Gaming set up/ideas

[AJvsRonin]

Hi all,

I'm moving to a new town for a sweet new job and I'm looking to get a gaming/home theatre set up.

I'll be renting the house so any wall fixtures/renovation wont be an option.

I'm trying to budget around 5-6k AUD total. Since I'll finally have access to a decent ADSL 2 connection I'm looking to take up online gaming.

What should I look for in a TV and sound setup?
Since I'll be living close to neighbours I should maybe get a headphone set up as well, thoughts?

I'm thinking I'll get a PS3 (already got 360) but I love the 360 controller, is there anyway I can get the 360 controller to work on the PS3?

Dust 514 appeals to me for depth, any other great online games to get immersed in?

I've got a decent gaming laptop and will be playing PC games while I travel for work and console while I'm at home.

What sort of connection and bandwidth should I use? I found a decent ADSL 2 with 200gb a month plan that could work well ~$80.
I've heard wifi isn't so good for online gaming.

So: Ideas? Opinions? Product reviews? What have you got?

 

[AJvsRonin]

Bugger,
Nobody's got any ideas/suggestions?

I should have made a Sarkeesian/Mass Effect 3 Ending/MLP/Gun Control topic.
Silly me.

 

[RhineVonFarl]

I think the questions are a little overwhelming. You're sort of asking everyone everything.

That aside, headphones are almost always a better idea because of neighbours as you mentioned. I wouldn't bother getting a Smart T.V., if only because it's unnecessary, but I'd probably get the biggest HD LCD Flatscreen 5k AUD would allow.

I wouldn't bother getting a PS3, especially not with the new one so close and you already having an Xbox and a computer.

You have to decide yourself what sort of online game you want to play, almost all of them have some sort of demo, don't be afraid to experiment. League of Legends has immense competitive support but a notoriously venomous community, World of Warcraft is the ole reliable for MMORPGs but is beginning to age, it's really more about who you meet in the first 72 hours of play that determine whether or not you keep to the game.

I'm afraid I can't comment on the quality of Australian internet. I only know that it flows the other way when you flush your browser.

 

[Frezzato]

Spoiler: My Headset: Turtle Beach Earforce PX5

I have a Turtle Beach Earforce PX5 (Dolby 7.1) headset for my PS3 and I love it. It's perfect because the PS3 has a fiber optic audio port and one was included with the PX5. It connects to a small transmitting base, which is required for it to function. It's not as direct as a Bluetooth ear piece but the oversized ear cups are very comfortable and worth the extra step.

So I connect the fiber from the PS3 to the TB box and power it with the PS3 since the DC adapter cable is USB on the other end. The receiver also has a physical power button for some reason, in addition to an additional headset jack in the front. There's a mini-USB port on the headset but it's not powered, it's for some strange data updates which I've never had to do. I bought 8 rechargeable batteries mainly for the headset, and to be honest I don't know how long a fresh set of NiMH AA's last. Maybe 7 hours, possibly longer. They also power down automatically if you pause a game for longer than about 5-10 minutes.

The range is pretty impressive, around 20 feet with two walls in-between and the sound is fantastic. There's a separate volume control on the left cup; batteries go in the right by pulling the decorative plate downward. The good news is you can use them with a 360, but I have an older 360 with no fiber port. I think the slim has one. Another cool thing is that both the PS3 and 360 can output dual audio, meaning it will transmit through the fiber but also carry audio through HDMI, so you won't have to constantly switch output modes.

I think there's almost as many complaints about TB as there are good reviews (such as possible interference with wireless routers) but I haven't had any trouble (I think).

 

[skywolfblue]

What should I look for in a TV and sound setup?

Be a bit more specific. Buy a TV that fits the space you have. It's weird seeing people trying to fit a gigantic 70inch TV into a small apartment.

Since I'll be living close to neighbours I should maybe get a headphone set up as well, thoughts?

If you're in an apartment or dorm, just get a good set of noise-cancelling headphones and forget about the speakers/sound system. Headphones keep you from being noisy to them, noise cancelling makes them a lot less noisy to you, it's kinda a win-win.

I'm thinking I'll get a PS3 (already got 360) but I love the 360 controller, is there anyway I can get the 360 controller to work on the PS3?

I imagine there is, but I'm not really familiar with that. I think there are 3rd party controllers that are pretty much exactly the same shape as the 360 controller that should work with a ps3.

I've heard wifi isn't so good for online gaming.

WiFi is generally fine. Unless you live in an area with a massive amount of interference. It's not slow or laggy, it just is a bit more prone to interference then a hard line. Any performance bottlenecks are usually on the internet side. I've played games like WoW for years over a WiFi connection with no issues.

As far as wireless keyboards/mice/controllers, they're fine too, but when your mouse battery dies in the middle of a important raid it can suck a whole lot. I think my current mouse goes for 3 or so months between having to replace the battery? So it's not often.

 

[Soopy]

$5000 AUD gets a MAAASSSSIIIVEE HD LCD screen. I mean you can get a 60" Smart TV for about $2500.

Spend another $2000 on a PC setup for the living room (wireless ancillaries make it a breeze.)And you'll be set for this generations gaming (or most of it). I mean, I'm setting up a rig that has Haswel architecture and a GTX780, and it's only costing around $1600.

I myself use Telstra's 200gb/month ADSL2. Can't complain about it.

 

[Mocmocman]

I can't vouch for the effectivness, but they do have XBox controller to PS3 adapters.
Other than that I cna't really give much imput.

Bugger,
Nobody's got any ideas/suggestions?

I should have made a Sarkeesian/Mass Effect 3 Ending/MLP/Gun Control topic.
Silly me.

I wouldn't mind a MLP thread. They aren't really right for a gaming forum, but the only person who makes any right now is completely insane, so the variety would be appreciated.

 

[PoolCleaningRobot]

I'm thinking I'll get a PS3 (already got 360) but I love the 360 controller, is there anyway I can get the 360 controller to work on the PS3?

I think they make modular controllers that let you swap the left stick and the D-pad if you find that more comfortable. They also make attachments for ps3 controllers, like these things that clip onto the shoulder buttons to make them more like triggers, and attachments to make the sticks more comfortable