What Console Could You Not Live Without?

Over the weekend, I was getting ready to play Gears of War 3 on my Xbox 360, and looked at my selection of game consoles, including the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii, in addition to Microsoft's hardware. After thinking about all the benefits of those devices, I asked myself a simple question: "which one of those could I simply not live without?"[Image credit: Rob Johnson]

Admittedly, my first reaction was the Xbox 360. As far as I'm concerned, the best first-person shooter experiences are available on Microsoft's console — due mainly to the outstanding controller — and over the years, my best gaming days have come byway of Microsoft's device. I also reasoned that although I don't use the Kinect all that often, it's a better party accessory than the PlayStation Move or the Wii.

But then I started to doubt my choice. Sure, the Xbox 360 is a great device, but what about the PlayStation 3? That console also has some solid gameplay experiences, and thanks to the industry's penchant for multi-platform support, most of the titles I like on the Xbox can be played on Sony's offering. Plus, Sony's console supports Blu-ray — a big plus for me as my Blu-ray library continues to grow — and has a relatively appealing online-gaming experience.

[aquote]On one hand, the Xbox 360 has an outstanding game library; on the other hand, the PS3 delivers a host of outstanding features aside from gaming[/aquote]

So, before long, I started reasoning that perhaps the PlayStation 3 should be the console I'd hold on to if the worst occurred and I was forced to hand over all but one of my devices.

My opinion didn't change much when I considered the Wii. As I've wrote on SlashGear before, I'm not a Wii fan. I think the console's titles are designed for casual gamers (which I'm not) and the motion experience on Nintendo's hardware tends to fall flat before long. Plus, I just don't see why anyone would want to play motion titles on the Wii if they have a Kinect at home. Microsoft's peripheral, while still gimmicky at times, delivers more entertainment value.

So, my choices were narrowed down to two consoles. On one hand, I had the Xbox 360 and its outstanding game library, while on the other hand, I had the PlayStation 3, a device that delivers a host of outstanding features aside from gaming.

In the end, I decided that the Xbox 360 was the game console I couldn't live without. See, the thing I like most about the PlayStation 3 is that it offers all my entertainment in a single spot. But I have another Blu-ray player, and Netflix streaming can be done from the Xbox 360 and my HDTV. In the end, the PlayStation 3 simlpy doesn't offer anything I can't find elsewhere.

But the Xbox 360 is different. As I said, I think Microsoft's console offers the best gaming experience in the business. And that can't be easily found elsewhere.

Of course, that's just me, and I realize that there are others that might see value in other consoles.

So, let's hear from you: which console, if you had to choose one, could you simply not live without?