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In your opinion, which console/handheld has the best UI?
- Thread starter fluffydelusions
- Start date
Dog Problems
Banned
The first xbox 360 dashboard i love it!
That was my favorite as well.
timetokill
Banned
The Wii lets you get to stuff fast, and it's very approachable. The PS3 requires you to "explore" a bit more than I would like.
The Steam Big Picture mode looks like it's going to take the best of both. Very excited.
The Steam Big Picture mode looks like it's going to take the best of both. Very excited.
Cpt Conifer
Member
My thoughts as well. So far, it's a tossup between Wii and Dreamcast for me.
Why would you do that?
Member
I like the Wii's. Coupled with the pointer, a game can just be two clicks away. Settings and messages are one click away.
The XMB is nice with a controller, but I really dislike lack of organization/sorting features and, if you have a lot of media, the infinite scrolling.
Thinking about it, the 360 "blades" dashboard is similar to the XMB, but better because each item has its own full-screen menu instead of a vertical line of options. I've never really used Blades, though, just saw it in videos, so I can't judge it.
The XMB is nice with a controller, but I really dislike lack of organization/sorting features and, if you have a lot of media, the infinite scrolling.
Thinking about it, the 360 "blades" dashboard is similar to the XMB, but better because each item has its own full-screen menu instead of a vertical line of options. I've never really used Blades, though, just saw it in videos, so I can't judge it.
RomanticHeroX
Member
Other than having a shop and maybe Netflix I think all of the front end stuff on modern consoles is pointless garbage, so I would say any of the systems that just start into the game when you turn the power on. Since that's a cheap answer I'll say Wii since it's the simplest, most customizable and least obtrusive.
bigboss370
Member
Melchiah
Member
Don't people know how to organize their media on XMB? I've got all my games divided into eight folders.
I've gotta go with the XMB as well, for PSP and PS3. I think it could be done better in the future, but the simple concept of just folders and columns is all I really want. They should improve the messaging system a bit, but that's it really.
Vita's bubble layout has some neat things about it, like the ability to exit out of games and run multiple applications simultaneously. The bubbles would be fine if they let us make custom folders to put all our games and various applications in. It would be the best probably.
Vita's bubble layout has some neat things about it, like the ability to exit out of games and run multiple applications simultaneously. The bubbles would be fine if they let us make custom folders to put all our games and various applications in. It would be the best probably.
TerryWogan
Member
This is the exact opposite for me. My 360 is akin to using an old PC crammed with spyware that I found in a skip at this point. It's slow as hell and it gets slower with every dashboard update.
PS3 is still slick.
MikeE21286
Member
Either Wii or ps3. Hell ill even give a vote for the old school 360 Blades.
Jesus though, the new 360 dashboard is just an atrocity,
Ads and bloat all over that thing.
Jesus though, the new 360 dashboard is just an atrocity,
Ads and bloat all over that thing.
PS3 is very smooth and slick when you are just using it as a app/media launcher. I don't think it's good at much else, which is fine if that's what you want your console to do.
My exact same thoughts.
Steam's Big Picture mode is poised to be the eventual king, I prefer it to the rest aesthetically already. Love the way it pulls your game data for background visuals, everything is clean and fast and easy on the eyes.
XMB is elegant but a bit too spartan and list based for my taste. Game sorting/display could also be better. Vita is visually a mess but it's snappy to navigate no matter what you're doing. And 360 never really found a sweet spot - from simple and a bit fugly to the unfocused ad soaked chore it is right now. Never been a big fan of Nintendo's current UI style, but it works.
XMB is elegant but a bit too spartan and list based for my taste. Game sorting/display could also be better. Vita is visually a mess but it's snappy to navigate no matter what you're doing. And 360 never really found a sweet spot - from simple and a bit fugly to the unfocused ad soaked chore it is right now. Never been a big fan of Nintendo's current UI style, but it works.
Honestly, anything I have to use buttons or sticks to navigate in 2012 feels downright archaic and a chore to deal with. That leaves only the IR or touchscreen interfaces as legitimate contenders; amongst them I'll take the 3DS for now, particularly for the simplicity and charming use of sounds and musical phrases.
Melchiah
Member
As someone who hates the current touch screen / motion control fad, I hope there will be an option to use buttons and sticks for years to come.
bigboss370
Member
best thing about xmb is how minimalistic it is, so you can have a custom background like on a PC.
Goldenroad
Member
Does the iPad count?
Im gonna have to try this. I have yet to come across a virtual keyboard better than iOS'. Everything I've used pales in comparison.
To Far Away Times
Member
The first xbox 360 dashboard i love it!
This one. The one where arcade games where on the front page and it had no ads.
Currently...
Original 360 dash > PS3/PSP > NXE (2nd major version of 360 dash) > Current 360 dash > 3DS > Wii > Vita
You like iterating through lists? Having to hit R multiple times (or a directional input, etc) to move through a list of selections is incredibly slow and inefficient. Touchscreens allow any item on the screen to be selected immediately, and most now utilize momentum-based scrolling so that you can move down a page or list in a single quick gesture. I simply can't imagine buttons fulfilling the same needs, or even competing on efficiency.
Same here, but I wouldn't mind being able to hide or remove services I don't use.
Tylahedras
Banned
Seems like I'm in the heavy minority. I don't use it daily since I no longer own a 360 but I do still use it at friends houses, and I think that the newer UI on 360 is the best.
It's not perfect mind you but I think it makes better use of space then XMB in which you can only see a few things, and not very well.
It's not perfect mind you but I think it makes better use of space then XMB in which you can only see a few things, and not very well.
DidntKnowJack
Member
Oh my God. Welcome to opposite world.
360's used to be great, but has gotten more sluggish with each new dashboard update. For me, anyway.
I never got the complaints like this. Moving through a list is that difficult now? It makes one wonder how anyone manages to play video games at all, or use computers.
Hmm, that' a tough one, mostly because they're all lacking in their own way.
PS3's XMB is bloated, confusing and a poor use of screen space.
360's homescreen keeps getting progressively worse and worse with each major update.
Wii Channels lack features and functionality.
Vita has no folders. Seriously though, I'm not a fan of retail games installing permanent live areas and the limit to 100 live areas was an incredibly air-headed decision on Sony's part.
Which leaves us with the PSP and the 3DS.
PSP's XMB is much more manageable than the PS3's. The screen space use is much more balanced. I'd say at the very least it works though at this stage it's getting rather dated.
3DS's OS is probably the closest any dedicate video game device has come to an ideal UI but there are still some annoyances with it (no quick delete, no folder icons, no wallpapers, the friends list sucks). It'll be interesting to see if any of those issues get addressed in the future.
PS3's XMB is bloated, confusing and a poor use of screen space.
360's homescreen keeps getting progressively worse and worse with each major update.
Wii Channels lack features and functionality.
Vita has no folders. Seriously though, I'm not a fan of retail games installing permanent live areas and the limit to 100 live areas was an incredibly air-headed decision on Sony's part.
Which leaves us with the PSP and the 3DS.
PSP's XMB is much more manageable than the PS3's. The screen space use is much more balanced. I'd say at the very least it works though at this stage it's getting rather dated.
3DS's OS is probably the closest any dedicate video game device has come to an ideal UI but there are still some annoyances with it (no quick delete, no folder icons, no wallpapers, the friends list sucks). It'll be interesting to see if any of those issues get addressed in the future.
Pretty much. Xbox UI is dead last now.
Baron Aloha
A Shining Example
The old blades UI when the 360 first launched as great. Then it all went to shit.
XMB is a close second and current winner IMO.
XMB is a close second and current winner IMO.
TerryWogan
Member
I'm talking literally about the speed the menus react and how quickly things load up, rather than the design and how useful either UI is. It takes literally 30 seconds to a minute to load up my XBLA library (admittedly 150+ games, but this didn't happen before Metro).
To Far Away Times
Member
It's not difficult, it's just not efficient. You can't even see all the options without scrolling down. But seeing as how bad MS fucked up the 360 dashboard, XMB is the best one by default.
XMB was great when it came out but UI design has advanced quite a bit since 2005 (or was it 2006?).
H_Prestige
Banned
I like the XMB because it's the most similar to PC desktop: small application icons on top of a background image of your choice.
2004.
Refreshment.01
Member
Im not sure about best since i havent seen anything particulary horrendous but; what i noticed is that the Wii channel and avatar implementation has been ripped of by the other 2.
Which begs the question on how strange is that Nintendo doesnt hold some kind of patent at least for the channel setup. We have seen most frivolous things getting patented so...
Of course Nintendo has patents for Wii Channels, what the fuck are you smoking?
TheBanditKing
Member
XMB by far for its simplicity and minimalism, after that a close second by the original 360 blades, which were brilliant, makes the new dashboard look like 5 steps backward. Always had a soft spot for the GCN and PS2 interfaces, but its not like you did much in them.
Refreshment.01
Member
Why MS implemented something similar after the Kinect? They had Metro but it doesn't mean sh!t since if they believed in the thing it would have been implemented in the dashboard before the Wii release.
But i think i don't have my facts straight so please anyone correct me if im wrong -which im probably am -
