Eight Cool Things You Can Do with Your Game Console

You obviously bought your game console to play games, but these days, you can do more with an Xbox 360 or PS3 than rampage through Modern Warfare 3 maps. A lot more.

Thanks to a number of awesome updates, both the 360 and PS3 are now viable all-in-one entertainment hubs, offering a wealth of features and services that make conventional cable boxes and media players seem ridiculously one-dimensional. Here are a handful of non-gaming uses for your game console:

Watch TV shows and films

Want to watch the latest episodes of The Office or check out what all the fuss was about Lost?  Both the Xbox 360 and PS3 let you stream TV shows and movies from services like Hulu and Netflix (the 360 just got HBO Go as well). It’s not free — you’ll need to already have active monthly subscriptions, plus you’ll need a subscription to Xbox Live if you have the 360 — but it’s a relatively affordable way to watch what you want, when you want.  The PS3 also has an exclusive deal with Amazon to rent and download certain movies and television shows if you have a Prime account.

Be a sports nut

Sports fans no longer have to just play Madden or MLB to get their fix on their game system. Direct TV’s Sunday Ticket  is now available on your PS3, streaming nearly every football game during the regular season.  Similar deals are in place for diehard hockey and baseball fans, though the 360 has gone one better for fans of mixed martial arts by offering a UFC channel that gives them access to tons of material. You can even order pay-per view bouts through the console if you don’t have a cable box.

Run your home’s media

Have a hard drive full of movies and music but no way to get it from your computer in the bedroom to the television in your living room?  The Xbox 360 and PS3 both solve this problem by letting you stream media over your network from your computer to your console. Here’s a basic guide for setting it up on the 360, and another for setting it up on the PS3. Relatively painless, and a great way to access content on the big screen.