5 Reasons Why the PS3 is the Best Home Video Games Console

Although there’s currently a three-way battle in the home video games console market. for serious hardcore gamers the only choice is between the PS3 and Xbox 360. Even years after their launch, they remain the only consoles capable of HD gaming, giving both a clear advantage over the Nintendo Wii, and they also offer online play and top titles Call of Duty: Black Ops and LA Noire.

But as much as they are alike, the Sony and Microsoft consoles both have unique features as well and there are 5 reasons why the PS3 is the best home video games console…

5. 3D Games and 3D Movies

Although the FPS game Crysis 2 supported 3D play on both PS3 and Xbox 360, the PS3 version was clearly superior and this was supported by analysis from Digital Foundry after comparing both versions. After a firmware update last year, the PS3 is now the only games console that can play both 3D games and movies and so, for those lucky people with a 3D TV, the PS3 is the best choice.

3D games that are already available include Gran Turismo 5, Killzone 4 and Motorstorm: Apocalypse and the PS3 is still one of the only 3D Blu-ray players on the market.

4. PlayStation Move Motion Control

Although Microsoft Kinect may be grabbing all the headlines with its innovative controller-less motion control system, PlayStation Move has the better games. Released in September 2010, it’s now sold millions around the world and cab be bought either as part of a bundle with the PS3 or later as an accessory.

Top games like Heavy Rain and Resident Evil 5 have already been updated to support motion control and Killzone 3 launched with support out of the box. And with top PS3-exclusive games like SOCOM 4 and InFAMOUS 2 all due this year with PlayStation Move support, for serious hardcore gamers the PS3 is the best games console for motion control action.

3. Free Online Play and PlayStation Plus

Although Xbox Live is often considered the best online service for home video games consoles, there is an annual subscription charge for playing games online. It may not be expensive, and Xbox fans will say it’s worth it, but it’s still an additional price to pay each year which adds to the total cost of ownership.

By comparison, the PlayStation Network has no annual subscription cost for playing games online and, like Xbox Live, offers games demos and add-ons, trophies, movie downloads and (in the UK) access to BBC iPlayer. Last year, Sony also introduced PlayStation Plus, which is an optional subscription service providing free games, early access to demos and betas, game trials, automatic downloading of system and game updates and, most recently, 150MB of online game saves so even if your PS3 stops working you can still continue playing later without having to worry about starting a game again.

2. Blu-ray Movies

Although Blu-ray was a big reason for the PS3 being late to market for its original high price tag, it went on to help Sony win the HD format war against rival HD-DVD and is now one of the reasons why the PS3 is the best home video games console. The Xbox 360 can’t play Blu-ray and has no disc-based HD format at all so can’t upscale DVD to HD either, unlike the PS3 which is one of the best Blu-ray players on the market and is constantly being updated with new firmware to provide new features like 3D support.

And as the only console with a disc-based HD format, many games look and sound better as well as there’s more space on the discs for better quality textures and audio.

1. Fantastic Exclusive PS3 Games

But, of course, as a games console, the main reason why the PS3 is the best is because of its games, especially its long list of exclusives which already include Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, God of War 3 and LittleBigPlanet 2. And 2011 is shaping up to be another great year for PS3 exclusives with Resistance 3, InFAMOUS 2, The Last Guardian and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception still to come.

And, if exclusives aren’t enough, the PS3 will also have other top games in 2011 like LA Noire, Mass Effect 3 and new Call of Duty.

Choosing the PS3

3D, PlayStation Move, great online services, Blu-ray and fantastic exclusive games all combine to make the PS3 the best home video games console available today.

Main image: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (copyright: Naughty Dog and Sony Computer Entertainment)