With the holidays coming and the deluge of games upon us, there's a good chance you've either picked up a new console, have one on the way, or have been eyeing one for the past few months. All of the major console platforms offer some flexibility, but much of it comes at an extra price that isn't figured into the original cost of the hardware. Needless to say, it can add up pretty quickly, so we've put together a guide that should give you a general idea of what you're getting into financially, depending on what you want out of your gaming system of choice.

　　

Microsoft Xbox 360

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　　Minimum Recommended Deluxe

Minimum

If you're looking to grab an Xbox 360, one of the easiest ways to save money is to head straight for the 4GB stand-alone system. The hard drive is small, but you can always purchase a bigger drive in the future if storage space becomes an issue. As with the PlayStation 3, it's also a good idea to invest in some video cables that take advantage of HD resolutions, especially because HDMI cables are usually inexpensive items (avoid purchasing the official cable from Microsoft). It's also a good idea to pick up an extra controller for local multiplayer in case an Xbox Live Gold membership is too cost prohibitive. And while it won't allow you to play games online, an Xbox Live Silver membership is worthwhile for connecting with Xbox 360-owning friends and downloading Xbox Live Arcade games and demos.

　　• Xbox 360 4GB - $199.99

　　• Xbox 360 Controller - $49.99

　　• HDMI Cable - $3

　　• Xbox Live Silver* - Free

　　Total - $252.98

　　

UK Prices and Services

• Xbox 360 4GB - £149.99

　　• Xbox 360 Controller - £32.99

　　• HDMI Cable - £5

　　• Xbox Live Silver* - Free

　　Total - £187.98

　　

Recommended

Spending some extra money on an Xbox 360 bundle that includes a bigger hard drive opens up more possibilities than a smaller 4GB unit. For starters, you have more space to install games on the system, as well as more room for demos, Xbox Live Arcade games, and other forms of content that take up generous amounts of memory. The Xbox 360 Kinect bundle is worth looking at because it comes with a 250GB system, as well as the Kinect camera and Kinect for $100 more than the non-Kinect version of the package. There's also a similarly priced holiday bundle that doesn't come with a Kinect camera, but it does have two games--Alan Wake and Forza Motorsport III. An Xbox Live Gold membership will give you access to online multiplayer gaming, as well as additional features, such as Facebook, Twitter, Last.FM, and Netflix, which requires a separate subscription.

　　• Xbox 360 250GB Bundle (Kinect or Holiday) - $299.99

　　• Xbox 360 Controller - $49.99

　　• HDMI Cable - $3

　　• Xbox Live Gold* - $59.99/year

　　• Netflix* - 8.99/month

　　Total - $421.96

　　

UK Prices and Services

• Xbox 360 250GB Bundle (Kinect or Holiday) - £299.99

　　• Xbox 360 Controller - £32.99

　　• HDMI Cable -£5

　　• Xbox Live Gold* - £39.99/year

　　• Sky Player: Entertainment + Movies + Sport - £41.50

　　Total = £419.47

　　

Deluxe

There's really no exorbitant way to spend money beyond our recommended setup unless you're going for a special edition Halo: Reach console for $399. But if you have some extra dough, you should look into spending it on a Zune pass. This not only gives you access to a streaming music service (not unlike Last.FM), but it also lets you download and keep 10 songs per month. Various types of video content can be viewed and purchased through Zune as well. Rechargeable batteries and charging stations are also a good option because it's pretty easy to plow through a supply of AA batteries in quick fashion.

　　• Xbox 360 250GB Bundle (Kinect or Holiday) - $299.99

　　• Xbox 360 Controller and Play and Charge Bundle - £44.99

　　• HDMI Cable - $3

　　• Xbox Live Gold* - $59.99/year

　　• Netflix* - 8.99/month

　　• Zune Pass* - $14.99

　　Total - $451.95

　　

UK Prices and Services

• Xbox 360 250GB Bundle (Kinect or Holiday) - £299.99

　　• Xbox 360 Controller + Play and Charge Kit -

　　• HDMI Cable -£5

　　• Xbox Live Gold* - £39.99/year

　　• Sky Player*: Entertainment + Movies + Sport - £41.50

　　• Zune Pass* - £8.99

　　Total = £440.46

　　* - Requires Internet Connection

　　

Nintendo Wii

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　　Minimum Recommended Deluxe

Minimum

The Wii's relative low cost makes it an attractive proposition if you don't have a lot of money to spend. The bulk of the extra price for the minimum package comes from buying extra controllers because much of the Wii experience emphasizes local multiplayer. Additionally, be aware that there are a couple of hardware bundles to choose from that include different games (new bundles also include Wii MotionPlus controllers), but all of them include the ever-popular Wii Sports. We're also throwing in some component cables that will let you play Wii games at 480p resolution, which gives everything a visual boost. Online retailers like Monoprice.com provide excellent cables at very reasonable prices.

　　• Nintendo Wii - $199.99

　　• Wii Remote Plus Controller - $39.99

　　• Wii Nunchuk - $19.99

　　• Component Cables - $3.00

　　• Online Multiplayer* - Free

　　Total - $262.97

　　

UK Prices and Services

• Nintendo Wii - £179.99

　　• Wii Remote Plus Controller - £39.99

　　• Wii Nunchuk - £14.99

　　• Component Cables - £3

　　• Online Multiplayer* - Free

　　• BBC iplayer* - Free

　　Total - £237.97

　　

Recommended

For our recommended Nintendo Wii purchases, we're including all of the elements of the minimum package for local multiplayer. Also, assuming you don't have access to it any other way, a Netflix subscription is an easy way to watch movies and TV shows on your console.

　　• Nintendo Wii - $199.99

　　• Wii Remote Plus Controller - $39.99

　　• Wii Nunchuk - $19.99

　　• Component Cables - $3.00

　　• Online Multiplayer* - Free

　　• Netflix* - $8.99/month

　　Total - $271.96

　　

UK Prices and Services

• Nintendo Wii - £179.99

　　• Wii Remote Plus Controller - £39.99

　　• Wii Nunchuk - £14.99

　　• Component Cables - £3

　　• Online Multiplayer* - Free

　　• BBC iplayer* - Free

　　Total - £237.97

　　

Deluxe

There are some easy ways to splurge for the Wii if you're looking to take advantage of everything the console has to offer. You can spend some money on extra Wii Remotes and Nunchuks for four-player games. If you plan to play with friends online, you can also throw some money down on the Headbanger headset, which will let you chat in games that support such functionality.

　　• Nintendo Wii - $199.99

　　• Wii Remote Plus Controller (3) - $119.97

　　• Wii Nunchuk (3) - $59.97

　　• Component Cables - $3.00

　　• Headbanger Headset - $24.99

　　• Online Multiplayer* - Free

　　• Netflix* - $8.99/month

　　Total - $416.91

　　

UK Prices and Services

• Nintendo Wii - £179.99

　　• Wii Remote Plus Controller (3) - £119.97

　　• Wii Nunchuk (3) -£44.97

　　• Component Cables - £3

　　• Online Multiplayer* - Free

　　• BBC iplayer* - Free

　　Total - £272.92

　　* - Requires Internet Connection

　　

Sony PlayStation 3

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　　Minimum Recommended Deluxe

Minimum

If you don't have a lot of extra money to spend but want to take advantage of the PlayStation 3's basic functionality, then the minimum option is for you. It includes the base 160GB PlayStation 3 system, an extra controller for games that feature local multiplayer, and an HDMI cable (because they're relatively cheaper than other options) to take advantage of HD resolutions for both Blu-ray movies and games. You can save a little bit of extra money on the controller by going with a third-party manufacturer, such as Logitech, but nothing beats the standard DualShock 3 from Sony. Playing games online over the PlayStation Network is free.

　　• PlayStation 3 - $299.99

　　• DualShock 3 - $54.99

　　• HDMI Cable - $3

　　• PlayStation Network* - Free

　　Total - $357.98

　　

UK Prices and Services

• PlayStation 3 - £249.99

　　• DualShock 3 - £39.99

　　• HDMI Cable - £5

　　• PlayStation Network* - Free

　　• BBC iplayer* - Free

　　• MUBI* - Free

　　• VidZone* - Free

　　Total - £294.98

　　

Recommended

There are a number of PlayStation 3 features that aren't necessarily crucial to the system or your experience with it, but they're worth the extra money if you're willing to splurge. Netflix's streaming service is such a service, but it requires a monthly subscription fee. Additionally, you can still use the minimum suggestion as a starting block to keep costs down, but it's worth considering the PlayStation Move bundle because it not only comes with a 320GB hard drive, but also a DualShock 3 controller, Move wand, PlayStation Eye camera, and a copy of Sports Champions--all for just $100 more than the lowest priced PlayStation 3 package. A Bluetooth headset is also a must for chatting with friends, and like controllers, you can find cheaper options from third-party manufacturers.

　　•PlayStation 3 Move Bundle - $399.99

　　•DualShock 3 - $54.99

　　•HDMI Cable - $3

　　•PlayStation Network* - Free

　　•Netflix* - $8.99/month

　　•Bluetooth Headset - $22.99 - $49.99 (range)

　　Total - $503.46

　　

UK Prices and Services

• PlayStation 3 - £249.99

　　• DualShock 3 - £39.99

　　• HDMI Cable - £5

　　• Bluetooth Headset - £24.99

　　• PlayStation Network* - Free

　　• BBC iplayer* - Free

　　• MUBI* - Free

　　• VidZone* - Free

　　• LoveFilm* - £9.99

　　Total - £399.95

　　

Deluxe

If money is no object and you want to get the most out of what your PlayStation 3 has to offer, then look no further than the deluxe option. Aside from spending some extra money on additional controllers (including some extra Move peripherals) and fancy gadgets like charging stations, there are a few additional services. PlayStation Plus (which offers a yearly or monthly subscription option) will give you early access to demos and other sorts of PlayStation-specific content, as well as various discounts in the PlayStation Store. There's also a Hulu Plus subscription that will give you additional access to streaming content that your Netflix subscription may not offer.

　　• PlayStation 3 Move Bundle - $399.99

　　• DualShock 3 - $54.99

　　• Move Wand - $49.99

　　• Move Navigation Controller (2) - $59.98

　　• Move Charge Station (Nyko) - $29.99

　　• HDMI Cable - $3

　　• PlayStation Network* - Free

　　• Netflix* - $8.99/month

　　• Bluetooth Headset - $22.99 - $49.99 (range)

　　• PlayStation Plus* - $49.99/year

　　• Hulu Plus* - $9.99/month

　　Total - $703.40

　　

UK Prices and Services

• PlayStation 3 - £249.99

　　• Move Bundle - £49.99

　　• DualShock 3 - £39.99

　　• Move Wand - £34.99

　　• Move Navigation Controller (2) - £49.98

　　• HDMI Cable - £5

　　• Bluetooth Headset - £24.99

　　• Move Charge Station - £24.99

　　• PlayStation Network* - Free

　　• BBC iplayer* - Free

　　• MUBI* - Free

　　• VidZone* - Free

　　• LoveFilm* - £9.99

　　• PlayStation Plus* - £39.99/year

　　Total - £634.89

　　* - Requires Internet Connection