Getting Your Gaming Console on Your Wireless Home Network

Getting Your Gaming Console on
Your Wireless Home Network
Although PC gaming can be really cool, we find that many people prefer to
use a dedicated game console device — such as a PlayStation 2 (PS2) or an
Xbox — to do their gaming. And although hard-core gamers might lean
toward PC platforms for their gaming (often spending thousands of dollars on
ultra high-end gaming PCs with the latest video cards, fastest processor and
memory, and the like), we think that for regular gamers, consoles offer some
compelling advantages:
They’re inexpensive. Price points are always dropping, but as we write,
you could buy a PS2 or Xbox for $199 or a Nintendo GameCube for even
less ($149). Even if you dedicate an inexpensive PC for gaming, you’ll
probably spend closer to $1,000 — and even more if you buy the fancy
video cards and other equipment that gives the PC the same gaming
performance as a console.
They’re simple to set up. Although it’s not all that hard to get games
running on a PC, you are dealing with a more complicated operating
system on a PC. You have to install games and get them up and running.
On a game console, you simply shove a disc into the drawer and you’re
playing.
They’re in the right room. Most folks don’t want a PC in their living
room or home theater, although some really cool models are designed
just for that purpose. A game console, on the other hand, is relatively
small and inconspicuous and can fit neatly on a shelf next to your TV.
They work with your biggest screen. Of course, you could connect a PC
to a big-screen TV system (using a special video card), and it’s getting
easier. But consoles are designed to plug right in to your TV or home
theater system, using the same cables that you use to hook up a VCR or
DVD player. You can even use the Xbox or PS2 as a DVD player!
Today’s game consoles can offer some awesome gaming experiences. Try
playing the Xbox game Halo on a big-screen TV with a Surround sound
system in place . . . it’s amazing — you can even get a full HDTV (High
Definition TV) picture on the Xbox, with certain games. And because these
gaming consoles are really nothing more than specialized computers, they
can offer the same kind of networking capabilities that a PC does — in other
words, they can fit right into your wireless home network.