![]() The current competitive landscape: 360 E vs. (Currently, the PS3 requires no extra fees for online gaming.)īottom line: if you want to do anything fun on the 360 beyond playing single-player games, you'll want to budget the annual Xbox Live Gold subscription into your plans - or plan on getting one of those alternatives instead. ![]() The Sony PS4 will require a similar PlayStation Plus subscription for multiplayer online gaming, but PS Plus will not be required to access entertainment apps like Netflix. The Xbox One, so far as we know, will also require Xbox Live Gold for online gaming and entertainment apps as well. Indeed, a Chromecast ($35) or Roku LT ($50) can be yours for less than the annual Xbox Live Gold subscription fee. Keep in mind that you can get many of those services at no extra charge on a PS3, Apple TV, Roku, or Chromecast. In other words, you need to pay the annual "Xbox Live tax" to access any of those services through the 360, including otherwise free ones like Crackle and YouTube. (Full disclosure: there are also apps for CNET and many of its sister CBS Interactive properties, including GameSpot and Last.fm). That’s unfortunate, because Xbox arguably offers some of the best selection of nongaming apps out there, including Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant, ESPN, Fox Now, Crackle, YouTube, and Vudu. Annoyingly, the Gold plan is also required to access any of the Xbox entertainment apps.
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