(The revised) next-gen console size comparisons

by Christopher Grant { May 30th 2006 at 7:27PM }

I think we -- gamers as a whole -- have a problem. We're fascinated ... nay, obsessed with dimensions: height, depth, width, mass. Me, I have a certain thing for cubic volume and density.

We blogged about this chart last December, but seeing as how the charts been updated with the PS3's final dimensions, we thought you'd all ~~like~~ need to know. It looks like the Wii's dimensions are still inaccurate; check out 4cr's helpful resize job for (what appears to be) a more accurate model.

We have a problem:
Doing the math on DS lite
Xbox 360 power supply comparisons never get old
Xbox 360 power supply dunked in water to prove it's damned big
Game Boy Micro vs. Game Boy Advance SP

[Via digg]

(Update: Included a listing of the relevant cubic volumes calculated from the listed figures. Thanks, Sean!)

PlayStation 3	8726.9 cm^3
Xbox	7727.4 cm^3
Xbox 360	6616.9 cm^3
PlayStation 2	4179.1 cm^3
Gamecube	2656.5 cm^3
Mac mini	1384.7 cm^3
PStwo	978.9 cm^3
Wii	955.5 cm^3

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Natsfan7 A.K.A Mariofan14 @ May 30th 2006 7:36PM

Wow, if Japan didn't like the size of the 360 then there going to crap them selfs when the see the PS3. No, really it is a lot bigger than I thought it would be.

Jamesypoo @ May 30th 2006 7:38PM

Wii so small.

James likey.

GQ @ May 30th 2006 7:39PM

Yay, first comment. Yes...size does matter!

Jason Cross @ May 30th 2006 7:39PM

Interesting that the PS3 is larger than the original Xbox in every dimension when the size of it was so poorly recieved in Japan.

the_game_master @ May 30th 2006 7:41PM

Whoa Xbox 1 was a huge piece of shit.
Why is the PStwo shown their, model revisions don't count.

Jaded @ May 30th 2006 7:41PM

Wow, the PS3 is almost as big as the original Xbox.

I'm totally like the 3,000,000th person to say that.

Mike S @ May 30th 2006 7:42PM

I think someone asked in the other topic what the difference between the pre-e3 PS3 and the post-e3 PS3 was..

Did the PS3 get smaller or larger?

Sean @ May 30th 2006 7:43PM

"Me, I have a certain thing for cubic volume and density."

I posted the cubic volume for all of these over on digg.

Here's a copy and paste.

Volume in cubic centimeters.

ps3: 8726.9
xbox: 7727.4
360: 6616.9
ps2: 4179.1
cube: 2656.5
pstwo: 978.9
wii: 955.5

Marc @ May 30th 2006 7:47PM

(this is said like William Shatner)

The Wii.....it's ......so...small.

But honestly, i didn't think it was THAT small.
Even after the size revision that "4 Color Rebellion" did, it's still amazingly small.

I gotta do that "it's as small as 3 DVD cases" experiment.

Khash @ May 30th 2006 7:50PM

Throw in the 360 power brick then lets see which console is bigger.

cringer8 @ May 30th 2006 7:53PM

OH boy, here we go...I can already here the people saying that this is somehow a biased post for Nintendo. As if smaller is somehow "better" for everyone. People, this is information on all three systems and their footprints. No one is saying one's better than the other based on size.

Having said that... the Wii is the best system of ALL time *because* it's so small! Those other two whatchamacallits look like elephants, or SUV's. I'm going to buy TEN Wii's and duct tape them together to make ONE SUPER SYSTEM. It will blow those other ugly monstrosities out of the water and still be smaller!

I am curious about that glowing, sphere-like system with the eerie white "eye." That's kinda small, too. Maybe it's even better than the Wii. We'll have to wait and see.

Marc @ May 30th 2006 7:56PM

O.K. I did that "3 DVD cases" experiment.

DAMN THAT'S TINY!

The console-formerly-known-as-Revolution is almost a portable system in itself!

Hitch @ May 30th 2006 7:57PM

#10

Sad man, just plain sad.

Khash @ May 30th 2006 8:02PM

#13 How so? It's not an accurate representation of the size of the consoles if you don't include the whole console.

cyrix_0 @ May 30th 2006 8:03PM

Exaclty ADD the POWER BLOCK for Wii and Xbox360...

Those are a very Substantial sizes...

I mean the Xbox360 Power Block is nearly as big as the Wii console....haha

PS3 has its one In-built (for those who do not know)

Easy Now :)

bobeotm @ May 30th 2006 8:03PM

Keep in mind, the XBOX360's Power supply is external, and the PS3's power supply is internal.

Marc @ May 30th 2006 8:03PM

"I'm going to buy TEN Wii's and duct tape them together to make ONE SUPER SYSTEM."

That my friend, is just crazy enough to work!

"I am curious about that glowing, sphere-like system with the eerie white 'eye'."

What system are you talking about? (i'm just curious)

Zorak @ May 30th 2006 8:04PM

i predict that wii will win the console war in prisons due to its, eh, hideability.

dangt @ May 30th 2006 8:05PM

I believe he's referring to your fanboyism...

Marc @ May 30th 2006 8:09PM

ohhhhh
you were talking about the CD.

D'oh
(now i feel stupid)

Chowweekly @ May 30th 2006 8:10PM

Personally I like having a smaller sized console so I can move it around easily and take it to friend's houses, but I don't think it's really fair to criticize the PS3 and Xbox 360 for being so large. That's the trade-off for having the latest hardware. They may be 5-6 times the size but they're like 20 times more powerful. I just hope the trend doesn't continue until consoles become desktop PC size.

Khash @ May 30th 2006 8:10PM

The CD will win the console war!

Endejas @ May 30th 2006 8:21PM

I don't really care for size, as I'm not carrying any console around in my pocket.

I also like a console to have a certain presence in my room. It looks like the PS3, my 360 and the 360 power supply all have those.

Chances are, if I buy a Wii, it'll get lost first time I clean my room...

Scott @ May 30th 2006 8:26PM

Wow. So the ps3 is bigger then the 360.

Weren't they mocking xbox for having such a big console? I wonder what size their powerbrick will be. lol

Mike @ May 30th 2006 8:27PM

man my eyes suck. Does anyone have a high resolution picture of that so I can actually see it?

Luigi @ May 30th 2006 8:29PM

Wait a year and a half for Sony and Microsoft to introduce 1/2 size verions of the PS3 and Xbox360 and for Nintendo to come out with a Wii Lite that's smaller that an iPod.

Here endeth the lesson.

Big Ed @ May 30th 2006 8:32PM

@#10 If that's your philosophy, then why don't we throw in the controllers and other cords in while we're at it.

Stupid, so, so stupid

MrP @ May 30th 2006 8:34PM

Just waiting for the "lol PS3 is huge" jokes, now...

Andrew @ May 30th 2006 8:35PM

Whoa.

Those are like freaking monster trucks right there.

Endejas @ May 30th 2006 8:36PM

@24 The revised PS2 removed the power supply from inside the console. So the only one that can revise their console (in terms of noticeable change in size) would again, be Sony.

daniel @ May 30th 2006 8:38PM

whys there a g5 cube in one of those pictures thats not a console

Scott @ May 30th 2006 8:39PM

#24.

lol

watch steve jobs buy nintendo.

N3k74r @ May 30th 2006 8:41PM

I'd like to see a high-resolution picture also.

Didn't think the Wii was that small.

epobirs @ May 30th 2006 8:45PM

#5

Really? Please explain why? A lot of PS1 owners picked up the PSone for its tiny size that lent itself to easy transport. Many have done the same with the PStwo with the added bonus of DVD playback.

The PStwo is highly illustrative of the effects of imporved manufacturing technology on these products. Given a better relationship with Nvidia, the Xbox could easily have been brought down to the original PS2's size. Over time the Xbox 360 and PS3 are going to get chipset revision that will allow for much more compact designs as well as lower prices.

Size has long been held as a major reason for the Xbox failing to catch on better in Japan. The rationale being that many Japanese live in tiny apartments and couldn't allow so much space for a game system even if it was otherwise of interest. This claim will be put to the test with the PS3. Years from now, when a much smaller PS3, perhaps about the size of the original PS2, is available at the same price point as the original model draws by that time, will it see a surge in sales from those who had been holding out due to the size?

It's a valid question. The PStwo sold many millions of units before seeing its first price drop below that of the model it replaced. How many of those first-time buyers viewed the reduced size as a major attraction? That question means much to both the Xbox 360 and PS3.

epobirs @ May 30th 2006 8:49PM

#30

Jobs doesn't have the money to do that without giving up important assets but since he's now Disney's biggest shareholder he could be very infuential in merging the two companies. Think about that franchise powerhouse.

Uncle Louie @ May 30th 2006 8:54PM

Why console size or weight is ever discussed at length always alludes me. Of all things to latch onto, this is perhaps the least of my concerns. Rather I think it's more important to consider game library, gameplay, control, interactivity, and cost. If it looks nice, matches my existing media system, and fits within the space I have available (which is big enough to fit any of the consoles), those are all bonuses, but not necessarily requirements or anything I would lose sleep over.

TheGsusFreek @ May 30th 2006 8:54PM

It'll be interesting to see Nintendo actually cram better H/W than the GC (and comparable to the XBox) inside of a shell soooooo much smaller than the GC.

TheGsusFreek @ May 30th 2006 8:59PM

P.S. @ #17, he was referring to the CD/DVD/whatever disc in the comparison picture. :)

striderhayasa @ May 30th 2006 9:17PM

The Wii is so small it's retarded. I love it. The Xbox was so huge I was a parnoid, anal bastard every time I had to transport it. I couldn't stand it.

Am I the only one that suspects the next Gameboy could be a slimmed down version of the Wii or some variation of it?

OyoyoY123 @ May 30th 2006 9:25PM

Wii is indeed tiny...(sorry.cant help it)
but there will be a montion sensor bar, how u gonna carry that around?

Mitch @ May 30th 2006 9:38PM

The PS3 is nearly 1000 cubic centimetres larger than the original Xbox, and more than 2000 cubic centimetres larger than the 360. LET THE BASHING BEGIN!

(Honestly, I don't care about size. I just recall back when the Xbox came out that all the Sony fanboys were joking about how huge the Xbox was.)

Scott @ May 30th 2006 9:43PM

#33

dude I was kidding. I know he won't buy ninendo. Just he seems to enjoy making things smaller, and digs the letter "i"

and hey, the smallest console also containing two "i"s. what's not for him to love?

still its a joke

The ZeroCorpse @ May 30th 2006 9:43PM

Haha! The PS3 is the big elephant of the new gen!

So now the Sony fanboys can't make jokes about the Xbox being so big... The PS3 is HUUUUUGE!

I bet it weighs 20 pounds, too!

Unimental @ May 30th 2006 9:48PM

"Dude, your Wii is so tiny."

C'mon, who's thinking that?

The3rdNuisance @ May 30th 2006 9:53PM

I like this, but does the Wii use regualar CD discs, or the small Gamecube one? If it does, this might overthrow 4CR's revision.

Nintendo has some good consoles, disregarding the games, because all you need is one of the screens for it, and some duct tape, and you can make a Gamecube SP. Pop on the monitor, and tape the controller to the top of the console. It would be a wee bit larger than the original XBox controller. (Exageration.)

Unimental @ May 30th 2006 10:03PM

OK, now that I've had my stoo-pid post (with the obligatory "Wii" joke), here's a serious one:

Doesn't the Wii look like a desirable piece of consumer electronics? The Gamecube was small, yes, but it appeared very "toyish". The Wii has a certain charm to it that is tugging at me. I WANT to have this as part of my entertainment center. The 360 is slick, but looks too much like a CPU case. The PS3 looks like a $25 CD-player from Wal-Mart that claims to have "futuristic styling".

I can't help it, I like the Wii.

I have zero stars @ May 30th 2006 10:14PM

I want to see an original Nintendo on that chart, and a 2600 while we're at it.

Justin @ May 30th 2006 10:18PM

I'm just wondering if anyone who posts comments here actually knows anything about the consoles themselves. No offence, but to clear things up, the ps3 isn't going to be 20 pounds, but arround 11 pounds. Granted, that is still a little heavy, but it does have the internal power supply.

As for the size of the Wii, they mentioned that the size isn't acurate yet, in fact at E3 they were supposedly running Wii hardware inside a GameCube shell. (still that's pretty small, but they aren't pushing the next gen hardware that microsoft and sony are) Also does anyone know if it can play back DVD's? I recall that you needed an attachment for it, I guess that will be answered for sure when they release all the specs.

Finally, for the volumetric comparisions of the consoles (sorry if my ordering was confusing), is this done based on the L*W*H dimensions. If so, then they are obviously flawed as none of those systems are perfect rectangles. the PS3 has a quite a slope from front to centre and back to centre. These variations would have to be taken into account for all the systems. If you check the linked web page in the post the author says that the ps3 is mere micrometers larger than the 360.

Please feel free to correct any of my errors and blast me how you feel necessary.

Tom @ May 30th 2006 10:24PM

OMG the ps3 is bigger than the xbox O.O Seriously thats insane. The original xbox was so heavy you could quite easily kill a bear with it and now the ps3 is bigger. Be careful guys, if that thing falls off your media center it could crush your foot.

I hope we get some of the photo shop images like we got with the original xbox lol. There were some truly great ones and now the ps3 is bigger!

JCA @ May 30th 2006 10:25PM

"The Wii has a certain charm to it that is tugging at me."

His Wii's charms are tugging at him? Shouldn't it be he who tugs at his Wii's charms?

SOrry everyone. I'm trying to stop but its hard. :)

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