Next-Gen Console Score Card (page 6 of 10)

SIZE & WEIGHT

As technology advances and game consoles cram more and more high-end components into their systems, there's an unfortunate side effect: size and weight. The next-gen consoles are bigger than ever. Whether that matters to you is a purely personal preference.

Xbox 360

Though it's not quite as brutish as the original Xbox, the Xbox 360 is by no means a ballet dancer. Weighing in at a big-boned 7.7 pounds, the 360 represents a plus-sized addition to your home entertainment center. This is one situation where the numbers don't tell the story; you actually have to heft the thing to understand how beefy it is. One can't help but look at the unit's curved in sides and envision that it's sucking in its gut in order to look thinner. Its rough dimensions are as follows: 12 inches tall by 10 inches deep by just over 3 inches thick.

And lest we forget, it has a much-hated external "power brick" that's the size of an actual brick and just as heavy. Add in the console itself, the power brick, a controller, and all the cables, and the Xbox 360 is tipping the scales at closer to 11 pounds. Ouch!

One other factor is worth calling out: heat. The Xbox 360 is one of the hottest game consoles in recent memory, pumping out waves of hot air from its chassis and the external power brick.

Size & Weight score: 2.5 (out of 5.0)

PlayStation 3

The PS3 is built like a bruiser, weighing in at a hair over 11 pounds -- several pounds heavier than even the beefy Xbox 360. The chassis dimensions aren't svelte, either, with a bulbous body that's roughly 13 inches tall by 11 inches deep by 4 inches thick. That's slightly bigger all around than Microsoft's machine, though the PS3 integrates its much-hated "power brick" into its main chassis, so in a real apples-to-apples fight, it's similar to a Xbox 360 weight- and size-wise. Call it a tie.

But we've made our point: the PS3 won't be something you'll casually toss into your bookbag before trotting over to a friend's house. We'll say it again -- this sucker is big.

Size & Weight score: 2.5 (out of 5.0)

Wii

Diminutive for its stature, the Wii (in a standing orientation) roughly measures 8 inches tall by 6 inches deep by 2 inches wide, roughly comparable to three stacked DVD cases. It's one of the smallest home consoles to date. The system's final weight is not yet known, but is sure to be a fraction of that of the PS3 or Xbox 360.



Size & Weight score: 5.0 (out of 5.0)

DECISION



Wii

An easy win for Nintendo. The Wii's, well, wee stature is a big blessing. Why is small so much better? Well, consider that the Wii is the only next-gen console you could easily toss into a bookbag and cart over to a friend's house. The Xbox 360 and PS3 border on appliances, and moving them around is like trying to heft a small desktop PC or a large VCR.

Victor!

Victor!

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