XBOX Kinect vs PS3 Move

XBOX Kinect vs PS3 Move

Finally managed to test an XBOX Kinect and I am now able to compare it against the winner of my other comparison with the PS3 Move (it was a clear winner against Wii, to read the hub click here).  

There is one main difference between these two console movement systems, that they are completely different. What I mean is the XBOX 360 Kinect offers 3D camera movement recognition and the gaming experience depends on the actions of your whole body where on the other hand PS3 move uses a camera and controller recognition so your movement register using a combination of both (also PS3 move offers a nunchuck accessory which should be useful when playing first person shooters).

My feeling is that XBOX Kinect main aim is whole body movement and games that need full body movement, like dancing, fighting, exercise and at most 3^rd person games like the star wars title which is set to be released (I still fail to see how the complete set of controls would work but I would love to try it). Where on the other hand PS3 Move main aim is partial body movement, with the main focus being on the hands. PS3 move should be expected to be at its best at sports games which focus on the hand movement (tennis, golf etc), first person shooters, 3^rd person shooters and slightly worst at dancing, fighting and exercise games.

Both controlling systems feel extremely reliable (this surprised me to be honest on the Kinect). Both are extremely responsive to your movement and actions, and are both quite more reliable than the Nintendo Wii.  However there is a slight problem with the Kinect when there is not enough light in the room, also the movement accessory behaves best when the light is on the ceiling and seems to get confused when you have floor lamps in the room (this is what Microsoft says for their own console I was not able to check this myself, but it sounds reasonable)

There is not much to separate the two consoles in terms of graphics with possibly PS3 being slightly better. PS3 also has the 3D gaming option already available but the XBOX 360 will shortly follow based on Microsoft claims.

It hasn’t been too long since PS3 move has been released (and XBOX Kinect is out in two weeks) so neither has a huge variety of titles available. As I hinted above however I would expect the XBOX Kinect to be slightly limited on the number of titles they can release (unless they sell any extra accessories) based on the type of games the Kinect is able to handle.

Calibration is an issue with both console systems as they both use cameras. As I said in my PS3 Move vs Wii review I found this to be annoying when playing as a group, but it did guarantee a better gaming experience at the end of the day.

Pricewise it is difficult to compare the two movement systems, XBOX Kinect is more expensive but can support two players without buying anything else where PS3 move is cheaper but buying the extra controller for a second person will make it more expensive than the Kinect.

My verdict is similar to what I believed from the beginning these two movement accessories offer completely different gaming experience and you would expect them to be used in completely different style of games. Both systems have their plus and minus and personally would own both if I could afford them. At the end of the day you might be forced to choose one or the other based on which console you already own, and you shouldn’t be too disappointed regardless of which one you buy, since both systems offer a pleasant gaming experience.