I’ve been asked by a few people to write up a buyer’s guide for the coming holiday season, and, as Black Friday ominously looms in the distance with dripping fangs and sharpened claws, you can be sure there are quite a few people out there who could use a heads up when it comes to games and consoles to be on the lookout for. This week, I’m tackling the most expensive part of gaming: the consoles. This is your hardware edition for 2009.
First, Nintendo. The Wii has been setting sales records since its debut in 2006 and is likely to be in high demand again this year following the recent price drop to $199.99. Toss in the Wii Fit Balance Board for $99, and you’ve got the console the whole family can enjoy. Everything you need is included, even the batteries for the Wii Remote.
As for portable gaming, the Nintendo DSi is the hottest system out there and starts at $169. It comes with two built-in cameras and features the innovative touch-pad interactive screen. The built-in rechargeable battery means never having to steal batteries from the TV remote and long life for gaming on the go.
Next up, Microsoft. There are two main editions of the Xbox 360. Beginning at $199, the Xbox 360 Arcade edition comes with a wireless controller and 256 megabytes of storage. There is an HDMI port but no HDMI cable. Instead, you’ll find a suitable audio video cable that features both composite and component outputs. Also, no games are packed-in. The wireless controller requires two AA batteries which are included.
At $299, the Xbox 360 Elite edition comes in black and includes everything the Arcade edition does, but it also includes a headset for communicating on Xbox Live and a 120GB hard drive.
None of the Xbox editions come with WiFi and the adapter costs $99.99, so if you want to go online but don’t want to run the Ethernet cable from the router to the Xbox, keep that in mind. If I were buying an Xbox 360 today, I’d go for the Elite because the 120 gigabyte hard drive, separately, costs more then the $100 you’d save, and you definitely want a hard drive if you’re going to subscribe to Xbox Live. MSRP on the 120 gb hard drive is $149.99, but you might find it cheaper if you look around. A subscription to Xbox Live costs $50 per year.
Finally, Sony. The PlayStation 3 comes in three main editions. The $299.99, 80 gb version is the cheapest and includes an 80 gb hard drive and one DualShock 3 controller. However, for the same price, you can buy a PS3 Slim version and get a 120 gb hard drive.
At $349.99, the 250 gb version is the most expensive of the three. There’s nothing else different about it, just a bigger hard drive.
Every model has WiFi internet connectivity and free access to the PlayStation Network. They also make great Blu-Ray players.
Sony offers two handheld consoles: the PlayStation Portable and the PSPgo. Actually, they’re exactly the same console with some major differences I laid out in an earlier article. But, just to catch you up, the PSPgo does not feature a UMD drive, so you won’t be able to play the vast, existing PSP library. Meanwhile, the online PlayStation Network store still does not feature all the latest titles. Then, there’s the price: $169.99 for the PSP-3000, $249.99 for the PSPgo. I recommend the PSP-3000 because of features and price.
All prices listed are manufacturer’s suggested retail price, so if you find a good unit for cheaper, by all means, grab it. Keep your eyes open for some great Black Friday deals, dress warm and make sure to see my next column for the software edition of the 2009 buyer’s guide.
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