Both the Xbox 360 and PS3 now offer users the ability to buy, download, or customize their Dashboard/XMB themes in some way. But whose implementation is better? We decided to analyze the ins and outs of customizing your theme on both systems and see who comes out on top.
Most themes on the Xbox 360 have to be purchased from the Xbox Live Marketplace for 150 Microsoft Points (almost $2). You can, however, use your own picture for the theme background. The caveat here is that only one picture can be used for every Blade in the Dashboard. Past that, you can customize the Blade Trim with 3 settings and also use the Xbox Live Vision Camera for a watermarked background of you playing your Xbox 360.
The PS3 introduced it’s themes system in firmware update v2.00. Before the themes, you had the ability to set a custom wallpaper. Theming takes this to the next level. You can now create your own custom icons, fonts and colors for pop-up indicators. Sony has provided tools and documentation for any user to create their own themes.
In this editor’s opinion, the PS3’s theme system trounces that of the Xbox 360. Sure, both only allow for one background image (the PS3 only has one background vs. the Xbox 360’s four Blades). But allowing the customization of icons and fonts really allows the user to tailer their console experience exactly as they see fit. The other benefit here: it’s absolutely free! Because of this, a few great sites have cropped up where users can submit and download hundreds of themes of the PS3 for no cost. Two of these great sites are PS3 Theme Designs and PlayStation Universe’s PS3 Themes.
So now you know how I feel. What about you? Let us know in the comments which system you think has a better theming system and why.
[Update] Thanks to a few users who made me aware that the PS3 is capable of multiple background images in a custom theme. You can set multiple images when creating the theme, and these backgrounds will change whenever you boot up the console or exit a game/movie to the XMB.
26 Comments
Write a Comment»how utterly irrelevant
The PS3 design system is much better. I don’t actually have a PS3, but I do have a PSP. I can tell you that I love the sleekness (word?) of throwing my own custom background that is perfectly fit to the PSP. However, using custom themes on the 360 doesn’t have the same effect because they are usually cut off because of the blades.
Well… I like the PS3/PSP interface much more than the 360’s, but it does use 32 more mb of ram
(Xbox uses 32mb, PS3 uses 64mb to my knowledge)
PS3 interface > 360 (I like the 360 more though)
Hehe
@IA - I think its relevant because I like things that look good. So naturally, I like when a GUI on a system looks great, because it makes it that much sleeker when I start it up.
Some people care about it, some people don’t. But I would estimate around over half of the gaming population cares (even if just a little bit) how their interface looks.
you can have more than one background for your PS3 theme. when you compile your theme, you can set up to 5 (i believe, might be more). each time you boot up your PS3 or return to the XMB from a game or bluray or something, it will show a random background pic from the ones you set.
the GT5 Theme (which you can d/l from those sites) is a good example and has multiple background pics.
ps3 only has one background image?
try again, you can make/upload as many background images as you would like into your theme, the p3t compiler comes with a default of 3 bgs, both in HD and SD, so everytime you return to your xmb, your background will randomly switch to any of the other bgs you have in your theme..
Thanks for the info on the multiple background images. I wasn’t aware of this feature. I’ll throw an update in the post.
PS3 themes are great, check out http://www.playstation3themes.com
You made one mistake in your article. You can actually place up to 4 pictures in any PS3 theme. And every time you boot up you PS3 it will cycle between the 4 pictures in order with every boot up.
Also themes on the PS3 can fully support both SD & HD images combined, so the end user does not have to worry about how the image scales for his/her T.V.
dude, who chooses a console because of the skinning possibilities? It has to be a sad day for PS3 when they finally do come off ‘trouncing’ the Xbox 360 -in personalization of the interface, bwhuhaahahaha. I am a fanboy, and it takes one to know one, and you sir, are a PS3 fanboy!
Your rationalization of me being a fanboy is utterly hilarious. Because I compare one feature of the two consoles and choose the PS3, I’m a fanboy? I own every system currently on the market and play all of them almost daily.
You admit you’re a 360 fanboy. You’re beloved console can’t win in every category. There’s things the 360 does best, things the PS3 does best, and things the Wii does best. You’re going to have to accept that at some point.
homicidal
It not a selling factor, but it just allows a better customization experience for your console. You cannot say the same about the 360, as the customization is limited and some have to be purchased.
sure, but you present it as some major category -I was expecting a Big Thing, coming in as well thru N4G.com -and I just had to laugh. Yesterday I read about the Xbox trouncing the PS3 on hi-def graphics over at EuroGamer -perhaps I was expecting something similar. And what about the Fall Update, less than one week away? U didn’t mention anything about what that will bring for themes (MS has announced Flash-based, animated themes with sound).
I have both a PS3 and 360 and really like the PS3’s themes. Good quality these are starting to made, and I’ve gone through a different one every day of the week so far. (I prolly have 30 or so loaded on my PS3. = ) The psu.com site is really nice site for themes, but my personal fav is:
http://www.ps3-themes.com/
Due to it’s non-register to DL, theme categories and ranking system.
Peace,
-Nick
@homicidal - dude the article does not say run out and buy a PS3 because of its superior themes!? The article says that the themes on the pS3 are better in the editors opinion because of XYZ… No one in their right mind will buy a console because of the interface, just like if we compare controllers and I say I like hte Xbox 360 controller better; this is not a reigning endorsement that the Xbox 360 is the best sytem in the history of gaming.
homicidal, thats about as smart as saying “well, the PS3 is going to have ingame XMB!”. thats in the future, and your sounding almost as stupid as a sony fanboy.
you give 360 fans a bad name.
Oh, and homicidal - I’d love to know where Microsoft “announced” this new feature, since it hasn’t been mentioned by any Microsoft employee, on any official Microsoft site, or in any press release. Announcing means it comes from Microsoft’s mouth, not speculation by an outside source
@taz,
no it doesn’t -but it also omitted things that could have provided a more even approach to themes imo. U have to recognize that marketing campaigns notwithstanding, PS3 does not have as many things right -# games, frame rate issues, other bugs, lousy ports- as it should have, making this article for a good chuckle at least for the Xbox fanboys among us.
It felt a bit like reading a German newspaper in April 1945, with a big fat headline stating that German traffic accidents are down 5% from the last year -This is Loot Ninja, not some second rate blog like mah own
And hey, I welcome the PS3’s competition, it means better games and consoles (okay, and interfaces) for all of us in the long term.
Maybe the PS3 themes are nice, but the 360 UI is better overall, and easier on the eyes. When you consider that, who cares about silly themes.
It seems like everytime the PS3 does somrthing right you get some guy writing an article on it. How come we don’t see any articles on all the dozens of things the 360 does better, like play games for starters.
the article is slightly incorrect. the PS3 creator allows up to 16 custom wallpapers which are randomly selected every time you restart the XMB. ie. after you exit a game, start the system, or reapply the theme.
Mostly because the 360 doesn’t play games better. It just has deeper roots in the market. As far as gameplay goes, it should be pretty well considered that they are equal at the moment. However, there is no doubt that the PS3 has more potential than the 360’s current SKUs.
l0lz… hey, here’s an idea! All u PS3 fanboys go watch ur beautiful themes, while the Xbox fanboys enjoy our beautifully streamed Divx and Xvid videos (check out 1UP if u just woke up or came home! It’s here -not a promise *cough*PS3*cough*, here!). This only adds to the irony of this article w00t!
I have a 360 and a PSP. I don’t and never liked the PSP’s interface all that much. I have an issue w/ the hard to see icons. At a glance they are hard to see, even in the pic above. But then again your not meant to be in it much. The 360s design allows for better navigation into more items/features than the PS3. The 360s space is not cluttered and is relatively easy to find everything. Scrolling is done fairly simply. On the PSP if I didn’t have a lot of files, music, pics, etc it wasn’t an issue but once they started building up it was a pain to get to everything. I would imagine that PS3’s interface isn’t as bad being on a TV rather than a small LCD.
@inajeep possibly with this latest update to the PSP they have added to the functionality of the XMB like with the PS3. Cause on the PS3 you are now able to organize the files that is saved by putting them in folders. That just gives the PS3 themes all that much more streamlined and easy to navigate. The Icons in my opinion since having a Launch PSP and PS3 were never hard to see. Now with the fact that you can create your OWN icons make that even better.
@homicidal actually the PS3 already has part of Divx installed,and with the next update it should be finished.
@Homicidal - You are an fucking idiot. Usually I don’t curse when I post opinions, but to trash everyone here and call the editor of L-N a fanboy is a dick thing to do. If you didn’t troll forums, you would know that most of the people here like the 360 better in terms of games, but the PS3 is better multimedia wise. I’m not going to go through the pros and cons of each system, but in my opinion the 360 is a BETTER system than the PS3. However, I am a guy that cares about looks, so I like things to look good. In my opinion the PS3 one looks better, but that won’t make me buy the PS3…
“dude, who chooses a console because of the skinning possibilities? It has to be a sad day for PS3 when they finally do come off ‘trouncing’ the Xbox 360 -in personalization of the interface, bwhuhaahahaha. I am a fanboy, and it takes one to know one, and you sir, are a PS3 fanboy!”
Okay, you should probably stop trolling Loot-ninja now. You are the type of fanboy that would just blow things out of proportion. NOWHERE did he say that the PS3 was a better system, he just said they had a better interface, two different things… Hes not a fanboy. And the only reason I’m posting this is because it is people like you that end up ruining good discussions about systems (feel free to read the write up about hate in gaming
)
I’m not saying that I’m being nice right now, but really I’m sure the whole gaming community has had enough of Fanboys trolling forums.
BTW - I would never buy a PS3 unless it starts getting GREAT games.
LOL, in internet arguments, it seems like EVERYONE claims to own all the systems and every game