Oblivion: PC vs Xbox 360

[magik]

Excellent article for those of you who are interested in the differences/similarities of Oblivion on the PC and the Xbox 360.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is one of the best, most talked about role-playing games in a long time. This article assumes you're interested in learning what all the fuss is about but are having trouble deciding whether the PC or Xbox 360 version of the game is right for you. Here we'll break down the differences and help you make a decision, but the good news is, you won't go wrong either way.

Bear in mind that the content and gameplay is identical in both versions of Oblivion. Given this, your choice between the PC and Xbox 360 versions may be obvious--if you have only one system or the other, then get whichever version you can play. However, if you know you'd have to upgrade your PC to get the most of this game, or if you're on the fence about getting an Xbox 360, or if you already have both systems, then you've got yourself an interesting dilemma. We're here to help you make the best choice. Let's summarize the pros and cons for each version.

Oblivion for the Xbox 360

+ Solid performance

+ Addictive unlockable achievements

+ In-game Dolby Digital 5.1 sound

- Steep $59 "next-gen" retail price

- No immediate access to game mods

Oblivion for the PC

+ Looks gorgeous on a high-end PC

+ Mods galore boost lasting value

+ Cheaper retail price

- System hog won't run well on old graphics cards

- Interface feels intended for consoles

In short, the PC version is better suited to power users with top-of-the-line gaming rigs, who like the idea of extending their game with a lot of downloadable user-created content. Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 version is a safer bet that's recommendable to anyone, especially those who don't have a souped-up PC and aren't looking to upgrade, and/or have a home theater setup.

GameSpot

Full article includes comparison screenshots and more.

[Matrix XII]

Thanks man, hopefully it will give people a good idea of what version to get :)

[giga Veteran]

Thanks for the heads up (Y). Good article should help many people out.

[Matrix XII]

I'd choose 360 from the comfortability factor alone haha

[Inertia]

I'd choose 360 from the comfortability factor alone haha

me too, after this poll,

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?show...opid=587386754&

it was a hard decision though, i spend a lot of cash on my pc to keep it top spec, but in the end this is an xbox 360 game, so I will be playign it in my lounge on my big screen.

[Meshuggah]

360 for me....and about the steep price for "next-gen".....I bought it at best buy for $45 dollars, so that wasn't bad at all.

[Business]

Got it on PC, I'm in love again ^.^.

[lnmnky]

Which should I get it for

xbox360 or x850xt?

Both use the same 32inch widescreen hdtv. Both set up in the lounge in comfy sofa.

:s :s :s

[icecaveman]

^ I would reccommend the 360, better bang for the buck.

[Matrix XII]

Yeah true, there are going to be downloads for the 360 version, but I guess one could argue that there will be free mods for PC.

[grimman]

I've heard 360-owners whine about slow loading/zoning times... I find my PC-copy just flies through everything.

[hotdog666al]

Surely playing it with a Mouse beats a little joystick!!?

[nexx]

Surely you can get "Solid performance" and 5.1 audio on a PC as well?

[Cloud Constructors]

Oblivion looks better on a high-end PC than on the Xbox 360. Note the additional foliage visible in the background. We matched up resolutions for screenshot comparison purposes here, but a high-end PC with an AMD Athlon FX-60 CPU and GeForce 7900 GTX graphics card can enable all the settings and take resolutions up to 1600x1200 or more and still maintain smooth frame rates. We noticed that the Xbox 360 version had better antialiasing since our PC version couldn't enable HDR and antialiasing at the same time. Of course on the PC version, you can get rid of jaggies the old-fashioned way by jacking up the resolution.

Noooooooooooooooooooooo....

[Bamagrad03]

The system they played it on costs around 2500 bucks too....compared to the 399 xbox 360. Honestly, Ill bet the 360 still looks/plays better on a nice home theater setup with an HD screen. (Since most play PC games on a monitor)

[faraway.]

I prefer it on the PC. I play it on a Samsung 23' Widescreen LN-R238W HDTV LCD so it looks really nice paired with my 7900GT.

[lnmnky]

Which should I get it for

xbox360 or x850xt?

Both use the same 32inch widescreen hdtv. Both set up in the lounge in comfy sofa.

:s :s :s

note : I don't care about extra content.

# Just talking graphics, which looks better for oblivion: xbox360 or x850xt?

(Let's assume, same HDTV, same sound, same chair, I have no preference over mouse/joystick.)

# When they say "High-end" what's that mean these days in relation to oblivion?

[Septimus]

After looking at the shots (and currently playing it on my HDTV) I don't think the PC version looks as good as they are trying to make out. Yes there is a some minor detail enhancement, but its hardly noticeable. For the price difference between the 2 platforms the 360 wins hands down.

If you have the high-end kit already and no 360, then the choice is obvious. I had both at the time (since sold my gaming PC as I just didn't use it) and pleased I got the 360 version instead.

[Septimus]

Bloody router died, double post...

[FudgeMonkey]

The system they played it on costs around 2500 bucks too....compared to the 399 xbox 360. Honestly, Ill bet the 360 still looks/plays better on a nice home theater setup with an HD screen. (Since most play PC games on a monitor)

ok so we're saying Pc costs $2500 ( i assume including monitor) but xbox360 only costs $450 therefore the xbox wins.

fair enough.

However most of these arguments mention that it's much better in a comfy chair with a HDTV but how much does one of these high end TVs cost? about 2,500. then there's the cost of a good comfy chair compaired to a resonably comfy PC\desk chair.

end of the day Maxed out system PC (price not an isssue) is better gfx, according to reports i'm not lucky enough to have both. however for comfort and ease of play (price, again not included) console wins out.

the arguments are kind of pointless because they're all comming from people who have one or the other, and lets face it are probably biased either way and dont have the luxury of owning both at a maxed out level.

If you're looking for which to buy for, you have a PC and an xbox I would suggest unless you have a tripped-out PC then go for the xbox version. If you have a high end PC then you'll know the answer to the question already, if you have an awesome xbox setup you will too as you won't have spent all that money on either setup just to buy one of the most technically impressive games of the year to play on a different system.

these threads seem to be more of a "look at what setup I have" competition rather than providing un-biased opinion and usefull information to people who want an answer to the question in the thread title.

just imo

[lnmnky]

end of the day Maxed out system PC (price not an isssue) is better gfx,.......

If you're looking for which to buy for, you have a PC and an xbox I would suggest unless you have a tripped-out PC then go for the xbox version. If you have a high end PC then you'll know the answer to the question already, if you have an awesome xbox setup you will too as you won't have spent all that money on either setup just to buy one of the most technically impressive games of the year to play on a different system.

I think even if my x850xt could handle the better graphics (which I doubt) I will get it for xbox 360 anyway.

I game less and less on my PC, it's more of a media hub. So I may as well go all out on the 360.

[Smigit]

Luna, I have an x800 pro modded to x800xtpe and it looks pretty nice.

heres a not so good screen shot. I was just benchmarking at the time so it's pretty bland but it does the job. I was testing a terrain texture mod out so I was trying to get a shot with some distant grass ect, thus why I'm on a hill. Im running at 30 - 40 fps outdoors and about 50+ in dungeons. It runs faster if i lower the grass density or disable shadows on grass but I feel the 5 or so FPS hit is worth it for the depth it ads to the scenery.

3400+ x64 amd, 1 gig of ram are the other main specs

[Alladaskill17]

Surely playing it with a Mouse beats a little joystick!!?

Thats an insult to the 360! They are such comfortable controllers and such an amazing console...much better then mouse and keyboard! lol

[DirtyLarry Veteran]

Yeah true, there are going to be downloads for the 360 version, but I guess one could argue that there will be free mods for PC.

Already the first download for the 360 is available... Horse's Armor... and it costs 200 Microsoft Points. :|

I was under the impression content like this would be free of charge. I would have to be a Horse's ass to pay 200 credits to get some Armor for my horse (pun intended).

So as far as the downloadable content for the 360, no thanks, I will pass.

[Aahz]

Cost really is irrelevant here considering that what you view the game on can really sway the price one way or the other whether it be a massive HDTV or some nifty widescreen LCD monitor. Then you have the $400 Xbox 360 versus a $400 GPU...it all pretty much even outs and it totally dependant upon the setup you already have.

At the end of the day though = the PC version simply blows the Xbox 360 version out of the water. There are SO many settings in that *.ini file that can be cranked up to amazing levels that you can see further, everything around you looks better, everything in the distance looks better, the water both above and below the surface, the grasees, the plants, the trees, and well you name it. (and all of this at resolutions the Xbox 360 can't do)

Now factor in the user made mods and the choice is obvious. PC is the way to go.