PS3 fans buy more digital content than Xbox buffs do

British PS3 owners are more willing to splash the cash on digital content than their Xbox 360 counterparts, it has been claimed. Research showed that 17 per cent of PS3 gamers paid for digital content during the last 12 months, compared to 11 per cent of those who own an Xbox 360. Sony shills will probably say that has …

[Anonymous Coward]

Xbox is a bit comical

When it comes to doing anything other than playing games and before you lot start, yes I have PS3 & XBOX.

XBOX plays less video formats, requires you to be signed in (or did last time I tried) to play a film from a USB stick, never plays well with non-MS media server and, extra super comically, requires you to pay for a Gold memberhsip (£40/yr last time I looked) to stream vids from the Netflix/Lovefilm accounts You already pay for. What a monumental cock up THAT is.

PS3 in the other hand plays most formats (not MKV sadly), plays well with non-MS media servers (e.g. Mediatomb, uShare) and has free access to your own Netflix/Lovefilm accounts. Cinavia is a pain in the arse though. Oh and it plays BluRay.

[QuinnDexter]

Re: Xbox is a bit comical

I agree. I NEVER use my Xbox for anything other than games, and my PS3 use is 50/50 for games and other media

[Mr Brush]

Re: Xbox is a bit comical

No arguments here. Came to post pretty much the same thing.

I love my XBox for gaming (and I do buy a fair bit of DLC), but it's not much use as a media hub. Too noisy and rubbish codec support.

Mine is an old Premium console and newer models may be quieter, but in spite of Microsoft's re-positioning strategies, it's just not a very good media box.

[Miek]

Re: Xbox is a bit comical

"Cinavia is a pain in the arse though" -- Couldn't agree more. I backed up my DVDs to my PC and ran a media server only to find that my PS3 simply mutes the sound for most of the movies.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Xbox is a bit comical

When I got my PS3 its exactly what I bought it for; media & games. Even got myself a bluetooth remote control. Which is kinda cool; it always surprises people that I don't have to point the thing anywhere close to the device.

[JeffyPooh]

Re: Xbox is a bit comical

PS3 Media / Blu-ray Disc RC - There are two versions. CECH-ZR1U (the more common one that everyone buys) and CECH-ZRC1U (the better one, more buttons and IR for TV and sound system). Same price (YMMV). Got the latter just last night for $15.

I bought a 2nd PS3 when it was on sale to use as a Blu-ray and up scaling DVD player. Damn good disc player. Best up scaling DVD player around.

[Fox2319]

Points mean?

I've got both and have bought things on the PS3 several times in the past. However, every time I see something on xbox that looks remotely interesting, I'm put off by the whole abstraction of their points system.

Fine, your DLC costs only 200 points but you can only buy them in multiples of 800 or something stupid like that

[Miek]

Re: Points mean?

By using "Points", it hides the true value of DLC in terms of it's currency value. Shady tactics. I like the PS3 because you don't have to pay to subscribe to use on-line features and the store is priced using your local currency. Another point is that on the PS3 you can subscribe to the 'plus' service and receive games and goodies for free/reduced each month.

One thing I envy about the Xbox is the in game messaging and friends interfaces, the voice recording is quite neat. The PS3 equivalent is very sluggish and this makes it difficult to use in-game.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Points mean?

That's another pro for PS3 indeed; although you can purchase a certain amount "up front" which you can then later use to purchase games you can also simply tell the system to charge your creditcard for the exact amount.

[Tom 260]

Re: Points mean?

The buying in multiples applies to both systems though, you can only put a minimum of £5 on your PS3 wallet, just as the smallest amount of points you can get is either 400 (instore or online from Game/Gamestation at £3.50) or 500 (direct from Microsoft, £4.25 as I recall).

I do agree on the obfuscation created by points though, it does hide the true price, such as most 800 points items (£6.99) are cheaper than the PS3 equivalents (varies from £7.19 to £7.99). The reverse can also apply at other price levels, so its not a clear cut one is cheaper than the other. One thing I do notice is that compared to the US Playstation Network prices, you pay more in the UK than just VAT would account for.

>>"Sony shills will probably say that has something to do with Xbox owners having to spend more for an Xbox Live Gold membership to get them connected."

You can still buy content with a Xbox Live Free account, you miss out on the deal of the week and have to wait a week after release to download any free content, but pay-for DLC its the same rules as a gold account.

I'd like to see some more relevant figures though, just a percentage of users is a bit thin, what about average spend, or are the 6% extra PS3 users just buying 20 pence avatar icons? Is PS Plus counted (as you get access to free content with it) and Xbox Gold not counted as there's no freebies?

[Miek]

Re: Points mean?

"The buying in multiples applies to both systems though, you can only put a minimum of £5 on your PS3 wallet, just as the smallest amount of points you can get is either 400 (instore or online from Game/Gamestation at £3.50) or 500 (direct from Microsoft, £4.25 as I recall)."

I think this has changed, I have been able to put the exact amount ( £3.99 ) into my PSN wallet, I do remember a time it would only allow a fiver (I remember wondering how I would spend that £1 change).

[Sandy Ritchie]

meh

I have both, I've used my 360 for Payperview movies and its pretty good, I've bought DLC for games, and I have Live.

I have a PS3 and I pay for + so I get some freebies and some discounts, I buy DLC for games, never watched a film, I use my PS3 with PlayTV box.

So basically I use both units for most of what they can do.... I find neither one better than the other, they are just different in deliverying largely the same sort of stuff..... that is all.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: meh

You're correct. Once you have a six foot tall pile of game discs, the cost of another console is peanuts. There's no reason to choose just one or the other. PS3 x2, Xbox 360, Wii, iPods iPhones x5, PSP x3, PS2 x2, DS x2, PCs x N, PlayBook, etc.

Human Boredom

circa 1757 - 2008

R.I.P.

[Anonymous Coward]

Well duh

Every single PS3 has a hard drive, and they all have access to online play.

The Xbox360 has neither of these.

What did people expect for a console that was rushed out the door to meet the Xmas sales, with a mix of last-gen and this-gen tech?

[Pirate Zebedee]

Time Microsoft to listen

It is down to the point, I was looking last night when you select a movie it will cost you X amount of points! Then you have to work out the real value, then you have to add points to your account then go and find the movie again, you might as well go and play COD

Time for Microsoft to up there game like all other content providers, change your points for real money this will make it simpler, I would also work closely with the movies studios and get UltraViolet on there.

I think Microsoft are working very hard at the moment you will have your .Net account for Windows, Phone and Xbox this should give you your content on which ever system/application you choose to use

[Glyn 2]

Updating

I don't know what it's like on the PS3 but every other time I turn the console on to do something, it wants to update, the console, the game, the app, whatever I'm trying to use.

Took 20 minutes the other night to get the last.fm app running, with 6 update/restarts.

And since I cancelled my gold subscription I'm getting hassled mercilessly to sign up every other button click.

[Graham Jordan]

MS Market is much better

I despise the PS3 market. At least with MS there's almost certainly a demo for every game available. With the PS we have to manage with a crappy video preview.

Sad times.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: MS Market is much better

??? Almost all PS3 games have demos. Many of them have full game trials too if you are PS+ member.

[Anonymous Coward]

52% own a smartphone?

Anyone else sceptical about this figure? Are they counting what we'd normally think of as feature phones?

Most of my mums crowd (70+) still seem to use standard phones or feature phones. Sons class of year 8s had a craze on blackberry (about 25% of class, majority girls) but just one smartphone - an iPhone, couple of years ago in primary school hardly any had phones at all.

Interesting to hear the figures for smartphone with G3 data services.