The Sony PS3 gaming console has held strong as one of the best Blu-ray players on the market and is still considered by many to be the best value due to its 'next' generation gaming platform, picture quality, included WiFi and plethora of other features.
But with the cost of standalone Blu-ray players steadily dropping, does the PS3 still deliver on its value proposition? IGN sought out to answer this question by pitting the Xbox 360 against the PS3 in a game console price comparison as well as looking at current Blu-ray standalone pricing.
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So what did IGN come up with? At $299 (Xbox 360 pro 60GB) vs $399 (PS3 standard 80GB), IGN made the conclusion that if you don't want or need Blu-ray playback capabilities, the Xbox 360 is the better value for a 'next' generation console. Specifically, the article states "there's no doubting that the 360 is the better deal strictly from a game-playing hardware perspective".
I don't believe that it is quite that clear cut. In fact, I'm sure that many people would hold much doubt about that statement and even disagree with their conclusion! One large flaw in their methodology is that they failed to mention that Xbox Live online play costs $50 per year, while PS3 online is free. Isn't online play a key component of 'next' generation gaming?
For their PS3 functioning as a Blu-ray player analysis, IGN concluded that a decent BD profile 2.0 player at $299 is now the clear choice for anyone that has no interest in gaming and is only looking for a high definition playback device.
I'm not so sure that a standalone Blu-ray player is a clear choice yet either. With the PS3 boasting a constant flow of firmware updates, the quickest Blu-ray Disc load times, excellent DVD upscaling, built in WiFi for BD Live features, support for all high definition audio formats and the least compatibility issues with Blu-ray Disc titles, it still looks like one of the best value Blu-ray players from where I'm standing.
What would change my mind? If BD Live standalone players drop to near $200, then I might reconsider my stance on this. Until then, I would still recommend the PS3 as the BD Live Blu-ray player that provides the most bang for your buck.
