QUALITY OF REPLACEMENT CONSOLE
Xbox 360
Under-warranty consoles that develop hardware issues are replaced by Microsoft with a refurbished console, not a new one. Only the console is replaced and the customer retains all cables, peripherals, and storage devices that came with the console at the time of purchase. This means the customer retains all profiles, game saves, and downloaded content. However, the quality of the replaced consoles is at times questionable as many customers have had to replace their consoles multiple times. In some cases, the customer is given a slightly damaged console as replacement, or at times even given the wrong SKU (example: Core console given as replacement for Pro console). These are, however, isolated incidents and are rectified when brought to the attention of customer service executives.
PlayStation 3
Sony replaces faulty under-warranty consoles with brand new consoles. The entire package is replaced, including cables, controller(s), manuals, and even the box. Essentially, the replacement is an off-the-shelf retail pack. While this means the customer gets a brand new console, the downside to this is that if you didn’t take a backup of the content on your old PS3’s hard drive, it will be lost, since you can’t retain the hard drive from the original console. The replacement console will be of the SKU/model that is available in the market at the time of replacement. Since Sony frequently introduces new PS3 models, chances are the SKU you get as replacement may be different from the one you originally purchased.
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Verdict
It’s certainly a good feeling to have your faulty console replaced with a brand new one, and often a newer, better model at no extra cost. In this regard, the PS3 offers a more satisfying experience. Just remember to back up your hard drive data regularly.
Winner – PlayStation 3
Next page: Ease of replacement process
