Since I built my MAME cabinet I’ve been playing a lot of NBA Jam TE and Golden Tee. The XBox has been sitting in the TV cabinet collecting dust. With NCAA ‘08 hitting the shelves and Madden ‘08 arriving next month, I felt it was time to upgrade my gaming console. Initially I was planning on buying an XBox 360 for its Media Center capabilities as well as it’s lower cost. After some comparison I decided to sell my XBox and accessories and make the leap to the PS3.

After only having it for a few days I have to admit that I don’t miss the XBox or regret that I got the PS3 over the XBox 360 the least bit. The media server functionality built into the PS3 is as good as the 360. The added bonus of Blu-Ray without buying an external drive, the internal card reader, rechargeable bluetooth controllers, larger hard drive, and free online gaming capabilities definitely make up for the higher price tag.

For those of you who don’t have a gaming console or an entertainment center for that matter, the PS3 is a great all in one solution. Pair the PS3 with an HDTV and a basic surround sound setup and your home entertainment system is complete. High definition gaming, high definition video, and streaming media all in one. You can even buy the optional bluetooth keyboard with track pad for surfing the Internet.