- Back to: Phantasy Star Universe.
Platform Comparison
The following section covers differences present between the various platform releases of Phantasy Star Universe.
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| Xbox 360 (North American version)
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The North American Xbox 360 version contains an ESRB rating splashscreen on startup.
Both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2 version contain an extra Splashscreens not present PC version.
The start prompt differs slightly between the PC, PS2 and Xbox 360 version.
Network Mode on PC and PlayStation 2 is renamed to "Xbox Live" on the Xbox 360 version. Furthermore on the PC version the game will only allow players to choose the mode they have launched the game in from the launcher. (Story Mode or Network Mode)
Whereas selecting to play Network Mode/Xbox Live would immediately connect players to the server, the PlayStation 2 version presents an additional menu which allows players to configure their network settings prior to login in.
The PlayStation 2 version has an extra screen for authenticating the game with Sony's DNAS servers.
The prompt to cycle through text is changed in the Xbox 360 version to be the "A" button.
Additional Differences
- On the PC and PlayStation 2 version, patch updates were handled ingame following the login process. In comparison, the Xbox 360 version had patch updates be handled through the Xbox 360's dashboard.
- Network Mode required a unique account be created on the game's website. This account was usable across the PC and PlayStation 2 version to transfer progress. The Xbox 360 version uses the console's Xbox Live account to authenticate players.
- The method of purchasing a Guardians License for online play differs between the PC/PlayStation 2 version and the Xbox 360 version. Players purchase their PC/PS2 Guardians License from the game's website by logging into their PSU ID. The Xbox 360 version has the player purchase their Guardians License from the Xbox 360 Marketplace.
- The servers used varied. The PC and PlayStation 2 servers of Phantasy Star Universe were shared, enabling cross platform multiplayer, but were divided into Japanese servers hosted by SEGA of Japan and Western servers (used across North America, Europe, Oceania) hosted by SEGA of America. The Xbox 360 servers were split from the PC and PlayStation 2 version and were hosted by SEGA of America. The Xbox 360 version sold in Japan connected to the same Xbox 360 servers used in the West.
- The PC and Xbox 360 version had support for dynamic resolutions whereas the PS2 version was locked to its native resolution. That said, Widescreen support similar to what the Xbox 360 version has would not be available until the Ambitions of the Illuminus stand-alone expansion was released.
- The Ambitions of the Illuminus expansion was released as a standalone game on PC and PlayStation 2 which also featured an offline version of Episode 2 (the online campaign alongside Episode 3 which was Online-only) as the standalone game's "Story Mode". The Xbox 360 version had Ambitions of the Illuminus be a DLC applied to the base game which, when detected on bootup, would reboot the game into "Phantasy Star Universe: Ambitions of the Illuminus. The Xbox 360 also lacked the offline version of Episode 2 featured as the standalone "Story Mode".
