More Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation 3, and XBox 360
Was in Bangkok last week and took the opportunity to check out the prices in Mah Boon Krong (MBK) centre. What I like to think of as the Bangkok equivalent of Sungai Wang. I was subsequently in Sungai Wang to get a price update. Throw in the old Singapore price list (really old, mind you) and we have a price comparison for the three major game consoles from three major cities in ASEAN.
Cut to the chase, here are the updated price lists (except for Singapore) on the Nintendo Wii, Sony Play Station 3 (PS3), and Microsoft XBox 360:
Exchange Rates:
RM2.32 = SGD1.00
RM9.85 = THB100
| Game Console | Singapore | Thailand | Malaysia (RM) | ||
| SGD | RM | THB | RM | ||
| Nintendo Wii | 670.00 | 1555.00 | 19000 | 1871.50 | 1750.00 |
| Sony PlayStation3 (20GB) | 850.00 | 1970.00 | 20000 | 1970.00 | 1399.00 |
| Sony PlayStation3 (60GB) | 890.00 | 2060.00 | 24000 | 2364.00 | 1950.00 |
| Microsoft XBox 360 | 550.00 | 1270.00 | 15500 | 1526.75 | 1799.00 |
You can see for yourself where the consoles are cheapest. Once again, the Singapore prices are outdated by about a month and I’m unfortunately unable to check up on the prices there. It might have dropped since then or vice versa. It is difficult to predict with the erratic supply/demand for these game consoles.
Some important things to note when purchasing these machines. Local retailers have imported two versions of the Nintendo Wii, namely the Japan version and the US console. The Japan edition is cheaper but only plays games out of Japan. That means that unless you can read Japanese, it is not a good idea to make the purchase. All Nintendo Wii boxes come with an original Wii Sports game collection and an original Wii controller. Some vendors might bundle in additional games to keep you busy. Prices may vary depending on the bundle.
Similarly, the PS3 also has two flavours, the 20GB Basic and the 60GB Premium. I suggest going for the premium version as it is fully decked out with all the features. The PS3 box comes with one original controller. Again, the package deals that vendors have might vary. Some might throw in an additional game controller as well as up to five original game titles. The PS3 works best with a High Definition TV (HDTV). Best to check to see if you have a High Definition Media Interface (HDMI) on your tele.
The XBox is by far the most mature next generation game console in the market. It was out in the market almost a year ahead of its competitors. That means that the game selection for the Xbox 360 is a lot wider than the rivals. Think about this before making the purchase.
That’s the rundown on the game console market at the moment. I personally prefer the Wii for the unique gameplay. If you’re after high tech, then the PS3 is for you. But if you want a mature game stable, then the XBox 360 is the way to go. Consider the pros and cons before you commit to a purchase.
Related posts:
Nintendo Wii, Sony Play Station 3, Xbox 360
Game Console Price Stock Market
Penny For Your… XBox 360
PayPerPost HDTV Tuesdays
On The Wii Hunt
udit sood Said,
March 2, 2007 @ 9:34 am
hey, the post was really useful. i will be visiting bangkok in a few days and was planning to pick up one from there. the price of 15,500 thb mentioned here is for the core console or the complete console?
G: Talking about the XBox 360, right? It’s the basic box set consisting of core console (fully modified), controllers and a few games thrown in but minus the extended accessories such as the harddisk.
Mickey Said,
March 12, 2007 @ 10:50 pm
A bit pricey there! The Wii costs around P19,700 here in the Philippines. Not sure how you convert, but US$1 : P48.5
G: That’s about RM1460. Definitely cheaper.
Lutp Said,
June 11, 2007 @ 6:39 pm
hey thanx 4 d post.I was wondering if i could get a PS3 in malaysia.Im in Moscow Russia now n d prices here are around 2700RM.Are there many shops which sell PS3 back home in malaysia?im scared the quality might be detered a bit as ps3 isnt officially launchd in malaysia yet. how bout the games??In malaysia are there out yet? n how much is it? thanx alot.
G: Yes, you can get it in Malaysia. The prices have dropped considerably since this post was made. The PS3 now goes for around RM2300, if I remember correctly. In terms of quality, it shouldn’t differ that much. The machines here are brought in from US.
Lutp Said,
June 12, 2007 @ 12:12 am
whoa coool!erm how bout the games??are they about 200Rm++??or maybe less??do the games come from US or Japan?thanx for answering my questions.helped me alot!
G: Original games are in the RM200 vicinity, yes. Mostly from the US. But it really depends on the console that you get. If it’s a Japanese console, it will only play Japanese games while US consoles play only games from the US region. Both are available. There are of course modified consoles that can play all regions.
shutdown Said,
October 31, 2007 @ 12:56 am
wats d price of a playstation 3 in sungei wang in november of 2007?? cuz i badly wanna get 1 but i think tz a bit pricey…
Sri Kanth Said,
December 11, 2007 @ 4:43 am
Guys,
the pricing in Malaysia is high. I can get a Xbox-360 in US costs like only RM976. I am here right now and PS-3, is cheaper than what we have in Malaysia. RM2k plus is way too high. Its around USD200++. I am getting one here.
G: RM2k+ is the old price. It has dropped significantly but it’s definitely still high. If you’re in the US, then definitely get a unit there. The game consoles here are usually brought in from the US so you’ll essentially be getting the same machine.
paul Said,
February 19, 2008 @ 4:33 pm
i want to get xbox 360 but i dont know where to get a reliable seller.
I heard about xbox 360 having the three light on and microsof giving out 3 years warranty on tht. Wht happen if we bought the unit having the same problem?
Please advice..thanks
G: Gamers Hideout @ Cineleisure’s pretty cool :) Not too sure about the warranty you’re referring to.
max Said,
September 10, 2008 @ 5:08 pm
Hey man, I am a frequent traveller from KL to Sgpore. The official price for PS3 in Spore is SGD$599 from 40GB which is equall to RM1389.68 (convert by 2.32). Sony Spore only rlease PS3 40GB. 20GB is a release only in Europe and if u buy the 20GB, ur warranty is from europe. Same for 80GB, it is release in Japan and Europe including the US. I 100% know this rates coz I was thinking about either buying in spore or KL. Mostly in KL, now, the sellers will sell the PS3 around RM1600! And that is just a bunch of crap! The games in Spore is around SGD$80-SGD$110= RM186.60-RM255.20. But most places i see, that the sellers are putting the PS3 games at RM300!!!! What a bunch of liars! If you think i am giving false info, you can ask any of your friends or forum dudes in spore to verify my statement. Ive done a lot of research before buying my PS3 coz I want the best price and i dont want t be cheated. For now, before the official PS3 launch, the PS3 price is around RM1600, but i think when PS3 officially launch in msia, the price will drop coz the real price will be shown only at SOny offcial store. So before you buy the product, read and gather info around so you wont be easily cheated, especially the warranty. No offence to this fellow blogger, but your price is wrong and your information is partly wrong. Try to gather more info about the PS3 man. Read the Sony PS3 official release articles please….
G: Check the dates on this post. It was made nearly 2 years ago when PS3 first launched. But thanks for the price update :)