Hi all - My lad is wanting an XBox 360 for Christmas - but I have heard that they are always breaking down. Is this true? Just dont want the hassle of having to keep getting it fixed. Any advice anyone? Would I be wasting my time and money?!

The new ones have an extremely low failure rate as they have redesigned the innards to run cooler than the models they had at launch.

Even if it does break you get a 3 year warranty so to deny your lad his Xmas wish would be a bit harsh.

Anything you buy of course can break down, but no need to worry about it!

Also, they are now the cheapest of all of the next gen consoles, and there is a huge range of good games for them.

I still got my xbox 360 since launch and I had only 1 3red light problem which happened 4 weeks ago and microsoft still sorted it for me only took 10 days and i got 1 month free gold memberhip card from them, well worth getting :)

Ahhh, thanks peeps, you've talked me into it! I'll have one happy lad come Chrimbo morning!

Hi all - My lad is wanting an XBox 360 for Christmas - but I have heard that they are always breaking down. Is this true? Just dont want the hassle of having to keep getting it fixed. Any advice anyone? Would I be wasting my time and money?!

I had mine for about 10 months then got the dreaded ring of death. They sent me a replacement and that didn't work so they sent me another replacement and that didn't work either. My 4th 360 eventually worked but I had had enough by that time and swapped it for a PS3. I got a couple of games (cheap ones though), a couple of gold membership cards and a couple of joypads for my hassle - all in all I was without a working 360 for about 2 months.

This has happened to my cousin as well although theire replacement worked straight away. I have heard as well though that the newer 360's are more reliable - I wouldn't get one again but that's only because of my bad experience.

I had mine for about 10 months then got the dreaded ring of death. They sent me a replacement and that didn't work so they sent me another replacement and that didn't work either. My 4th 360 eventually worked but I had had enough by that time and swapped it for a PS3. I got a couple of games (cheap ones though), a couple of gold membership cards and a couple of joypads for my hassle - all in all I was without a working 360 for about 2 months.

This has happened to my cousin as well although theire replacement worked straight away. I have heard as well though that the newer 360's are more reliable - I wouldn't get one again but that's only because of my bad experience.

You were just unlucky! The new ones are fantastic.

You were just unlucky! The new ones are fantastic.

Yes ive heard that the new ones are more reliable.

It was estimated that about a 1/4 of the old ones had problems which is absolutely shocking. Probably an exaggeration but I know there were widespread problems.

I would stick with Sony from now on due to my experience but my mate had problems with his PS2 and I believe there were a lot of problems with that console - it is just luck really but I don't think it's on releasing a product that is often faulty. I bet they knew about it when they released it.

Yes ive heard that the new ones are more reliable.

It was estimated that about a 1/4 of the old ones had problems which is absolutely shocking. Probably an exaggeration but I know there were widespread problems.

I would stick with Sony from now on due to my experience but my mate had problems with his PS2 and I believe there were a lot of problems with that console - it is just luck really but I don't think it's on releasing a product that is often faulty. I bet they knew about it when they released it.

Of 8 people I know with a PS3, 2 have had to return them to Sony because of faults. I know more like 20 people with a 360 and 5 have had to do the same, so it's horses for courses really.

Of 8 people I know with a PS3, 2 have had to return them to Sony because of faults. I know more like 20 people with a 360 and 5 have had to do the same, so it's horses for courses really.

It's horses for courses now but it wasn't until they fixed the design fault with the 360. There were massive problems with the old version - it's all over the net and some people even started petitions to boycott Microsoft.

At the end of the day it wasn't on to release a product that had a design fault that meant it could become unuseable - a few of them then yes fair enough but there were estimates of about a 1/4 of the units sold being faulty.

Im not saying don't get a 360 im just saying make sure it's a new version. Im not even saying the PS3 is better as I don't care - there might be some problems with them but not on the scale of the older version of the 360.

Buy a PS3:thumbsup::cool:; a far better all round entertainment system than an xbox360

The new ones have an extremely low failure rate as they have redesigned the innards to run cooler than the models they had at launch.

Even if it does break you get a 3 year warranty so to deny your lad his Xmas wish would be a bit harsh.


How do you know you're buying a new model though....:confused:


My kids want a Elite for Crimbo....Is that the new model ????

How do you know you're buying a new model though....:confused:


My kids want a Elite for Crimbo....Is that the new model ????

Im not sure what the Elite is but I think it comes with more accessories and has more capability. I don't the 'new models' are actually any better than the 'old models' in terms of capabilities (graphics etc.) it's just that the old models had a design fault (loads of them broke and needed to be sent back for repairing) and this has been fixed now. The 'new models' are just
Xbox 360's made after x date.

I would certainly look into it further if I was going to buy one as it isn't just that I had a bad experience, it was very widespread. Ask about and look on the net as there is loads of info on it - basically DON'T buy an older version of the 360.

I personally don't think there is a great deal of difference between the 360 and the PS3 and would have happily kept my 360 but for the problems. I bought the 360 because it came out first and was therefore cheaper and i'll do exactly the same with the next wave of consoles.

The new xBox 360's are codenamed "Falcon" (with HDMI) or "Opus" (no HDMI)

You can tell you have a new one if it has LOT number 734 (or above), and Feam: FDOU on the lable (doesn't require opening the box)
You can also look at the power rating, if its 175w, its a new Falcon console..
(here's an image of the label.. http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x127/MRCUR/175w.jpg )

They don't make non-HDMI ones anymore. The Elite, 60GB Pro and Arcade are all HDMI equipped. All Pros have the Falcon CPUs, and all the others have had for ages, so you'll be very unlucky not to get one. The Elite I bought last December has a Falcon, as does the Arcade I bought about two months ago.

Buy a PS3:thumbsup::cool:; a far better all round entertainment system than an xbox360

Media system, yes definitely. Shame about the games, really.

Media system, yes definitely. Shame about the games, really.

Yeah, PS3 has about 3 games I'd want, Buzz (no point when I have Scene It), Ratchet and Clank (Just another generic character based platformer), and Tekken (Street Fighter 4's out in February on 360),

Yeah, PS3 has about 3 games I'd want, Buzz (no point when I have Scene It), Ratchet and Clank (Just another generic character based platformer), and Tekken (Street Fighter 4's out in February on 360),

Tekken's out on 360 too now which you'd know if you read Gamespot.

Buy your lad a full-size arcade cab (at less than half the price of a 360) instead :hihi:

Doesn't do online, doesn't do High-Def, doesn't do GTA (...wait ...that's actually a good thing, innit?). But boy, can it do games! :love:

... and earn even more of your lad's ever-lasting love :thumbsup:

Buy your lad a full-size arcade cab (at less than half the price of a 360) instead :hihi:

Doesn't do online, doesn't do High-Def, doesn't do GTA (...wait ...that's actually a good thing, innit?). But boy, can it do games! :love:

... and earn even more of your lad's ever-lasting love :thumbsup:

Where can you get a working full-size arcade cab with screen that will play multiple games for under £65??

Yeah, PS3 has about 3 games I'd want, Buzz (no point when I have Scene It), Ratchet and Clank (Just another generic character based platformer), and Tekken (Street Fighter 4's out in February on 360),

Buzz is much better than Scene It. I'm guessing you missed last week's announcement that Tekken 6 will be released on 360 from day one then?

Where can you get a working full-size arcade cab with screen that will play multiple games for under £65??

There's always one, innit :hihi:

Specialist forums or eBay. £75 will get you a standard Jamma 20" cab in decent nick (maybe even 26"). Jamma = std interface, will accept just about any game (without additional specialist motherboard for earlier games, e.g. Tekken III, or with additional specialist motherboard, e.g. System 246/256 for Tekken IV and later).

Got my first off eBay for £100 (delivered, del was about the £30 mark) with a brand new game board and fully refurb'd to near-new condition.

On specialist forums, more often than not you'll also be able to pick clean cabs with or without a screen for free (I've seen both instances several times over). Just got to be quick off the mark, ready to travel for it, and have a big estate or van handy ;)

/OT

@ OP: 360 arcade more & more of a good deal, and if I were you I'd go to ca$h converters and try and find a recent one (check label/serial numbers, as posted earlier in thread) for substantial savings on new - before the Xmas rush begins, of course.

There's always one, innit :hihi:

Specialist forums or eBay. £75 will get you a standard Jamma 20" cab in decent nick (maybe even 26"). Jamma = std interface, will accept just about any game (without additional specialist motherboard for earlier games, e.g. Tekken III, or with additional specialist motherboard, e.g. System 246/256 for Tekken IV and later).

Got my first off eBay for £100 (delivered, del was about the £30 mark) with a brand new game board and fully refurb'd to near-new condition.

On specialist forums, more often than not you'll also be able to pick clean cabs with or without a screen for free (I've seen both instances several times over). Just got to be quick off the mark, ready to travel for it, and have a big estate or van handy ;)

/OT

@ OP: 360 arcade more & more of a good deal, and if I were you I'd go to ca$h converters and try and find a recent one (check label/serial numbers, as posted earlier in thread) for substantial savings on new - before the Xmas rush begins, of course.

Problem being that storing 50+ Jamma PCBs on a shelf in the living room isn't the most straightforward thing in the world. Nor is changing the game if you've got kids who want to play a different game every 10 minutes.

Hi all - My lad is wanting an XBox 360 for Christmas - but I have heard that they are always breaking down. Is this true? Just dont want the hassle of having to keep getting it fixed. Any advice anyone? Would I be wasting my time and money?!
Make sure you get the hdmi model they have the new falcon chip in it that runs cooler,And if you buy from Game they replace any faulty ones without the need to send off to the repair centre they may be a bit more expensive but worth it,and tell them you want the new one with hdmi and falcon chip they should help they run on lower voltage so less heat.

Media system, yes definitely. Shame about the games, really.the media still is better on 360 at least you can chat when playing different games.Up to 6 people at once soon too

the media still is better on 360 at least you can chat when playing different games.Up to 6 people at once soon too

You can't really chat whilst using it for media ie watching videos or playing music though. PS3 wins as a media centre because it is so much quieter, along with its brilliant DVD upscaling and Bluetooth remote. What your talking about has nothing at all to do with media capabilities.

Also the new Jasper chipset is out for the 360. (or out pretty soon due to the price drop to get rid of the older ones) That looks to be even better then the Falcon :)
http://gaming.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=15668
canmt find the older info on Hexus about the Jaster but it does look good :D

Make sure you get the hdmi model they have the new falcon chip in it that runs cooler,And if you buy from Game they replace any faulty ones without the need to send off to the repair centre they may be a bit more expensive but worth it,and tell them you want the new one with hdmi and falcon chip they should help they run on lower voltage so less heat.

All shops will replace the unit on the spot within a year, Game offers nothing the competition don't. Best advice is to shop around for the best bundle. Zavvi often have some pretty good ones.

Also the new Jasper chipset is out for the 360. (or out pretty soon due to the price drop to get rid of the older ones) That looks to be even better then the Falcon :)
http://gaming.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=15668
canmt find the older info on Hexus about the Jaster but it does look good :D

But like last time you'll have to wait for it to come out, wait until the internet has found out the serial number prefixes to the new models and then find a shop assistant who will go through all the stock lifting up the flaps and checking the serials for you.

You can't really chat whilst using it for media ie watching videos or playing music though. PS3 wins as a media centre because it is so much quieter, along with its brilliant DVD upscaling and Bluetooth remote. What your talking about has nothing at all to do with media capabilities.

Of course you can chat while playing a dvd or music.360 wins hands down all day long for media (except blue ray ),games,community and thats all before the new dashboard/avitars come out.and i have had 2 360s since launch one had a disk read error never had 3 red lights.....Touch wood

All shops will replace the unit on the spot within a year, Game offers nothing the competition don't. Best advice is to shop around for the best bundle. Zavvi often have some pretty good ones.

No they dont Argos dont for example a lot of places dont,they just say contact microsoft.Ask before you buy.

No they dont Argos dont for example a lot of places dont,they just say contact microsoft.Ask before you buy.

They're legally obligated to. And according to the Argos returns policy "If you've had the product for up to 1 year, we'll repair the product or, if that's not possible, give you a replacement or, if that's not possible, a refund."

Of course you can chat while playing a dvd or music.360 wins hands down all day long for media (except blue ray ),games,community and thats all before the new dashboard/avitars come out.and i have had 2 360s since launch one had a disk read error never had 3 red lights.....Touch wood

Lucky you. I'm on 360s 8 and 9. Yes you can technically chat whilst playing a DVD, my point was why would you want to? Yes, it's much better for games and community, but for watching DVDs PS3 has a MUCH better upscaler and is approximately 2,567,983 times quieter. But I don't like its music file-sorting system, so 360 wins for that.

I took my one back to argos and they said nothing to do with them i told them all the legal right stuff but they said microsoft warranty send it off,

I took my one and they said nothing to do with them i told them all the legal right stuff but they said microsoft warranty send it off,

You obviously got unlucky and got a clueless idiot on the customer service desk. You should've shouted louder and quoted their own returns policy to them.

You obviously got unlucky and got a clueless idiot on the customer service desk. You should've shouted louder and quoted their own returns policy to them.

I'll keep that in mind when my 3 red lights finally catch up on me :hihi:
All in all though when my 360 broke the 1 year warranty had ended and i had to pay £60 for repair but got 1 yrs warranty on the one they sent me and a free game and months live,Just moan and complain that your tempted to buy a ps3 and they give you stuff :thumbsup:

We have two children in our household one has a 360 one has a ps3 and they both fight over the ps3 as for the 360 being better for media how does that work the only way you could watch Hi Def movies on it was to buy an extra drive that is now obsolete as they chose the wrong format.

Like i said the blue ray is the only thing ps3 has going for it,Lets face it this speaks for its self really.Need i say more
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2008/aug/19/tgdailygraphsthoseusconso

We have two children in our household one has a 360 one has a ps3 and they both fight over the ps3 as for the 360 being better for media how does that work the only way you could watch Hi Def movies on it was to buy an extra drive that is now obsolete as they chose the wrong format.

You can also download HD movies from the marketplace and watch them through it.

Why does any thread that mentions the 360 or PS3 in *any* way always turn into a which is best discussion argument?

To answer the original question...
The 360 is a decent machine, yes.

You obviously got unlucky and got a clueless idiot on the customer service desk. You should've shouted louder and quoted their own returns policy to them.

Inside a year the place of purchase is legally obliged to replace or refund, outside a year it is then at the shops discression, and the responsibility of the manufacturer if otherwise.

Inside a year the place of purchase is legally obliged to replace or refund outside a year it is then at the shops discression, and the responsibility of the manufacturer if otherwise.

Spend some time reading the UK Sales of Goods Act and not some other source of 2nd hand information such as forums or blogs because what you have written is not entirely correct.

In short:
1) It 6 months for the seller to prove it not inherently faulty.
2) It is 6 months to 6 years for you to prove it is inherently faulty.
3) Once proven to be inherently faulty the seller must either replace, repair or give you [partial] refund.
4) Manufacturer has ZERO responsibility to you since your contract is with the seller NOT the manufacturer.

Like i said the blue ray is the only thing ps3 has going for it,Lets face it this speaks for its self really.Need i say more
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2008/aug/19/tgdailygraphsthoseusconso

So, what you are saying is that the Wii is the best then?

Spend some time reading the UK Sales of Goods Act and not some other source of 2nd hand information such as forums or blogs because what you have written is not entirely correct.

In short:
1) It 6 months for the seller to prove it not inherently faulty.
2) It is 6 months to 6 years for you to prove it is inherently faulty.
3) Once proven to be inherently faulty the seller must either replace, repair or give you [partial] refund.
4) Manufacturer has ZERO responsibility to you since your contract is with the seller NOT the manufacturer.

I quote the SOGA to many, many people, mainly those who try and deny my statutory rights. But the problem is that it is very open to interpretation. It is not set in stone, and uses lots of phrases like "reasonable time frame" and "partial refund" and the like. I think for most things that aren't expected to last a lifetime, a year seems to have become the standard. I know someone who paid £60 to MS to have his 18-month old 360 repaired for a DVD drive problem, and wrote to Woolworths quoting SOGA who sent him a cheque for £60, so it will work outside that if you're persistent.

But there are two key points here, the first being that the seller is responsible, something which all sellers seem quick to deny, and secondly you have to prove it is inherently faulty. Given they've had 3 million of them returned due to a design fault, that really shouldn't be too hard :)

Like i said the blue ray is the only thing ps3 has going for it,Lets face it this speaks for its self really.Need i say more
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/blog/2008/aug/19/tgdailygraphsthoseusconso

I am a 360 fanboy and sing its praises to the heavens but I'm glad I'm not quite that deluded. Do you own a PS3? If so, connect both your 360 and PS3 to a 1080p TV and watch a normal DVD. Notice that a) the PS3 looks MUCH better, and b) when watching on 360 you have to turn the volume up an extra 5 notches to compensate for the machine.

Why does any thread that mentions the 360 or PS3 in *any* way always turn into a which is best discussion argument?

To answer the original question...
The 360 is a decent machine, yes.

Because someone always turns up saying things that are quite blatantly untrue, and I, with my 360-heavy bias but stronger desire to have actual facts present in a which-to-buy debate, jump in to clarify so people realise that PS3 only has about 2 good games, DOES do 1080p but has the advantage of not sounding like a fighter jet.

Spend some time reading the UK Sales of Goods Act and not some other source of 2nd hand information such as forums or blogs because what you have written is not entirely correct.

In short:
1) It 6 months for the seller to prove it not inherently faulty.
2) It is 6 months to 6 years for you to prove it is inherently faulty.
3) Once proven to be inherently faulty the seller must either replace, repair or give you [partial] refund.
4) Manufacturer has ZERO responsibility to you since your contract is with the seller NOT the manufacturer.

I have read it 100's of times, and have also talked to solicitors and the like about such... If something has a standard 1 year warrantee, which the manufacturer has extended beyond, its classed as 1 year with extended manuf' warrantee.. therefore, outside of that one year it is the responsibility of the manuf', not the retail outlet...

working on your above, because its the manuf' that has admitted it is inherently faulty, and they have taken action for such, the contract outside the initial one year is with them, not the seller.

I am a 360 fanboy and sing its praises to the heavens but I'm glad I'm not quite that deluded. Do you own a PS3? If so, connect both your 360 and PS3 to a 1080p TV and watch a normal DVD. Notice that a) the PS3 looks MUCH better, and b) when watching on 360 you have to turn the volume up an extra 5 notches to compensate for the machine.

And I disagree, again, the newer machines are much quieter as they have a better cooling design, and smaller cpu design so don't get as hot, my PC makes more noise than my 360

And I disagree, again, the newer machines are much quieter as they have a better cooling design, and smaller cpu design so don't get as hot, my PC makes more noise than my 360

But you're even more biased than me. I have a newest-batch 360, about 6 weeks old, and it is much quieter than my launch machine (which you could hear in other rooms with all the doors shut it was that loud), certainly, but it's still very much audible, especially when accessing the disc (I can't wait for the install-to-HDD update). But my PS3 is as silent as can be, if you mute the TV you'd have to be trying really, really hard to even be able to tell it was on, and there is no model of 360 you can say that about.

But you're even more biased than me. I have a newest-batch 360, about 6 weeks old, and it is much quieter than my launch machine (which you could hear in other rooms with all the doors shut it was that loud), certainly, but it's still very much audible, especially when accessing the disc (I can't wait for the install-to-HDD update). But my PS3 is as silent as can be, if you mute the TV you'd have to be trying really, really hard to even be able to tell it was on, and there is no model of 360 you can say that about.

im not biased because of these reasons, im biased because I don't like the way the EU market was screwed over with regards to the PS3 and 'features'

But either way, I have had a PS3 hooked up and the 360, and the PS3 was easily as loud as the 360... I guess it depends on so many variables, age, condition (if its dusty etc), where its positioned (if there's reverb from whatever cabinet its on/in) etc...

jump in to clarify so people realise that PS3 only has about 2 good games, DOES do 1080p but has the advantage of not sounding like a fighter jet.

Hey, if you are going to try to keep it balanced, enough with the 'only 2 good games' - we have at least 3 :)

(Seriously there are more, with some of the best being the cheaper 'fun' games from the Stationstore such as Pain, Super Stardust HD, Wipeout HD, 1942, etc)

All discussion about consoles resort to playground 'my console is better than your because...' banter as, sadly, some people feel they have to justify their own console choices by bashing others, rather than simply stating the good points of the console they bought, or simply saying "I bought XXXX Console and love it, and do not regret my purchase one bit!"

Just for the record, I am a PS3 owner and love it. Got enough games to keep me busy (the ones named above for a start), and particularly spend too much time on Buzz and Singstar. I also love the multi-media aspect and the bluray (nice Tv, great surround, I love my films...enough said). I know plenty of 360 owners who love there machines for the gaming and online (more stable network and better tailored for the online community at present), and they have no intention of moving to the PS3. Then there are the multi-console owners who see the benefits of both machines, and will alternate purchases of games for each.

I have a dream of a world where the bickering will stop and we gamers can all stand proud and united in our love of intense CGI frenzied gameplay (or, indeed, retro classic gaming). When that day comes, those who look at gaming folk as sad little children who never grew up may, possibly, just take us all that little bit more seriously. It's a dream...and like most dreams, I have no faith in it coming true. After all, we used to bicker about the Speccy and C64 / Amiga and ST / Sega and Nintendo......but then again, I was 13 at the time. :)


So, erm, what was the question? Ah yes, 360 any good. Yes it is, if you want a cracking games console with a great online community and tons of good games available.

Hey, if you are going to try to keep it balanced, enough with the 'only 2 good games' - we have at least 3 :)

(Seriously there are more, with some of the best being the cheaper 'fun' games from the Stationstore such as Pain, Super Stardust HD, Wipeout HD, 1942, etc)

All discussion about consoles resort to playground 'my console is better than your because...' banter as, sadly, some people feel they have to justify their own console choices by bashing others, rather than simply stating the good points of the console they bought, or simply saying "I bought XXXX Console and love it, and do not regret my purchase one bit!"

Just for the record, I am a PS3 owner and love it. Got enough games to keep me busy (the ones named above for a start), and particularly spend too much time on Buzz and Singstar. I also love the multi-media aspect and the bluray (nice Tv, great surround, I love my films...enough said). I know plenty of 360 owners who love there machines for the gaming and online (more stable network and better tailored for the online community at present), and they have no intention of moving to the PS3. Then there are the multi-console owners who see the benefits of both machines, and will alternate purchases of games for each.

I have a dream of a world where the bickering will stop and we gamers can all stand proud and united in our love of intense CGI frenzied gameplay (or, indeed, retro classic gaming). When that day comes, those who look at gaming folk as sad little children who never grew up may, possibly, just take us all that little bit more seriously. It's a dream...and like most dreams, I have no faith in it coming true. After all, we used to bicker about the Speccy and C64 / Amiga and ST / Sega and Nintendo......but then again, I was 13 at the time. :)


So, erm, what was the question? Ah yes, 360 any good. Yes it is, if you want a cracking games console with a great online community and tons of good games available.

A good post all round. I've got all 3, and my gaming time is probably split around 90%/9%/1% on 360, PS3 and Wii respectively. Whilst there's nothing inherently wrong with a PS3, and it has a lot going for it, I think the selection of games (given 99% of cross-platform games are better on 360) is a bit lacking, as is the inferior controller. If someone were to buy only a PS3 and get all the cross-platform games then they could happily spend plenty of time playing great games (and it does have more than 2 good exclusives, and with LBP, Resistance 2, GT5 and Heavy Rain coming the number will only rise), but in terms of which is the better games machine, given its better selection of better games, superior online mode and better controller then 360 wins hands down. But if someone wanted a console to just play the odd bit of FIFA with friends and some GTA on their own, and weren't bothered about online gaming, then the quieter PS3 would suffice just fine and they wouldn't regret their purchase at all.

A good post all round. I've got all 3, and my gaming time is probably split around 90%/9%/1% on 360, PS3 and Wii respectively. Whilst there's nothing inherently wrong with a PS3, and it has a lot going for it, I think the selection of games (given 99% of cross-platform games are better on 360) is a bit lacking, as is the inferior controller. If someone were to buy only a PS3 and get all the cross-platform games then they could happily spend plenty of time playing great games (and it does have more than 2 good exclusives, and with LBP, Resistance 2, GT5 and Heavy Rain coming the number will only rise), but in terms of which is the better games machine, given its better selection of better games, superior online mode and better controller then 360 wins hands down. But if someone wanted a console to just play the odd bit of FIFA with friends and some GTA on their own, and weren't bothered about online gaming, then the quieter PS3 would suffice just fine and they wouldn't regret their purchase at all.

Indeed. The online is starting to improve, and is becoming more stable as the games developers utilise the hosting options better (allowing it to switch to the next player as host if the first host logs out/disconnects etc - Wipeout HD is possibly the best online racer I have ever played, and have not suffered any lag or dropouts from it yet), and PS Home is a pretty nice portal (been beta testing it for the past 2 months now), which should do wonders to improve the community aspect. However the full Home release isn't due until early next year.

Personally I prefer the PS controllers - never found the Xbox ones comfortable (one of the reasons I just couldn't take to my old Xbox). Each to there own really, whatever the individual feels more comfortable with.