Until recently, gaming was a small and relatively insignificant segment of the entertainment industry in India. In the past few years, however, some of the biggest names in the industry – such as Microsoft and Sony – finally acknowledged that the country is a lucrative market for their hardware, and set up operations here. It’s a great thing since we don’t have to rely on the unstable gray market for our console gaming necessities; but on the flip side, with so many options open to the novice gamer, things can get rather confusing.

So if you’re planning to ride the console gaming wagon with the rest of us and have no clue what console to pick, we shall help you with just that by telling you all you need to know before you make your decision. This article is part of Tech 2.0’s Beginner’s Week; click here for the rest of the articles.

The Contenders

Xbox360
Our first contender is Microsoft’s second-generation console: the Xbox360. It was the first current-gen gaming hardware to hit the Indian market, so it has a stronger grip compared to its competition. While its predecessor, the Xbox, was on the losing side of the last console war, it seems the folk at Microsoft have learned a lot from their mistakes, and really put their ass into gear this time around.

PlayStation 3
Sony’s got two generations of PlayStations behind it, both of which were highly successful. The PlayStation 3 is one of the most powerful pieces of hardware out there, but due to its unique architecture it’s taken a while for developers to fully understand its potential. Despite of the PS3's weak start, it’s catching up fast in the console race.

Nintendo Wii
Sadly, the most unique of the three consoles – the Nintendo Wii – hasn’t been released in India officially, so you’ll have to rely on the gray market to hook up with this console. The Wii does not have the raw graphical or processing power of the PS3 or the Xbox360, but it makes up for this with its motion controls and offbeat games that appeal to people of all ages and from all walks of life.

Now that I’ve introduced you the three contenders, let me lay down all the factors that might affect your decision, starting with the most important – the price.

Price
Xbox360
Pro Unit – Rs 27,750
Core Unit – Rs 19,990 (Ideally stay clear of this!)
Bear in mind that the Xbox360 comes equipped with only one controller, so if you wish to play with someone else on the same console, you’ll have to buy another. The wired controller is priced at Rs 2,150, while the wireless one costs Rs 2,840. Ensure that you have a High Definition LCD or Plasma TV to enjoy your Xbox360, because if you’re planning on playing it on a standard definition television set, you might as well not buy it.

PlayStation 3 (40GB) – Rs 24,990
The PlayStation 3 comes with only one controller and no HDMI cable. The extra controller (SIXAXIS) costs Rs.2,490 while an HDMI cable costs about Rs 1,200. As with the Xbox360, you might as well not buy a PS3 if you don’t have a High Definition television.

Wii (Gray Market) – Rs 17,500 (Subject to change!)
The Wii comes with only one controller and the spare comes for about Rs 3,000. The console doesn’t require a HDTV to enjoy it.