a high definition one.‡ the Wii is all about entertaining us, the gamers. Along comes with it is the crazy motion-sensitive controller and Nintendo's innovative games.

Exercise all parts of your body
The most unusual thing about the Wii is its wireless controls. The Wiimote is the one you'll use at all times — a sensor bar is placed under your telly and wired up to the Wii, giving the Wiimote the ability to aim at points on the screen. It also has gyros to sense how it's being tilted or swung.

For some games, such as the Wii Sports boxing, you‚ll need to attach the Nunchuk to the Wiimote and punch with one in each hand. For Zelda, you'll use the joystick on the Nunchuk for moving around, and the Wiimote for swinging your sword and aiming weapons. A steering wheel is on the way. In most of the launch titles, the controller is a raving success. In Zelda, firing bows and slingshots is immensely satisfying, while Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz throws up more creative uses such as guiding a monkey-in-a-ball round corners using tilting. Less impressive conversions like Need for Speed Carbon, though, serve as a warning that not all games are suitable for a Wii makeover.

E1Games says, "invite your friends over, bring out your Wiimote and entertain them"

E1Games rating for the Nintendo Wii — 5 out of 5

Pros
The most fun gaming experience ever. Motion-sensitivity better than PS3‚s tilt joy-pad. Great price. Sega classics available to download online.

Cons
Basic, standard-def graphics. No multiplayer online gaming. Not all games suit the format. No DVD playback.

Tech specs
Processor: IBM Broadway
Storage: 512MB
Wi-Fi: Yes
Bluetooth: Yes
USB: 2 ports
HDMI: No
Memory card type: SD and GameCube
Memory card slots: Yes
Digital audio: No
Analogue video: Yes
Online gaming: Yes
Backwards compatibility: Yes
Disc media type: DVD/GameCube
Wireless controllers: Yes