The Gadgets Page

Last year at CES, I was able to test all the games for the Xavix console. Now that Nintendo has released Wii, it seems that active games are all the rage. How does the Xavix console compare to the Nintendo Wii?

• They both work: Unlike the Sony Eye Toy, the Xavix console and its games work. When you pitch the Xavix ball, it really does something on the screen. When you throw a punch with the boxing gloves, the character on your screen lands its fist into the jaw of your opponent. Both the Nintendo Wii and the Xavix console work pretty well. If I had to choose, I’d say the Xavix console is more accurate than the Wii, but they both work well enough that the controls of the game are unnoticed.

• The Wii has better graphics: There has been a lot of talk about how low-res the Nintendo Wii graphics are compared to the PS3 and the Xbox 360, but they are stellar compared to the Xavix console. Sadly the games on Xavix look like the simplistic graphics of five to ten years ago.

• Priced Similarly: At first glance, you might think that Xavix beats the Wii on price because their console is only $79, but after looking at the price of each game, you realize that Wii is actually a better deal. It comes with Wii Sports, which is similar to several of the Xavix games that are each sold separately for $45-$80 apiece. Nintendo did an excellent job of creating a controller that can be a steering wheel, a baseball bat, a tennis racket, boxing gloves and a golf club all in one. Since you don’t have to buy anything more than the controller and nunchuck, the Xavix console and the Nintendo Wii are on a similar pricing field.

In the end, I would choose the Nintendo Wii. Nintendo has a long track record for creating games for their consoles and many other companies are jumping at the chance to create interesting games for the Wii. Unfortunately, it looks like Xavix is a dead end. If you invest in their console now, you’ll probably find nothing more than the games that are currently available. They are an exciting company with great ideas and if Sony or Microsoft were smart, they would buy their technology and incorporate it into their new console systems. As it is, your best best is still the Nintendo Wii.