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Platform Comparison
Before you play Phantasy Star Universe, the first thing you decide is which format you are going to play on and which one suits you. This article will give you the information about each of the platforms and services.
The platforms
Playstation 2
The Sony Playstation 2 is the cheapest and oldest format that PSU can be played on. As the console is from the last generation of game systems, it's cheap to purchase the system and game. The newer slimline PS2's have an internal network card; enabling anyone to play a game with online functions straight out of the box.
The cons in relation to the PS2 lie in it being a last generation system; The resolution is lower (640 x 448 pixels), unless the game supports progressive scan. Problems encountered when playing PSU include; Limited memory, Graphical slowdown and Load times.
While there are some problems the PS2 has when running PSU, there are some nice pro's too. As I mentioned before; It's cheap to access and newer models have built in networking. The PS2 servers for the online portion of PSU are also linked to the servers that the PC version of PSU accesses.
PC
Personal Computers are always changing and keeping up with new parts can be expensive. A PC will generally last a good 3 years before it needs to be upgraded or replaced. Provided you did not have access to a PC, buying a new one can cost thousands (Or less, depending on where you go).
For the PC, the main cons rely in; The pricing of brand new PCs and upgrading your hardware if your PC does not meet the minimum requirements. Installation, which may be difficult to newcomers. Controlling your character with a keyboard & mouse may be difficult if you're not used to this form of control, adaptors for console controllers are relitively cheap and recommended if you own a console, which has a pad that you're used to. Networking can get messy if your modem goes through a router, which blocks the ports to PSU.
The pros for the PC platform are the following: higher resolution, depending on your hardware (PSU supports 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x960, and 1280x1024; if you have Ambition of the Illuminus, 1280x720 widescreen is also supported); control over graphical settings, allowing you to control how well the game runs; and large amounts of memory (again, depending on your system), allowing you to cache large amounts of player models, special effects and load everything swiftly.
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a current generation gaming system, which has support for modern video formats, such as HDMI. Compared to the other two current consoles, it sits between the Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation 3 in terms of pricing.
Unlike the PS2 and PC versions of PSU, the Xbox 360 has it's own seperate server, which is a pro and a con in it's own right. Where the PS2 & PC servers are international, minus japan, the 360 servers encompass the whole world. Population numbers on the 360 servers are next to twice the amount of PS2 & PC servers, however a good 50% of these players are the Japanese players, which may be a problem for players who don't speak Japanese.
Aside from the multi-faceted server issue, the issues facingthe 360 version are the following; Pricing, along with the normal fee to play PSU online, a player must have an Xbox 360 gold membership. This can be seen as both cheap and expensive, as it gives you access to every 360 game's online functionalities and it's cheap compared to paying to play a modern MMORPG.
The 360 version of PSU allows players to play the game with voice chat, adding another level of communication to the game. Higher resolution, depending on your TV. High memory, allowing for caching and load.
Comparison chart
Note: This comparison chart is nowhere near complete, take it with a grain of salt until this note is removed.
| Playstation 2 | PC | Xbox 360 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online fees | 9.90 USD per month | 9.90 USD per month | 9.90 USD per month + Xbox Live Gold Membership |
| Resolutions | 640x448 | 640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, 1280x960, 1280x1024; 1280x720 in AotI only |
(To be defined) |
| Memory | Small | Small to Large | Medium |
| Control | Controller & USB Keyboard | Keyboard & Mouse or Controller | Controller, Voice chat, Chat pad & USB Keyboard |
| Server | PS2 & PC (JP or International) | PS2 & PC | Xbox 360 Only |
| Population | Low | Low | Medium |
