PreGameLobby.com has added another factor in making a decision as to which next gen game console individuals should buy–the relative level of noise machines make when games are played on them. The interesting study was performed using an analog SPL meter, which measures noise levels. The device is commonly used by audio fans to balance out stereo rigs.
According to the tester’s report, "The results were a bit amazing to me. Whereas I fully expected the Wii to be the quietest and the Xbox 360 to be the loudest, while playing games, the results were reversed and the PS3 was louder than most people thought."
The results of the informal case study were:
"1. Xbox 360 – on average least noisy, generally level noise output
2. PS3 – Not noisy at first, but fairly noisy once on for a short while
3. Wii – Virtually no noise… until you play a game and then the noisiest of the bunch"
While the study was not exactly a true scientific experiment (the test was conducted in the author’s game room), the test does represent the real conditions in which gamers deal with the noise produced by the game console–though, it should be noted, the console noise is often drowned out by the volume of the game itself.
