Video Game Console Reviews: Best Video Game Systems

Best video game console

*Est. $300 Compare Prices

The slimmed-down Sony PlayStation 3 Slim (120 GB) was just released, but it's already attracting a host of good reviews. Experts say a bevy of features and the recent price drop make the PS3 the best video game console… for casual gamers and multimedia enthusiasts. Serious gamers, however, will be disappointed by the few popular titles and a weak online gaming experience compared to the Xbox 360. Where the PS3 Slim shines, however, is in its lineup of high-end features, including an excellent Blu-ray Disc player. The console also features built-in Wi-Fi, Internet connectivity and a web browser. Most experts appreciate the new matte-finish design, and the console is quieter and more efficient than its predecessors. However, the console is not backwards-compatible with PS2 games, and Sony has dropped Linux support. Still, reviewers and users say the PlayStation 3 Slim is an excellent game console that boasts a ton of features. A 250 GB version (*Est. $350) is also available, which is a great deal if you plan to download lots of games, movies and TV shows.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: David Carnoy at CNET gives the new PlayStation 3 Slim an excellent overall rating. In this test-based review, the console gets ...

PCMag.com: Thanks to a price drop and larger hard drive, Zach Honig at PCMag.com says the PlayStation 3 is "more desirable than ever." ...

PC World: The PlayStation 3 Slim scores a superior rating from Matt Peckham at PC World. The console is quieter overall, although ...

TrustedReviews.com: Stuart Andrews at Britain's TrustedReviews.com has a detailed look at the PS3 Slim. He says the user interface is superior to ...

AudioVideo Revolution: In this detailed review, Thomas Spurlin at Audio/Video Revolution looks at the multimedia performance of the PS3 Slim, ...

Wired: Bryan Gardiner at Wired says the PlayStation 3 Slim "runs circles around" the Xbox 360 Elite when it comes to hardware, but it ...

DigitalTrends.com: In this review, Nick Mokey at DigitalTrends.com gives the Sony PlayStation 3 Slim an overall rating of eight out of 10. While ...

TechRadar.com: The editors of TechRadar.com, a U.K.-based site, think the new Sony PS3 Slim is the start of a "new age for Sony's gaming ...

Engadget.com: Ross Miller at Engadget.com notes that Blu-ray Discs load a little slower on the PS3 Slim than previous generations, but he ...

Gizmodo.com: While Jason Chen at Gizmodo.com would like to see more games for the PS3, he still thinks it's a great value, even if you only ...

T3.com: The PlayStation 3 Slim gets a perfect five-star rating from Britain's T3.com. While Hannah Bouckley notes that the Xbox 360 ...

Amazon.com: The PlayStation 3 Slim gets very positive initial reviews at Amazon.com. In over 230 individual reviews, owners say the PS3 ...

BestBuy.com: More than 100 reviewers at BestBuy.com give the PS3 Slim an above-average rating of 4.5 out of five stars. Users say games ...

PCMag.com: The PlayStation 3 earns a Readers' Choice award in PCMag.com's annual reader survey. While this article doesn't directly ...

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Best game console for serious gamers

Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite

*Est. $300 Compare Prices

The Xbox 360 Elite continues to hold an edge over the PS3 when it comes to the latest, must-have games. Microsoft's online marketplace, Xbox Live, is also one of the best available. Like the PlayStation 3 Slim, the Xbox… 360 Elite has a 120 GB hard drive; experts say to skip the entry-level Xbox 360 Arcade (*Est. $200), which lacks a hard drive. According to reviews, the Xbox 360 Elite offers a fantastic gaming experience with realistic graphics -- when it works. This console suffers more hardware problems than the PS3 or Wii. According to a reliability survey conducted in 2009 by PCMag.com, 29 percent of Xbox 360 users report that their console required repairs, compared to only 7 percent for the PS3 and 2 percent for the Wii. Hardware fixes on the Xbox 360 Elite are believed to have resolved most "red ring of death" (RRoD) failures, but the E74 error is also a headache for users. Microsoft extends their standard, one-year coverage to three years for RRoD or E74 failures. These reliability issues aside, reviewers say serious gamers will want the Xbox 360 Elite for its extensive game collection.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: This review, which was originally written in 2007, has been updated with a few new details for 2009. Most notably, the Xbox ...

PCMag.com: This article reports on PCMag.com's annual reliability survey, which includes video game consoles for the first time in 2009. ...

Amazon.com: Nearly 100 owners give the Xbox 360 Elite mixed ratings at Amazon.com. Those that like the console say the game collection ...

BestBuy.com: The Xbox 360 Elite fares better with consumers at BestBuy.com, where over 500 reviewers give the console very high average ...

PCMag.com: PCMag.com has a dated write-up on the Xbox 360 Elite. According to author Brian K. Neal, Microsoft has a winner with the ...

Arstechnica.com: ArsTechnica.com's Ben Kuchera is a professional video game reviewer, and he writes about the Microsoft Xbox 360 Elite from a ...

PC World: PC World hasn't rated the Xbox 360 Elite, but this moderately detailed review covers performance, setup and DVD playback.

DigitalTrends.com: Like most reviews of the Xbox 360 Elite, this one dates from 2007, and some of the details are outdated. For example, the 2009 ...

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Best game console for families

Nintendo Wii

*Est. $200 Compare Prices

Critics agree the Nintendo Wii is the best game console for kids and families. It's addictive and fun -- even after the novelty of the innovative Wii Remote has worn off. Nintendo chooses not to compete with Xbox 360 or… PS3 when it comes to realistic graphics, and experts agree that hardcore gamers will be disappointed in the Wii. Still, most owners give the Nintendo Wii very high marks, praising the extensive game collection and easy-to-use accessories. In the past, reviewers have criticized the Wii remote for not being very accurate. As a response, Nintendo released the Wii MotionPlus (*Est. $20) accessory, which snaps onto the bottom of the remote. It uses gyroscopic sensors to provide more responsive motion controls, and initial reviews indicate it's highly accurate. However, you'll have to pay extra for this accessory and only a few games utilize the technology so far. For 2009, the Nintendo Wii comes bundled with Wii Sports, a collection of five sports games.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: CNET has an extensive editorial review of the Nintendo Wii. Author Will Greenwald's thorough analysis ends with his overall ...

PCMag.com: For the first time in 2009, PCMag.com's reliability survey includes details for video game consoles. The Nintendo Wii shares a ...

PCMag.com: Jim Louderback at PCMag.com has a detailed look at the Nintendo Wii, although this review is a bit dated. While he ...

Arstechnica.com: ArsTechnica.com has the longest and most detailed review of the Nintendo Wii. Ben Kuchera takes potential Wii users through ...

PC World: PC World has a good basic editorial review of the Nintendo Wii, plus a few short user reviews. Like our top expert reviewer, ...

Amazon.com: The Nintendo Wii gets over 1,700 user reviews on Amazon.com, and the overwhelming majority gives it a perfect score. Owners ...

BestBuy.com: The Nintendo Wii gets equally positive ratings at BestBuy.com, where it also attracts over 1,700 individual reviews. Owners ...

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Best handheld video game console

Nintendo DSi

*Est. $170 Compare Prices

A number of reviewers say the Nintendo DSi is the company's best portable game console yet. The DSi is an update to the popular Nintendo DS Lite, and it adds dual cameras, an SD card slot and access to game downloads at… the Nintendo store, DSiWare. Facebook integration was also added in August. The handheld console has been updated with two 3.25-inch screens and improved audio quality. Reviewers say the Nintendo DSi is a great option for casual gamers, but serious game fanatics will find more to like in the Sony PSP line. Experts also note that current DS Lite owners have few reasons to upgrade because the Nintendo DSi does not support GameBoy Advance titles, and it has a shorter battery life than the DS Lite. However, for those who have yet to purchase a handheld gaming console, the Nintendo DSi is your best bet.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: Jeff Bakalar at CNET calls the Nintendo DSi an "ambitious and solidly designed portable gaming system." While he notes that a ...

TrustedReviews.com: Stuart Andrews at Britain's TrustedReviews.com thinks some of the Nintendo DSi's features are more gimmicky than truly useful. ...

PC World: The Nintendo DSi isn't rated in this review from Darren Gladstone at PC World, but if offers helpful details. Gladstone has ...

Arstechnica.com: Ben Kuchera says the online game store, DSiWare, is the biggest selling point for the Nintendo DSi. While some of the new ...

Choice magazine: Choice magazine, the Australian version of ConsumerReports.org, enlists the help of a 10-year-old boy to test out the Nintendo ...

PCMag.com: Daniel Evans at PCMag.com has a detailed look at the Nintendo DSi, complete with helpful testing details on battery life and ...

DigitalTrends.com: The Nintendo DSi is called a "welcome upgrade" at DigitalTrends.com. The online game shop and new multimedia options are ...

Gizmodo.com: Mark Wilson at Gizmodo.com says the Nintendo DSi is far more comfortable to hold than its predecessor, and he finds the ...

Amazon.com: More than 160 owners give the Nintendo DSi above-average ratings at Amazon.com. Critics say the Nintendo DSi doesn't offer ...

Buzzillions.com: The story is similar at Buzzillions.com, where more than 200 users give the Nintendo DSi an average rating of 4.7 stars out of ...

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eBay

for $139.00

PCConnectio- n Express

for $169.95

Dell

for $169.99

Handheld console for serious gamers

Sony PSP 3000

*Est. $170 Compare Prices

It may not be as sleek or trendy as the new Sony PSP Go, but experts say the year-old Sony PSP 3000 is simply a better handheld game console. The Sony PSP Go is significantly more expensive and games are download-only, so… you'll have to replace your entire library of Universal Media Disc (UMD) games. While experts prefer the Nintendo DSi for the average user, they like the Sony PSP 3000 for serious gamers. It has more realistic graphics and a wider selection of adult-friendly games than the Nintendo DSi. It also boasts a built-in microphone, Wi-Fi and integrated Skype service. The biggest downside to the Sony PSP 3000 is interlacing artifacts on the display, which are most apparent during fast-motion games. However, most reviewers are able to forgive this downside because the console has richer colors and crisper details than its predecessor.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CNET: John Falcone at CNET gives the Sony PSP 3000 an "excellent" rating, saying it has tons of great games with better graphics ...

DigitalTrends.com: Chris Chiarella calls the Sony PSP 3000 "one of the best handheld gaming systems on the market." He particularly appreciates ...

T3.com: Jim Hill at England's T3.com gives the Sony PSP 3000 an overall rating of four stars out of five. While he regrets that it's ...

CrunchGear.com: The Sony PSP 3000 gets high marks for its lighter design and brighter display from Peter Ha at CrunchGear.com. He also notices ...

Gizmodo.com: Jason Chen says the display on the Sony PSP 3000 is much improved over the PSP 2000. The screen is noticeably brighter, with ...

Amazon.com: Almost 60 owners have reviewed the Sony PSP 3000 so far, and the reviews are highly positive. A plethora of games and movies ...

BestBuy.com: Over 50 owners at BestBuy.com also give the Sony PSP 3000 high marks. Most owners rave about the game performance, and about ...

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PCConnectio- n Express

for $169.95

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Video Game Consoles: Reviews

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Best video game console

Best game console for serious gamers

Best game console for families

Best handheld video game console

Handheld console for serious gamers

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Video Game Consoles by Price Range


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