Video-game consoles: Choose a model with our simple strategy

Video gaming has changed over the last several months, with all three major players introducing enhanced or brand-new motion controllers. With Microsoft's Kinect for the Xbox 360, you don't need a hand-held controller. Connect the Kinect device to your existing Xbox 360, and you can then control games with your body gestures or voice commands.

In addition to new 3D capabilities for gaming, the Sony PlayStation 3 now has a motion-sensitive controller, the Move. This device has a sphere at the end that pairs with the PlayStation's Eye camera to pinpoint your position during game play. And Nintendo has introduced the MotionPlus, an enhancement to its remote that is also available as an add-on to its original remote.

And the Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Wii are more than just gaming consoles: They also serve as entertainment centers for movies, photos, music, and even social media such as Facebook. With the addition of motion control, each console can help you work out at home, too.

What's available

Microsoft Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 with Kinect is available in a 4GB version for $300 and a 250GB version for $400, which is better for those who want to store games and movies. (Xbox 360 systems without the Kinect device are still available: $200 for 4GB and $250 for 250GB.) With Xbox Live, you can view high-def movies and TV shows with Zune and listen to music from Last.FM. With an Xbox Live Gold account ($50 a year; $100 for a family pack of four), you can play other gamers online, watch movies from Netflix (if you're a member), use Facebook and Twitter, andwatch sports on ESPN.

The Kinect motion-tracking camera connects to your Xbox 360 to let you interact with games using your body motions. For more details on the Kinect, see our blog post, First Look video: Microsoft Kinect for Xbox 360. It's easy to set up, but if you already own an Xbox 360 and are adding the device, you'll have to sit through a few updates first. The Kinect evaluates the noise levels in your room to make sure that voice commands work without interference.

A tutorial shows you some basic commands such how to pause a game by holding your left hand out at your side. Facial recognition lets you log into the system. Some reports asserted that the accessory had difficulty identifying players with darker skin tones, but in our tests we found that the problem was with room lighting, not skin color. Games include personal fitness, sports, arcade, and more.

Controller-free gaming takes advantage of body motions. For example, a river-rafting game lets you steer down a river full of obstacles by sidestepping, and you can fly over ramps to grab tokens by jumping. But sometimes, hands-free gaming is strange: In a racecar game, for example, steering without a wheel in your hands can be disorienting.

For some navigation options, you can also use voice commands. Say "Xbox" out loud, and a list of voice commands pops up that's based on the screen you're on at the time. But if there is too much background noise in the room, or the TV's volume is too high, the Kinect might have difficulty recognizing voices.

You can use voice control (or motion control) to play videos or music from ESPN, Zune, and Last.FM. With an Xbox Live Gold account, you have access to videoKINECT, a video chat feature. A word of warning about this feature: When you initially set up the Kinect, you're asked whether you want to use the Kinect to chat. If you say "yes," the Kinect's microphone remains on during multiplayer games, picking up audio from the entire room and broadcasting it to anyone who's playing video games with you. To avoid this, set the Kinect's microphone settings yourself, and mute it if you have to.

Graphics for Kinect games compare favorably to Wii game graphics, but onscreen motion can be sluggish, and you might have to compensate with body motions.

The Kinect takes photos and videos of you throughout your game play and posts them to kinectshare.com; from there you can download them or share them on Facebook from your computer.

The Kinect requires lots of room to play, at least 6 feet if you're playing alone and 8 feet with a second player. Prepare to move some furniture.

If you already own an older Xbox 360, you can buy a standalone version of the Kinect for $150. But you'll need to plug it into the Xbox and an electrical outlet. Games start at $50. Exclusive games, such as the Halo outer-space series, have attracted hardcore gamers to the Xbox 360, but those games don't exist yet for the Kinect. Microsoft probably has plans for expanding Kinect capabilities into more advanced games and even into other technologies.

Winning points

The HD graphics are great, and controller-free gaming is quite fun.

The downside

Onscreen movement can be sluggish. You've got to pay for multiplayer gaming to access some online features. The Kinect might have difficulty recognizing voices in a noisy room.

Nintendo Wii

The Wii is a lower-price alternative to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. This $200 game console, available in white or black, now comes with the Wii MotionPlus accessory, which attaches to the remote for more precise motion detection. A red version of the Wii—to celebrate the "25th Anniversary" of Nintendo—is also available and comes with Wii Remote Plus, a controller with the MotionPlus capability built -in.

If you have a broadband connection, you can surf the Internet, stream Netflix movies (if you're a member), and play games online free. Nintendo also offers a vast library of classic titles available for download.

The Wii was the last game console that required a disc to stream Nexflix, but you now can go to the Wii Shop Channel and download the Netflix application. Once that's installed, you'll be able to stream content without using the disc.

Wii Motion-Plus, which is an enhancement to the original Wii Remote's motion detection capability, is a vast improvement on the previous version, letting the Wii more accurately track complex motions. It's built into new versions of the remote called the Wii Remote Plus, but if you already own the original remote, you can buy it as an attachment for $20. The enhancement is compatible with all Wii games, but only games specifically designed for Wii Motion-Plus can take advantage of the enhanced sensitivity.

Nintendo's Wii Sports Resort includes games that benefit from Wii Motion-Plus's more-precise tracking. When you're playing skydiving, for example, the controller represents your body on screen; the way you turn the controller determines the motion you make on screen. And in Fencing, your on-screen sword exactly matches the manner in which the controller is being held. Other major titles on the horizon include "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword," which promises to take full advantage of Wii Motion-Plus’s accurate motion tracking.

Winning points
It's a family system, and parents and grandparents get into the act. The Wii's main focus has been on getting you up off the sofa to bowl, compete in a tennis match, and more. The Wii Fit, which lets you exercise using the Wii, added an extra dimension of physicality to the system (the Xbox and PlayStation have followed suit with their new versions). Other games, such as Super Mario Galaxy, remain a staple on this platform. The new remote's more-accurate tracking greatly enhances game play.

The downside

The graphics are not as striking as those on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and the Wii does not have a hard drive for media storage.

Sony Playstation 3

The PlayStation 3 is available in four hard drive sizes—120-GB ($300). 160-GB ($300), 250-GB ($350) and 320-GB ($350). The 320GB version is also available bundled with the new PlayStation Move motion controller and the PlayStation Eye camera for $400. (See our report Hands-on: Sony PlayStation3 Move controller for our detailed take.)

The wireless Move is a bar-shaped motion controller with an LED-lit ball at one end. Several buttons along the top are used for performing actions, and a trigger button lets you use the controller like a gun. To make the PlayStation Move work, you have to attach the PlayStation Eye video camera to the top of your TV. The Eye then tracks the location of the Move.

The functionality of the Move controller depends on the game you're playing; it can serve as a magic wand, a ping-pong paddle, and so on. You can also buy the PlayStation Move Navigation Controller, which lets you use both hands to perform actions such as "walking." Alternatively, you can use your existing PS3 DualShock controller with the other hand or buy an extra Move.

The Move can tell where you are relative to the TV: Move closer and the image zooms in. It can also detect how you're holding the controller; if you twist your wrist, the Move rotates the tool in your character's hand. But there is still a slight delay between the motion of the controller and the motion on the screen.

To keep the Eye on the ball, proper setup of camera and controller is very important. Sony sells a clip ($10) to mount the Eye camera to the top of flat-panel televisions.

If you already own a PlayStation 3 you can add the Move and Eye for $50 and $40, respectively. Retailers are offering bundles including the controller, the camera, and a game.

The PlayStation's graphics are far superior to the Nintendo Wii's, but it has other drawbacks. For one, the gaming console has only two USB ports. The PlayStation Eye takes up one connection, so only one is left for charging any other PlayStation controllers. Also the number of Move-compatible games is still limited, compared with Nintendo's well-established library of hundreds of game titles for the Wii.

All versions of the PlayStation 3 include a built-in Blu-ray player. Unlike with the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 games can e played free online. A new service called PlayStation Plus lets you try out games before you buy them, but a subscription costs $18 for three months or $50 for a year. The PS3 has a full Web browser and enables Netflix streaming to your TV.

Winning points

This is truly a two-for-one deal, because the PlayStation 3 has a built-in Blu-ray player. The HD graphics are terrific. And the addition of the Move should greatly enhance game play.

The downside

The PlayStation 3 no longer offers backward compatibility with PS2 titles.