After years of promises, (some true, some false) the PlayStation 3 is here. But only for a lucky few though, since launch numbers were far below the PS2's Day One tally. Although small numbers of units are coming in each week, the launch left many eager shoppers without, to say the least.But is Sony's new system worth your $600? That depends on a lot of variables, I am afraid. It is difficult to look at this from only one or two angles.If you want to watch Blu-ray movies and play games, then this is an easy choice. You are not going to find a $600 Blu-ray player any time soon.If you are a PS2 owner and are upgrading to a PS3, there are a lot of advantages. If you own a PSP, there are even more features that integrate with your PSP, sweetening the deal even more.However, if you are like me and have owned an Xbox 360 for the past year, you are only going to find a couple things to like, and that might not add up to the hefty asking price.But lets open the box and see what we got. Strike number one comes fast. Sony says that HD gaming "begins" with the PS3, yet they ship it with a composite cable. I can forgive Nintendo for not shipping the Wii with component cables, but not Sony.
Go ahead and add on the cost of component or HDMI cables so you can experience the PS3 as Sony indented.For those who thought the original Xbox was big and heavy, think again. At least the PS3 feels like it cost $600. The SIXAXIS controller, on the other hand, feels very light, as it has no motors. After about a week of playing, however, the weight of the controller is not an issue.These controllers charge over USB, so you get a mini-USB cable for that. It also performs double duty if you want to connect your PSP to your PS3 too.Other things in the box include an Ethernet cable, and if you are lucky, a Blu-ray copy of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Not only does this BD movie not utilize the features of the BD spec, it doesn't really show off the enhanced high definition video that well either. I could have though of better choices to include as a pack-in.Initial setup was a breeze. I chose to use HMDI and it automatically picked 720p as the optimal format. Although there have been some reports of odd HDMI handshaking issues with both BD movies and games, I have had no such problems.The only hiccup I had was when trying to get the Remote Play functionality to work with the PSP, and that was just because I was doing things out of order.Hardware
"A sinister cabal of superior writers."
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Sil
Thanks for the best, and by that I mean the most clear and objective, plain english, review of the PS3 To date. It can't be faulted.
However I do believe the PS3 has the edge when it comes to functionality. Movies, music, photos and web browsing to name but a few.
I'll do away with my DVD player, Hi-Fi system (it helps to have a 5.1 sound system with 2 x HDMI inputs)and PS2 when the PS3 arrive in London. And no more lugging the Notebook PC into the living room to connect up to the Bravia.
The PS3 is far more future proof than the XBox when seen as a multi-media device.
But thanks again for a good read
Sil
2 - Aaman
Great, detailed review - now if only one could lay one's hands on the damn thing!
3 - John Guilfoil
Hell of a piece Ken. Very nice.
4 - the Ninja
Great review I just would like to add that upon comparison between the basic XBOX 360 and the "Basic" PS3 there are many differences, not to mention once you add the HD player for the 360 it is just .02 cents short of the 499.99 PS3.
Plus if you wanted a hard Drive that wold drive the price $99.99 higher that the "basic Ps3..So,
after the comparison if you look longterm and upgrade wise, you get more from PS3...
5 - John
Very thorough, although i think its a foregone conclusion that "The PS3 uses the same keypad layout found on the PS3"
lol!
6 - Ken Edwards
HA HA, too much typing of PS3 and PSP, thanks for the catch, John - I fixed it.
Thanks for all the kind words guys. I have a comparison section, but I cut it, because, well, this thing was getting a bit long.
I might write a comparison piece, but like the PSP, the PS3 does offer quite a lot outside of gaming, and these are features I like, and take full advantage of on my PSP.
7 - Bob
Very Good review. Helped me out a lot. Thank You.
8 - billytech
Hell of a piece?
Has the edge when it comes to functionality, movies and music?
Ah, I don't think,, i KNOW not. I am looking at the recently "HD" upgraded original Star Trek series from film, (The best upgrade available to man) I have say this is awesome. Only on X box live Media. No $ony PS3 will have. After all the things my friends have lacking on their P$3's I KNOW the 360 is ABSOLUTELY the right choice in gaming and multimedia. The 360 allows me to record and pause live TV thru my Windows PC, Something EVERYBODY has. I can stream music, My 360 even knows what an Ipod is, something the almighty (Cough) P$3 can not comprehend.
I have over 160 games to choose from, I have a DEDICATED live game system to play the BEST games online with friends around the world. If you have never experienced this you can NOT dis it. You must try Gears with up to 8 of your best friends or complete strangers online in a fight to the death to know what i mean. The shortcomings of the overhyped are OBVIOUS, the extended features and constant upgrades of the underog are seriously downgraded and overlooked by the "bought in" media. Choose for yourself, but if you actually DO look for yourself, the real answer if quite obvious.
9 - Ken Edwards
There is no question that Xbox Live is a better service. It is a service we pay for, and it is a service that Microsoft has taken years to build. Sony is just now, in 2006, starting their own free online service. It is going to take time, and I can only hope that Sony improves it, as it stands now it leaves a lot to be desired for online gaming.
The Video Marketplace on the Xbox 360 is great. But you know what? I bet that Sony has something similar in the pipeline.
10 - RCM
There's no point to get this for Blu-Ray if you don't own an HDTV. I didn't see that mentioned in this piece. In order to fully exploit PS3 you need an HDTV. Same could be argued for 360 to an extent, although I can experience everything on that console without the monitor upgrade.
PS3 is the second Sony console in a row full of deceptive cost. Thanks Sony!
11 - Kmach
It bothers me a little when people hint at the "your paying for the systems potential" argument. Sony is charging an arm and a leg for their system and they should have the interface and online functionality to back it up. The Dreamcast was the first system to really dedicate itself to web browsing and online multiplayer. When Xbox entered the market they expanded upon the online idea. Meanwhile Sony and Nintendo sat by all these years doing nothing. I was not impressed with Sony's online service for the PS2 and sadly they have migrated it over to the PS3 along with the clunky PSP interface. MS is a software company and it took years for Live to get where it is, how long will it take Sony? Some great games are going to have to come out for the PS3 because I don't think they are going to be able to salvage much as far as the interface/online functionality.
12 - Ken Edwards
To be honest, I don't think the PlayStation Network (PSN) will get to the level of XBL until Sony moves to a subscription model, which they should do.
The PS3 has more potential than the Wii, and the 360 when it launched. At the launch of the 360 we pretty much knew what we were going to get. The only radical change from a year ago is that we have the Video Marketplace. At the time we knew MS was backing HD-DVD, or at least leaning in that direction, so it wasn't a stretch to see a HD-DVD add on there.
With the Wii, we know what we are getting from the launch games alone, plus the games that we have seen that are in development.
The PS3 potential is not really clear yet. But as I said, the reason to buy a PS3 should be clear to you right now, if you want one. You are going to want to purchase a PS3 for BD movies, and exclusive games, and if it has your interest, the PSP integration.
I am also quite impressed with the openness to Linux flavors, as there are a couple PPC distros out there. I am going to be installing Yellow Dog Linux on mine shortly.
As for the BD argument, I am sure there will be a lot of people who will play BD movies on SD sets. And they will be fine with that. And to be frank, I think you are cheating yourself out of the experience with both the PS3 and 360 without a HDTV.
13 - Some Guy
The Playstation Network does not need to be on par with Xbox Live. PS3 serves a very good working existing network, i.e. the World Wide Web. Live is just Microsoft's latest attempt to control the Web and like all others it is bound to fail.
14 - Matt Paprocki
"Live is just Microsoft's latest attempt to control the Web and like all others it is bound to fail."
Thanks, I needed that today.
Seriously, with 60% of users signed up for Live, you're going to have a difficult time sticking to that statement.
"The Playstation Network does not need to be on par with Xbox Live."
So being in the same area of the Live service isn't important when you're in direct competition with it? Brilliant statement.
15 - Dena
At least this was a very objective review. You looked at the good and the bad and I thank you for that. However, I am a 360 owner and a PS3 owner and I don't really find all that many faults as you suggested. Yes, I'd love background downloading but let's remember that was a feature the 360 received several months after launch. Hopefully, Sony will make a firmware update regarding this and yes, the community isn't that solid yet as XBox Live's but again that's also an issue that I'm sure Sony can fix up as the months go by. Let's not forget all the little quirks 360 had to fix up. So, now it looks like a solid gaming system but it too also had it's hefty flaws in the beginning.
16 - Jesse Barnes
Xbox Live bound to fail, huh?
I dont think statements get more idiotic than that.
17 - MACHETTEDOG
So far I would have to say that online gaming on the PS3 is superior to to XBOX 360. I can play resistance fall of man on a 40 person server in multiple game modes on servers in Japan ( I live in California, playing on a Japanese PS3) with no perceptible LAG at all. On xbox 360 max players is 8 and very laggy.
18 - Matt Paprocki
Wow. Someone has never played online with a 360 apparently. One game running smoothly doesn't mean anything. That has little to do with the hardware, and everything to do with that game. Also, while 40 hasn't happened, you can have a hell of a lot more than eight players in most online 360 titles.
Besides, Live is about a hell of alot more than multi-player, as will the PS3 service.
19 - annonomous
ps3 sucks and the wii is awesome
sony sucks!Nintendo rocks
20 - Vinnie Hosquelo
I loved the peice and, being british, it gave me an understanding of what to come. But I just want know what's better, the XBox 360 or the PLaystation 3??????
Real nice peice!
Vinnie
21 - Vinnie Hosquelo
And that "anomenous" guy, why's it so cheap if it's better???????????????????
22 - Matt Paprocki
So the high price immediately means something is a better than a lower priced one regardless of any other factors? Wow. Sometimes I cannot believe the things I read on the internet.
This is one of those times.
23 - Ken Edwards
Sony is losing exclusives left and right. For my money, I would buy a Wii. But then I have all three systems.
I have more games for my 360. Take that for what it is worth.
24 - James
I own both the 360 and the PS3/60g. Based on the Blu-ray, the Internet web browser which everyone forgets to mention and the smoother game play of the PS3, I have to be honest and say the PS3 is better. The XBOX 360 is excellent but the PS3 edges it out and since it's only just now releasing, it's only going to move ahead that much more. The ability to browse the web with the PS3 is a huge feature that is often not mentioned.
25 - Matt Paprocki
Of course you could browse the internet with your computer... I see it as a nice addition for the console like it is on the Wii but a huge factor? Not really, especially if you don't have a keyboard.