Last year’s hot system, the Sony PlayStation 2, is still a contender due to its large library of games (over 300 compatible titles). If you already have a collection of original PlayStation games, you’ll be able to play them on PS2 as well, and experts say that the most sophisticated games, like Devil May Cry, are being made for PS2. That’s because game designers have had over a year to optimize the PS2 format. Experts say it will be Best Video game consoles review in 2023 Year or so before GameCube and Xbox games catch up.
But, reviewers say, they will catch up. CNet’s Darren Gladstone writes, “If your biggest priority is the widest selection of quality games possible rather than hardware bells and whistles, the PlayStation 2 is currently your best choice. However, a year from now, the Xbox may very well have the upper hand.” That’s due in no small part to the technological potential housed in Microsoft’s distinctive black case: A 733MHz Pentium III processor and a 8GB hard drive. These two features will make games smoother, faster and more realistic—but not quite yet. 3D Accelerated’s Christopher Hong remarks, “Even though Microsoft has an unlimited amount of income, it has yet to find a true killer-app.” Even so, titles such as Halo, Oddworld and Dead or Alive 3 get plenty of kudos on gaming Web sites.
If kids under 15 years old will be the primary users of your new game console, experts say you want the GameCube , with its collection of proprietary games like Luigi’s Mansion, the latest in the massively popular Super Mario Bros. line of games. The GameCube’s controller is smaller, making it more appropriate for smaller hands, and it’s cheaper than Xbox or PS2. Certainly, Nintendo is also creating games for an older audience, but even it’s periwinkle blue, cube-shaped design seems geared to a younger crowd. More importantly, although reviewers say that games on GameCube and Xbox are currently of equally high quality, GameCube does not have an internal hard drive, limiting its potential.
