I think that comparing PC to Xbox is like comparing apples to oranges. Which is better is really a matter of personal preference and what kinda computer you can have. Developers can do different things with each. PC games have to be written to be compatible with as many different plausible combinations of chipsets as possible because everyone's machine is unique. (except the pre-made ones...) A game for the Xbox is (or at least should be) optimized for one particular combination of hardware, so time can be spent taking advantage of every single feature and capability the Xbox offers and no time is spent on stuff that the customer's machine doesn't happen to support. It doesn't look like any one's done that, though; the cooling fan was removed from the design! Price- I see three main options: 1: I can drop a couplle hundred dollars on an Xbox bundle pack and buy new games for fifteen to fifty dollars each. (I've already done that.) 2: I can build a new PC to be able to play some of the newer stuff for somewhere in the $1200 to $2000 range depending on how far I wanna go and buy [i]new[/i] games for $40-$80 each. 3: I can stick with my dusty yet trusty 2.2Ghz machine and buy new games for $8 (AVP2 gold for my brother) to $40 (highest I've seen at Sam's Club this week) from the bargain bin. (I'm doing that.) audio, video- A decent low-end system now can beat the Xbox in just about everything for about $1000. I don't care much for eye candy, though. I played a Halo PC demo on someone else's computer with all detail settings at or near lowest and I had a blast. The added content more than made up for feeling like I lost my glasses. If you have an HDTV and surround sound, it would be blasphemy to not have an Xbox using that. I don't, so my computer's monitor and a good set of headphones are better than my old TV set w/ built-in speakers. controls- My keyboard has enough keys for everything I've ever wanted to set up in a game, while my Xbox controller has only 14 buttons and button-like things [b]but[/b] has scalable inputs on what it does have and they're all very easily reachable at all times. A really good mouse beats the snot outta clumsy thumbsticks, but the thumsticks compare just as favourably to a cruddy old mouse. With enough money, I could have all kinds of weird input devices for my PC that I see in stores. I have little money, so I've got just a decent, basic keyboard and mouse. PC controls can be customized, but Xbox controllers are standard so developers can guarantee you'll find a good setup among the options they offer. (unless they're stoopid- Google "Crimson Sea" and read a review) I don't have a preference for controller or [i]my[/i] mouse/keyboard combo, they both have their perks for me. With a truckload of money, a PC can be beyond many people's wildest wet dreams. With only a few Franklins, the Xbox is the only way to get anything. The Xbox seems to me to offer the best deal for the money, supposing you like the controller. [Edited on 7/5/2004 12:55:11 PM]