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Gaming Gear<br />
1 4 2 WIRED TEST<br />
Consoles<br />
A year (or so) out of the gate, the leading gaming systems are jockeying<br />
for position with new features, lower prices, and heaps of downloadable<br />
content. Here’s what all you fence-sitters are missing. —CARLOS BERGFELD<br />
Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite<br />
$450 • xbox.com<br />
When word got out that an HDMI-enabled, ebonycased<br />
version of the Xbox 360 would arrive this spring,<br />
nerdga<strong>sm</strong>s radiated across the Intertubes. But aside<br />
from a 120-gig hard drive, everything under the hood<br />
is the same. The Elite has a 3.2-GHz PowerPC triplecore<br />
CPU, an ATI-designed 500-MHz graphics chip,<br />
and 512 megs of RAM. Yeah, still pretty fast.<br />
HDMI-ISH HDMI 1.2a support means seamless hi-def<br />
action. But without HDMI 1.3—as the PlayStation 3<br />
has—geeky audio features like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-<br />
HD Master Audio are out of reach. Still, Microsoft has<br />
updated the 360’s software to output full 1080p video,<br />
whether you’re using HDMI cables with the Elite or<br />
component cables with a standard 360.<br />
THE HALO EFFECT Want to crack alien skulls in<br />
Bungie’s super sequel, Halo 3? Microsoft’s console is<br />
your only choice for now. But there’s more to gaming<br />
than Halo (seriously)—the 360’s game library is the<br />
largest and strongest of the three consoles.<br />
MEDIA ON DEMAND Xbox Live is still king of the<br />
online arena, and Microsoft has expanded its offerings<br />
significantly since launch. Movies, TV shows, and original<br />
Xbox Live Arcade titles make it easy to score 24hour<br />
entertainment. The sheer breadth of original<br />
content dwarfs both Nintendo’s and Sony’s offerings.<br />
EDITORS’<br />
PICK<br />
Nintendo Wii<br />
$250 • wii.com<br />
Many retail outlets sold out of Nintendo’s tiny triumph<br />
on day one of its release last fall. And deservedly so:<br />
Using the motion-sensing Wii remote to swing a virtual<br />
racquet or blast zombies is damn fun. But a lack of<br />
standout titles and the Wii’s less-than-impressive, non-<br />
HD graphics—a limitation of the system’s relatively<br />
scrawny processors—could hurt the console down the<br />
road. Not as much as a giant enemy crab, but still.<br />
COMPLETE CONTROL A gyroscope, infrared positioning<br />
sensors, force feedback, and a built-in speaker<br />
make the Wiimote the most unique controller since<br />
the original NES Gamepad. The motion-sensing mechani<strong>sm</strong>s<br />
work beautifully and are able to distinguish<br />
inexperienced flailing by first-timers from fine adjustments<br />
in pitch by Wii Sports golf pros.<br />
FRIENDS ONLY PLZ Wii online play is focused<br />
more on family than fanatical fraggers. Online matches<br />
don’t allow chatting with potentially scary strangers<br />
and even require you to enter a multidigit “friend code”<br />
to play with people you know.<br />
SHAKEDOWN 1989 No need to dust off that old<br />
16-bit system—the Wii’s Virtual Console lets you enjoy<br />
a perfectly ported library of classic Nintendo, Sega<br />
Genesis, and TurboGrafx 16 titles, ranging from Sonic<br />
the Hedgehog 2 to Mario Kart 64.<br />
Sony PlayStation 3<br />
$599 (80 GB) • playstation.com<br />
Even with a $100 price cut in July, Sony’s deluxe<br />
console hasn’t gained much traction with gamers.<br />
Its list of titles brings the phrase weak sauce to mind.<br />
But the PS3 is a technical powerhouse with loads of<br />
untapped potential, packing a 4.6-GHz multicore cell<br />
processor, a 550-MHz graphics chip, and 256 MB of<br />
RAM—better specs than some desktops.<br />
DOES EVERYTHING... A built-in Blu-ray player,<br />
tons of media card readers, an easily upgradable hard<br />
drive, and PC connectivity give PS3 users plenty of<br />
entertainment options. HDMI 1.3 support and 1080p<br />
output mean the PS3 is an HDTV’s BFF. Updated PSP<br />
firmware now allows handheld owners to access content<br />
on their PS3 hard drives from virtually anywhere.<br />
...EXCEPT GAMES The PS3’s Achilles’ heel is<br />
its lack of quality titles. Though several games out<br />
this holiday season look promising, there’s certainly<br />
no Halo 3 equivalent on Sony’s platform. Hotly<br />
anticipated titles like Metal Gear Solid 4 won’t hit<br />
shelves until sometime next year.<br />
PEEWEE PLAYHOUSE Sony’s answer to Xbox<br />
Live and Nintendo’s Mii avatars, PlayStation Home is<br />
essentially a lackluster mix of The Sims and Second<br />
Life. Users can decorate virtual dwellings, interact<br />
with others, play games, and buy and sell stuff.<br />
GENE LEE, STYLED BY ROB OXENHAM/ARTIST UNTIED
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