Want to buy a PS3 /
Playstation 3 XBOX
360 or Wii ?
Read the top guide
on PS3's and FIND
WHAT YOU'RE
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Playstation 3 XBOX
360 or Wii ?
Read the top guide
on PS3's and FIND
WHAT YOU'RE
LOOKING FOR!
The PS3 is here! You can now buy the PS3 on PMBBAY.COM . We
know a lot has changed in the video game world since Atari. Who
can forget pong… the game that started it all? Maybe you
remember that once upon a time there was once a generation of
hardcore gamers that preferred good old fashioned Atari joysticks
even if they broke after only a few months of gaming. We are now
living in the days of PS3, XBOX 360 and Nintendo Wii. These Game
systems are total entertainment systems that everyone can enjoy.
There is something for everyone- Games, Music & Movies. Now you
can do it all right in the comfort of your living room. With the release
of the Playstation 3, making a decision on what game system to buy
has become a challenge for many. We decided to go to the tech
experts at Cnet to find out what all of the hype is about. PMBBAY.
COM recommends Cnet for the latest and greatest in tech news.
See the top review on game systems According to Cnet, “Sony's
PlayStation 3 may be the most expensive next-gen game console,
and its launch titles are not all that impressive, but its swanky
design and bevy of features, including a Blu-ray drive, make it hard
to resist--even at $600” Sony has ruled the console landscape with
its previous PlayStation home consoles, and the company is hoping
that it has another blockbuster on tap. The PlayStation 3 is a
graphical powerhouse, with a cutting-edge Cell processor and a
customized Nvidia graphics chip that could melt most gaming PCs.
But the console goes beyond gaming, doubling as a Blu-ray and
DVD movie player. It's facing some tough competition with the
cheaper but almost as powerful Xbox 360 and the more innovative--
and far less expensive--Nintendo Wii. The Sony PlayStation 3 will be
available in two versions: one with a 20GB hard drive for $500, and
another with a 60GB drive, plus a flash card reader and built-in Wi-
Fi, for $600. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3 game system?
In the gaming world, being first to market has its advantages, but it
also has some downsides. With its Xbox 360, Microsoft has staked
itself a year lead over archrival Sony in the next-gen gaming wars
and, just as importantly, the battle for living-room dominance--these
powerful minicomputers also do double duty as digital media hubs.
In those 12 months, Microsoft has managed to sell several million
consoles, work through some hardware glitches, upgrade the
system's internal software, and bring out a full selection of
accessories as well as a few signature games, including the
company's own smash hit, Gears of War. But that year has also
given Sony time to polish its more ambitious--and pricier--
PlayStation 3. Like the 360, the PS3 is available in two versions.
Both feature the brand new Cell processor, a built-in Blu-ray player,
and HDMI video output. The baseline 20GB version retails for $500,
while the step-up deluxe model--reviewed here--boasts a 60GB
hard drive, built-in Wi-Fi, a multiformat memory card reader, and
silver trim for $100 more. Even though its original specs included
even more features--dual HDMI output, for example--what's left is
still a lot to throw into a new system, and the final product,
expensive though it is, is quite impressive. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
The big question, of course, is whether the PS3 is $100 to $200
better than the Xbox 360. From a pure gaming perspective, the
short answer is: no, not today. As with any new gaming system,
you're going to have to wait at least a year before you see game
developers really start to get the most out of the PS3, and right
now, there really isn't a game out there that's able to beat anything
on the Xbox 360. However, in terms of design and in-the-box
features, the value is here: the two versions of the PS3 are well
worth their respective $500 and $600 price tags. Now, the bad
news: the system will be in such short supply in the early going, you
probably won't be able to get one for a while, even if you wanted to
buy one. The good news is by the time you get your hands on one,
Sony will have already made some improvements and added new
features, and the catalog of games will have begun to be expanded.
Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Design: back in black
Sony has been showing off prototypes of the PS3 for the last 18
months, and though the exact dimensions of the final unit were in
doubt, the PS3's general shape and glossy finish have been set in
stone for a while. Though it's been overshadowed in recent years
by Apple's leading-edge MP3 players and computers, the PS3's
sexy shape and futuristic look is ample evidence that the company's
renowned design standards are alive and well. One look at its
glossy exterior and touch-sensitive power and eject buttons on its
face, and you can see why it might cost what it does.
Like the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, the PS3 can stand vertically or
lie horizontally in an A/V rack, though because of its curved top, it's
not meant to have any other components resting on top of it. We
saw early prototypes in white and silver colors, but at launch, the
PS3 will be available only in black--the 20GB version is all black, the
60GB version is highlighted with a chrome trim--and there's no way
to customize its look as you can with Xbox 360's interchangeable, if
overpriced, faceplates. Judging from Sony's recent decision to bring
out the PSP in more colors, we don't expect the company to stick to
the black-only option for too long, especially since this system, like
the PSP, is a fingerprint and smudge magnet. If you handle it at all,
you'll end up having to wipe it off, so you'll probably just want to
stick it in a rack and leave it there. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
As for its dimensions, the PS3 measures 12.8 x 3.8 x 10.8 inches
(WHL), which is roughly in line with the overall volume of the Xbox
360. That said, the PS3 does weigh a bit more--11 pounds to the
360's 9.9 pounds including power supply--so if you're going by heft
alone, you're getting almost 10 percent more console. Most
impressively, there's no external power supply for the PS3; you just
plug the included power cable--it's the same standard 3-prong style
you'll find on most desktop PCs--into the back of the unit and you're
good to go. For those of us who own an Xbox 360, and have had to
struggle with its massive brick of a power supply, this seems like a
remarkable feat on Sony's part. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
One obvious difference between the Xbox 360 and the PS3 is the
way you load media. As opposed to the more typical tray loader, the
PS3 has a front-slot-loading, Blu-ray optical-disc drive, which
contributes to the unit's slicker appearance. Discs slide in and eject
smoothly enough, so chalk one up for the PS3 here (how the
mechanism wears over time, we can't say--but the odds of snapping
off or damaging the Xbox 360's disc tray aren't exactly negligible).
On the front, you'll find four USB ports for connecting (and
charging) controllers and other accessories, including USB
keyboards, thumbdrives, and the PSP. The high-end $600 PS3 also
offers a built-in memory card reader behind a door that supports
not only memory cards from Sony's entire Memory Stick family, but
Compact Flash and SD/MMC cards as well. (Sorry, Olympus fans--
there's no built-in xD support, but you can still hook up your
camera--or an external card reader--via USB.) Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Around back is where you'll find ports for Ethernet, HDMI output,
optical digital audio output (SPDIF), and the proprietary PlayStation
A/V output for analog audio and video. A composite A/V cable ships
with the unit, and because it uses the same connector as the
PlayStation 2, that system's S-Video and component cables should
work with it as well (to get HD video, you'll need component or
HDMI). That's all fine, but we would have liked to have seen at least
one USB port on the back for peripherals such as a camera (the
EyeToy is compatible) that spoil the PS3's otherwise clean lines by
sticking obtrusively out of the front. (Early prototypes seemed to
have a USB port on the back, but it hasn't made it in the final unit,
which is disappointing.) On a more positive note, the internal hard
drive is said to be user replaceable (there's a slot on the side of the
PS3 that allows you to swap in a new hard drive). However, like the
Xbox 360, the PS3 utilizes the smaller 2.5-inch SATA drive that's
made for laptops. Alas, those drives are twice--or even close to
three times--as expensive as the larger 3.5-inch hard drive that
goes into a desktop computer. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Controller makeover
The single controller that comes with the PS3 is very similar looking
to the traditional PlayStation 2 Dual Shock gamepad, but there are
some notable differences. For starters, it's wireless. You can
connect as many as seven (!) controllers via the system's built-in
Bluetooth, which Sony's claims offers a 20-meter range (about 65
feet). Recharging the built-in battery simply requires connecting the
included USB cable between the console and the controller. You
can continue to play as the battery juices up (Sony pledges 30
hours of gameplay between charges), but the cable's somewhat
short 5-foot length will put you right on top of the TV. That said, the
controller has a standard mini-USB port similar to the one found on
many digital cameras and PC peripherals, so swapping in a longer
cable--or using a USB extender--shouldn't be a problem.)
Unfortunately, the battery isn't removable, which means that if it
dies--as inevitably it will someday--you'll have to replace the entire
controller ($50) if you want to play wirelessly. By comparison, the
Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii controllers offer user-replaceable
batteries: AAs or proprietary rechargeables for the 360, and AAs for
the Wii.
As for the controller's design, Sony has made a few tweaks. The L2
and R2 trigger buttons are a bit bigger, and the increased depth in
stroke offers players more subtle game control. Sony has also
increased the tilting angle of the analog joysticks to give you more
precise control and a wider range of motion. Those analog sticks
are more sensitive as well. The PS2's Dual Shock controller had 8-
bit sensitivity, while the PS3's controller has 10-bit motion detection.
The big omission is force feedback support: the PS3 controller
offers no vibration or rumble control, which is a bit of a bummer.
Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
However, you do get something called SixAxis motion sensing, which
means the controller's capable of sensing motion in six directions:
up, down, left, right, forward, and backward. Game developers have
incorporated it many of the new games in one form or another. For
example, in 2K Sports' NHL 2K7, a quick thrust of the controller
makes your defensive player perform a check. In Tony Hawk's
Project 8, you can steer your skater and control his movements by
tilting the controller from side to side and forward and back. Sony's
NBA '07 also makes interesting use of the tilt feature, allowing you
to control a player's moves and jukes on offense.
To be sure, some implementations of the tilt sensitivity are better
than others. Furthermore, it's unclear if all the games that utilize
motion sensitivity will require it--some are optional and can be
switched off, and we could certainly see some folks not wanting to
bother with them at all. Clearly, Sony wanted to steal some of
Nintendo's thunder, and there's no denying that the Wii's motion-
sensitive controllers are more central to that console's DNA. The Wii
controllers are also more sophisticated, including the ability to
measure actual motion (spatial movement) and acceleration, rather
than just tilting--but unlike the Wii, the PS3 doesn't require a motion-
sensor bar in front of the TV. (The current Xbox 360 controllers
offer no motion sensitivity at all.) It's safe to say we'll see more
innovative uses of the tilting sensitivity feature in future games--it
definitely added an extra level of control when flying the eponymous
attack vehicle in Warhawk (we played an early build at E3 2006, but
the game isn't due until sometime in 2007) Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Unlike the PS2 controller, the SixAxis controller has a centered
Home button, which functions much like its counterpart on the Xbox
360 controller. You use it to return to the console's main menu
screen, as well as to sync the controller to the console and start it
up or shut it down wirelessly. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Familiar interface
If you own a Sony PSP, you'll immediately notice the similarities
between the PS3's interface and the PSP's cross media bar-style
GUI (graphical user interface). You navigate horizontally through
top-level selection categories such as users, system settings, and
media options such as photos, music, videos, games, network, and
friends. When you select a top-level category, a vertical list of sub
options appears, and you can navigate down that list until you find
the option you want. The interface is polished and generally user-
friendly, but you do have to drill down a few levels to reach certain
features, and getting to some functions isn't quite as intuitive as it
should be. Still, the overall design is slick enough to be called Mac-
like, and--at least from an aesthetic standpoint--is more appealing
than the Xbox 360's Dashboard and Nintendo Wii's Channels
interfaces. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Digital media hub
The PS3's media features are extensive--enough so that the
console could be a worthwhile purchase even for people who never
deign to even fire up a game. For starters, the PlayStation 3 hits the
shelves as the most affordable Blu-ray player you can buy--merely
half the price of $1,000 to $1,300 models from the likes of
Samsung, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, and--ironically--Sony. Before
we delve into the PS3's HD movie prowess (see "movie watching,"
below), let's take a holistic look at the console's multimedia
functionality.
In addition to the built-in memory card reader on the 60GB model
(we applaud Sony for not subjecting us to a Memory Stick-only
environment), the PS3 can read digital photos from a variety of USB-
attached devices, including most digital cameras, the PSP, USB
flash drives, and home-burned CD-Rs. (One caveat: the images
may need to be placed in a special directory, such as DCIM or
Picture, if they're not already there.) A few different slide show
styles are available, including a unique "photo album" view that
splays the images across a white work surface as if you'd dumped
them there and spread them out. When stored internally on the
hard drive (copying back and forth is easy), photos appear rapidly,
and in the basic slide-show mode, you can advance your slides
forward by simply pressing on the top-right shoulder button (the left
shoulder takes you back a slide). Most JPEG, TIFF, BMP, GIF, and
PNG images should work just fine. By contrast, the Xbox 360 lacks
both an internal media reader and the impressive photo album
viewer, and the Wii--while including some cool and fun photo-
viewing and manipulation functionality--includes only a built-in SD
card reader. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
As for music, the PS3 supports most of the major music-file types,
including MP3, ATRAC, AAC, and WAV, and like the Xbox 360, has
a built-in music visualizer. As with the photos, you can import songs
from a flash memory card or a USB thumbdrive--again, you'll have
to create a special Music folder--or rip songs directly to the hard
drive from a CD. (Yes, unlike some Blu-ray players on the market,
the PS3 can actually recognize and play CDs). While the PS3 even
plays Sony's increasingly obscure SACD discs, it cannot play back
music from attached iPods, nor can it stream from other music
players that incorporate copy-protected music formats. Here, the
360 has a leg-up: it offers some iPod compatibility, and it can play
back WMA music files as well.
On the video front, the PS3 plays Blu-ray discs in full high-definition
as well as DVD movies. It also supports MPEG1, MPEG2, and
MPEG4/h.264 video files from flash, USB, or disc-based media
(reading from the "video" directory). If you transfer the videos to the
PS3's hard drive, thumbnails on the video menu are shown as 15-
second video clips, rather than just as still images of the first frame
of the video. You currently can't stream files from your PC or over
your LAN (local area network), but you can stream video from your
PS3 to your PSP using the PS3's Remote Play feature. Sony hasn't
yet provided for a way to convert videos you might download from
its PlayStation Store to a portable size that can be automatically be
transferred to your PSP. But we've been told to expect tighter--and
better--integration with the PSP both offline and online in the future.
Sony's version of Web TV
Taking a page out of the PSP's book, the PS3 also has a built-in
Web browser, but the nice thing about the PS3 is that if you connect
a USB keyboard, you don't have to type in URL addresses using the
system's tedious virtual keyboard. Likewise, a USB mouse lets you
point and click your way through a Web page, just as if you were on
a PC. The system will eventually allow you to pair the PS3 with a
Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, which is probably the ideal setup
for living-room use. It's unclear whether all Bluetooth keyboards,
past and present, will be compatible, but Sony assures us that many
will. (We were able to pair a Plantronics Discovery 655 cellphone
headset with no issues, so the Bluetooth function definitely works
for third-party products.)
The browser appears to be pretty robust with the requisite Flash
support, and it certainly is a nice convenience for those who to
browse from their living room couch. That said, the sharpness of
Web pages' appearance--and how readable they are-will depend
on the quality of your TV and its size. For example, viewing Web
pages on a 60-inch DLP set is going to be more of a challenge than
say, looking at those same pages over a 20-inch computer monitor.
And viewing Web pages on anything less than an HDTV at full
resolution (720p, 1080i, or 1080p) will be decidedly eye-straining.
The PlayStation Network
As of this writing, Sony hasn't turned on its PlayStation Network, so
we can't say a whole lot about it other than it will be similar to
Microsoft's Xbox Live service, including typical online gaming
features along with community and messaging, as well as voice and
video chat further down the road. Xbox Live Silver, Microsoft's free
entry-level service, gives you access to some community options
but to play online multiplayer games, you have to upgrade to Xbox
Live Gold service, which runs $50 per year.
The promise of free online play is obviously a big plus in Sony's
favor. That said, Xbox Live has been around for years and has had
time to mature, and the majority of Xbox 360 games offer some form
of online play. Not all of the initial PS3 titles will offer head-to-head
online gameplay, but expect at least some online showcases:
Sony's Resistance: Fall of Man is designed to handle online
fragfests with as many as 32 players per match. (Nintendo will also
offer free online play and communications for the Wii, as it does on
the DS, but none of the initial Wii titles feature head-to-head online
gameplay.) Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Microsoft has its Xbox Live Marketplace, where you can download
games, demos, video content--including, as of November 22, full-
length movies and TV shows in high-definition--as well as game
themes and additional game content. The PlayStation Store will
offer similar options and functionality but it will most probably take
several months to flush out and reach a level of richness
approaching that of Xbox Live.
Also, keep in mind that despite the PS3 online play being ostensibly
free, Sony and its third-party publishers--just like Microsoft and
Nintendo--will be aggressively pushing "micropayment" transactions
(additional levels, in-game extras, retro games, and other goodies)
that will cost users. Instead of the points-based payment system
found on Microsoft and Nintendo's networks, Sony says it will stick
to dollars and cents--users can simply transfer cash to their
PlayStation 3 Wallet via credit card or with prepaid gift cards.
(International locations will likewise be denominated in their home
currency--yen, euros, pounds sterling, Canadian dollars, and so
forth.)
Cell inside
When final specs were released for the Xbox 360 and the
PlayStation 3, not surprisingly, there was a big debate over which
system was technically more powerful. The 360 uses more off-the-
shelf PC components while The PlayStation 3's 3.2GHz Cell
processor was built from the ground up just for the PS3. It consists
of a single PowerPC-based core with seven synergistic processing
units and is the result of a joint effort between IBM, Sony, and
Toshiba, which is ironic, considering that Sony and Toshiba are in a
deathmatch over Blu-ray and HD-DVD.
The key thing to know about the Cell is that it has the juice to run a
new class of gameplay physics that will allow developers to create
spectacular effects and eventually provide a whole new depth of
realism to games. Paired with PlayStation 3's RSX Reality
Synthesizer graphics-processing unit, a gargantuan 550MHz, 300-
million-transistor graphics chip based on Nvidia's GeForce 7800
GTX graphics technology, and you're looking at a very high-end
PC. The only problem, of course, is that it'll take developers years
to learn to take full advantage of all that processing power and truly
deliver on the graphical promise of the system. The same, of
course, is true for the Xbox 360, but we suspect from our talks with
developers that the PS3 may ultimately be declared the more
powerful system. (Say what you will about increasing development
times and rising costs for producing video games, but Blu-ray's
25GB to 50GB storage capacity--as opposed to 8.5GB for the Xbox
360's DVD drive--does give developers the chance to create huge
games). Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
At the end of the day, as Microsoft learned, you can tout all the
power you want, but if you can't keep your system cool--and fairly
quiet--you're going to have some serious problems on your hands.
What's impressive about this PS3, in fact, is that with all this power
under the hood, the system runs as quietly as it does. After running
for three hours straight, we found that we could still place a hand
over the back of the unit and not get scorched--the system runs
pretty warm, but not blazingly hot. While the 360's tendency to
overheat has been exaggerated, its cooling fan and DVD drive are
comparatively far noisier, sometimes to the point of distraction. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Play time
The first thing we should be clear on is that for your $600, you don't
actually get any games (the first round of systems will ship with a
Blu-Ray movie, Talledega Nights). There's also only a single
controller. With our review unit, Sony sent over retail copies of
Resistance: Fall of Man, a first-person shooter that's arguably the
system's most impressive title and Genji, a hack-and-slasher that's
garnered only average reviews. At a couple preview events, we also
played several other launch titles, the majority of which are also
available for the Xbox 360.
In fact, it's very hard to tell the difference between titles that are
already available on the 360 and their PS3 counterparts because
they're ports of the same game. Where you start to see some of the
promise is in Sony's in-house titles, such as Resistance: Fall of Man
and NBA 07. The latter may not measure up to 2K Sports' NBA 2K7,
but the game looks impressive, with crisp graphics and smooth
60fps high-def gameplay. Formula One Championship Edition is
another title that really jumps out at you graphically; the game looks
really impressive but won't be out until later next year. We're also
waiting to compare the PS3 versions of EA's Fight Night 3 to its
Xbox 360 counterpart to see if the company was able to make any
improvements. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
The long and short of it is that the PS3 clearly measures up to the
Xbox 360 in terms of its graphics prowess and the added dimension
that the tilt controller offers, is a new twist. That said, there really
isn't anything available yet that's too unique or so far beyond what
the Xbox 360 offers that you think, "I gotta get this system to play
that game." The reality is, as usual, you're going to have to wait for
that breakout title. (Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4, due in 2007, is
currently getting a lot of buzz and will supposedly be a PS3
exclusive.) Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Backward compatibility
While you're waiting for that killer PS3 game, you can still fall back
on hundreds, if not thousands, of PlayStation catalog titles. The
PS3 is fully backward-compatible with nearly all PlayStation 2 and
PlayStation 1 games. Just toss in a disc and the PS3 will create a
virtual memory card on its hard drive to store saved games and
preferences. We had no trouble running PS2 titles such as Shadow
of the Colossus and Star Wars Starfigher. While we expect that a
handful of older titles won't run on the PS3, Sony deserves kudos
for near-universal backward compatibility. By comparison, Xbox 360
support for Xbox1 titles is limited to a set list of games with
emulation profiles (Microsoft updates the list periodically, but it's still
limited to less than half the number of the games available for the
older console). Nintendo does better with the Wii: it plays all
GameCube game discs.
Hardware and accessory compatibility is a mixed bag. You can't
connect PS2 controllers to the PS3 because the new console lacks
the older controller port, but because the PS3 control design is
nearly identical, your older games will play just fine. Likewise,
games that utilize any unique accessories that must plug into the
PS2-style control port--such as Guitar Hero's mighty ax--won't work
on the PS3. But USB accessories--such as the EyeToy--should be
good to go. Have some old God of War saved games that you just
can't part with? Invest $15 in a special card reader, and you can
transfer any games from your PS2 memory cards to the PS3's hard
drive.
Movie watching
Before we got our hands on a retail unit, we'd been able to spend
some time previewing the system, and while we had a pretty good
picture of what it can do in terms of gaming and multimedia
functionality, we hadn't been able to test it as a Blu-ray player.
Sony, of course, is taking a big risk by attempting to go out with a
new system that not only features a new processor but a new,
unproven optical drive format. The company is making a heavy bet
on the PS3 as a game machine, but it's also staking its Blu-ray
fortunes on the system as well, and we were most curious to see
how it delivered as a Blu-ray player. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
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Because we were more familiar watching Mission: Impossible III on
the Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray player, we decided to do our
testing using that disc rather than Talledega Nights. Watching on
one of the finest large-screen TVs available, the 60-inch Sony KDS-
R60XBR2, we watched several scenes from the movie on the
Samsung first, then switched over to the PS3. In case you're
wondering, load times for the disc were essentially identical at 40
seconds on each player (we hit stop on our stopwatch when a
picture appeared on the screen). That isn't terrible, but this is
obviously an area where Sony can make some improvements down
the road with a next-generation drive that's faster.
As for the picture, it was quite comparable to what we saw on the
Samsung, and navigating the disc was a fairly zippy process. In
other words, at first glance, the PS3 seems to stack up fairly well
against Blu-ray players costing nearly twice as much ($1,000),
which may obviate the need for those players to actually exist. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Furthermore, the PS3 is the first A/V device to hit the market to
utilize the HDMI 1.3 specification. That doesn't mean much now--
there's no corresponding HDMI 1.3 products to connect it to. But in
the future--2007 and beyond--that should enable to PS3 to pass HD
video and next-gen surround-sound audio (such as Dolby Digital
Plus and Dolby TrueHD) to compatible A/V receivers via a single
HDMI cable. In the meantime, the PS3, like other Blu-ray and HD-
DVD players, can pass 1080p HD video and uncompressed LPCM
surround soundtracks to compatible A/V receivers and TVs. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
If we had one complaint with the PS3, it was that it didn't upscale
standard DVDs to HD resolutions, a feature that's standard on other
Blu-ray and HD-DVD players. Instead, they default to 480p
(progressive-scan). But that's hardly a deal-breaker, especially
when you consider the competition: the Xbox 360 requires a clunky
add-on drive to play HD-DVD movies (though downloadable high-
def movies will soon be available via Xbox Live), and the Nintendo
Wii doesn't play back movie discs of any type.
Accessing Blu-ray and DVD menus with the PS3 controller is
functional, if awkward. Unfortunately, you won't be able to program
a standard universal remote to control your PS3--it lacks an infrared
port, so it needs to receive commands via Bluetooth. Not
coincidentally, Sony offers a Bluetooth compatible remote for $25.
Conclusion
Though not with out a few minor drawbacks--and we'll probably find
a few more as we continue testing the system--the PS3 is a versatile
and impressive piece of home entertainment equipment that lives
up to the hype. As usual, the launch titles don't do all that much to
sell the system, but that should start to change within the next six
months as more impressive titles come to market. Whether you buy
the PS3 today or whenever it becomes available in quantity, you
can be sure you'll feel that you got your money's worth--from a
gaming and a multimedia perspective. Reviewed by: David Carnoy
Edited by: John P. Falcone Want to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2
or PS3 game system?
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know a lot has changed in the video game world since Atari. Who
can forget pong… the game that started it all? Maybe you
remember that once upon a time there was once a generation of
hardcore gamers that preferred good old fashioned Atari joysticks
even if they broke after only a few months of gaming. We are now
living in the days of PS3, XBOX 360 and Nintendo Wii. These Game
systems are total entertainment systems that everyone can enjoy.
There is something for everyone- Games, Music & Movies. Now you
can do it all right in the comfort of your living room. With the release
of the Playstation 3, making a decision on what game system to buy
has become a challenge for many. We decided to go to the tech
experts at Cnet to find out what all of the hype is about. PMBBAY.
COM recommends Cnet for the latest and greatest in tech news.
See the top review on game systems According to Cnet, “Sony's
PlayStation 3 may be the most expensive next-gen game console,
and its launch titles are not all that impressive, but its swanky
design and bevy of features, including a Blu-ray drive, make it hard
to resist--even at $600” Sony has ruled the console landscape with
its previous PlayStation home consoles, and the company is hoping
that it has another blockbuster on tap. The PlayStation 3 is a
graphical powerhouse, with a cutting-edge Cell processor and a
customized Nvidia graphics chip that could melt most gaming PCs.
But the console goes beyond gaming, doubling as a Blu-ray and
DVD movie player. It's facing some tough competition with the
cheaper but almost as powerful Xbox 360 and the more innovative--
and far less expensive--Nintendo Wii. The Sony PlayStation 3 will be
available in two versions: one with a 20GB hard drive for $500, and
another with a 60GB drive, plus a flash card reader and built-in Wi-
Fi, for $600. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3 game system?
In the gaming world, being first to market has its advantages, but it
also has some downsides. With its Xbox 360, Microsoft has staked
itself a year lead over archrival Sony in the next-gen gaming wars
and, just as importantly, the battle for living-room dominance--these
powerful minicomputers also do double duty as digital media hubs.
In those 12 months, Microsoft has managed to sell several million
consoles, work through some hardware glitches, upgrade the
system's internal software, and bring out a full selection of
accessories as well as a few signature games, including the
company's own smash hit, Gears of War. But that year has also
given Sony time to polish its more ambitious--and pricier--
PlayStation 3. Like the 360, the PS3 is available in two versions.
Both feature the brand new Cell processor, a built-in Blu-ray player,
and HDMI video output. The baseline 20GB version retails for $500,
while the step-up deluxe model--reviewed here--boasts a 60GB
hard drive, built-in Wi-Fi, a multiformat memory card reader, and
silver trim for $100 more. Even though its original specs included
even more features--dual HDMI output, for example--what's left is
still a lot to throw into a new system, and the final product,
expensive though it is, is quite impressive. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
The big question, of course, is whether the PS3 is $100 to $200
better than the Xbox 360. From a pure gaming perspective, the
short answer is: no, not today. As with any new gaming system,
you're going to have to wait at least a year before you see game
developers really start to get the most out of the PS3, and right
now, there really isn't a game out there that's able to beat anything
on the Xbox 360. However, in terms of design and in-the-box
features, the value is here: the two versions of the PS3 are well
worth their respective $500 and $600 price tags. Now, the bad
news: the system will be in such short supply in the early going, you
probably won't be able to get one for a while, even if you wanted to
buy one. The good news is by the time you get your hands on one,
Sony will have already made some improvements and added new
features, and the catalog of games will have begun to be expanded.
Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Design: back in black
Sony has been showing off prototypes of the PS3 for the last 18
months, and though the exact dimensions of the final unit were in
doubt, the PS3's general shape and glossy finish have been set in
stone for a while. Though it's been overshadowed in recent years
by Apple's leading-edge MP3 players and computers, the PS3's
sexy shape and futuristic look is ample evidence that the company's
renowned design standards are alive and well. One look at its
glossy exterior and touch-sensitive power and eject buttons on its
face, and you can see why it might cost what it does.
Like the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, the PS3 can stand vertically or
lie horizontally in an A/V rack, though because of its curved top, it's
not meant to have any other components resting on top of it. We
saw early prototypes in white and silver colors, but at launch, the
PS3 will be available only in black--the 20GB version is all black, the
60GB version is highlighted with a chrome trim--and there's no way
to customize its look as you can with Xbox 360's interchangeable, if
overpriced, faceplates. Judging from Sony's recent decision to bring
out the PSP in more colors, we don't expect the company to stick to
the black-only option for too long, especially since this system, like
the PSP, is a fingerprint and smudge magnet. If you handle it at all,
you'll end up having to wipe it off, so you'll probably just want to
stick it in a rack and leave it there. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
As for its dimensions, the PS3 measures 12.8 x 3.8 x 10.8 inches
(WHL), which is roughly in line with the overall volume of the Xbox
360. That said, the PS3 does weigh a bit more--11 pounds to the
360's 9.9 pounds including power supply--so if you're going by heft
alone, you're getting almost 10 percent more console. Most
impressively, there's no external power supply for the PS3; you just
plug the included power cable--it's the same standard 3-prong style
you'll find on most desktop PCs--into the back of the unit and you're
good to go. For those of us who own an Xbox 360, and have had to
struggle with its massive brick of a power supply, this seems like a
remarkable feat on Sony's part. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
One obvious difference between the Xbox 360 and the PS3 is the
way you load media. As opposed to the more typical tray loader, the
PS3 has a front-slot-loading, Blu-ray optical-disc drive, which
contributes to the unit's slicker appearance. Discs slide in and eject
smoothly enough, so chalk one up for the PS3 here (how the
mechanism wears over time, we can't say--but the odds of snapping
off or damaging the Xbox 360's disc tray aren't exactly negligible).
On the front, you'll find four USB ports for connecting (and
charging) controllers and other accessories, including USB
keyboards, thumbdrives, and the PSP. The high-end $600 PS3 also
offers a built-in memory card reader behind a door that supports
not only memory cards from Sony's entire Memory Stick family, but
Compact Flash and SD/MMC cards as well. (Sorry, Olympus fans--
there's no built-in xD support, but you can still hook up your
camera--or an external card reader--via USB.) Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Around back is where you'll find ports for Ethernet, HDMI output,
optical digital audio output (SPDIF), and the proprietary PlayStation
A/V output for analog audio and video. A composite A/V cable ships
with the unit, and because it uses the same connector as the
PlayStation 2, that system's S-Video and component cables should
work with it as well (to get HD video, you'll need component or
HDMI). That's all fine, but we would have liked to have seen at least
one USB port on the back for peripherals such as a camera (the
EyeToy is compatible) that spoil the PS3's otherwise clean lines by
sticking obtrusively out of the front. (Early prototypes seemed to
have a USB port on the back, but it hasn't made it in the final unit,
which is disappointing.) On a more positive note, the internal hard
drive is said to be user replaceable (there's a slot on the side of the
PS3 that allows you to swap in a new hard drive). However, like the
Xbox 360, the PS3 utilizes the smaller 2.5-inch SATA drive that's
made for laptops. Alas, those drives are twice--or even close to
three times--as expensive as the larger 3.5-inch hard drive that
goes into a desktop computer. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Controller makeover
The single controller that comes with the PS3 is very similar looking
to the traditional PlayStation 2 Dual Shock gamepad, but there are
some notable differences. For starters, it's wireless. You can
connect as many as seven (!) controllers via the system's built-in
Bluetooth, which Sony's claims offers a 20-meter range (about 65
feet). Recharging the built-in battery simply requires connecting the
included USB cable between the console and the controller. You
can continue to play as the battery juices up (Sony pledges 30
hours of gameplay between charges), but the cable's somewhat
short 5-foot length will put you right on top of the TV. That said, the
controller has a standard mini-USB port similar to the one found on
many digital cameras and PC peripherals, so swapping in a longer
cable--or using a USB extender--shouldn't be a problem.)
Unfortunately, the battery isn't removable, which means that if it
dies--as inevitably it will someday--you'll have to replace the entire
controller ($50) if you want to play wirelessly. By comparison, the
Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii controllers offer user-replaceable
batteries: AAs or proprietary rechargeables for the 360, and AAs for
the Wii.
As for the controller's design, Sony has made a few tweaks. The L2
and R2 trigger buttons are a bit bigger, and the increased depth in
stroke offers players more subtle game control. Sony has also
increased the tilting angle of the analog joysticks to give you more
precise control and a wider range of motion. Those analog sticks
are more sensitive as well. The PS2's Dual Shock controller had 8-
bit sensitivity, while the PS3's controller has 10-bit motion detection.
The big omission is force feedback support: the PS3 controller
offers no vibration or rumble control, which is a bit of a bummer.
Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
However, you do get something called SixAxis motion sensing, which
means the controller's capable of sensing motion in six directions:
up, down, left, right, forward, and backward. Game developers have
incorporated it many of the new games in one form or another. For
example, in 2K Sports' NHL 2K7, a quick thrust of the controller
makes your defensive player perform a check. In Tony Hawk's
Project 8, you can steer your skater and control his movements by
tilting the controller from side to side and forward and back. Sony's
NBA '07 also makes interesting use of the tilt feature, allowing you
to control a player's moves and jukes on offense.
To be sure, some implementations of the tilt sensitivity are better
than others. Furthermore, it's unclear if all the games that utilize
motion sensitivity will require it--some are optional and can be
switched off, and we could certainly see some folks not wanting to
bother with them at all. Clearly, Sony wanted to steal some of
Nintendo's thunder, and there's no denying that the Wii's motion-
sensitive controllers are more central to that console's DNA. The Wii
controllers are also more sophisticated, including the ability to
measure actual motion (spatial movement) and acceleration, rather
than just tilting--but unlike the Wii, the PS3 doesn't require a motion-
sensor bar in front of the TV. (The current Xbox 360 controllers
offer no motion sensitivity at all.) It's safe to say we'll see more
innovative uses of the tilting sensitivity feature in future games--it
definitely added an extra level of control when flying the eponymous
attack vehicle in Warhawk (we played an early build at E3 2006, but
the game isn't due until sometime in 2007) Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Unlike the PS2 controller, the SixAxis controller has a centered
Home button, which functions much like its counterpart on the Xbox
360 controller. You use it to return to the console's main menu
screen, as well as to sync the controller to the console and start it
up or shut it down wirelessly. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Familiar interface
If you own a Sony PSP, you'll immediately notice the similarities
between the PS3's interface and the PSP's cross media bar-style
GUI (graphical user interface). You navigate horizontally through
top-level selection categories such as users, system settings, and
media options such as photos, music, videos, games, network, and
friends. When you select a top-level category, a vertical list of sub
options appears, and you can navigate down that list until you find
the option you want. The interface is polished and generally user-
friendly, but you do have to drill down a few levels to reach certain
features, and getting to some functions isn't quite as intuitive as it
should be. Still, the overall design is slick enough to be called Mac-
like, and--at least from an aesthetic standpoint--is more appealing
than the Xbox 360's Dashboard and Nintendo Wii's Channels
interfaces. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Digital media hub
The PS3's media features are extensive--enough so that the
console could be a worthwhile purchase even for people who never
deign to even fire up a game. For starters, the PlayStation 3 hits the
shelves as the most affordable Blu-ray player you can buy--merely
half the price of $1,000 to $1,300 models from the likes of
Samsung, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, and--ironically--Sony. Before
we delve into the PS3's HD movie prowess (see "movie watching,"
below), let's take a holistic look at the console's multimedia
functionality.
In addition to the built-in memory card reader on the 60GB model
(we applaud Sony for not subjecting us to a Memory Stick-only
environment), the PS3 can read digital photos from a variety of USB-
attached devices, including most digital cameras, the PSP, USB
flash drives, and home-burned CD-Rs. (One caveat: the images
may need to be placed in a special directory, such as DCIM or
Picture, if they're not already there.) A few different slide show
styles are available, including a unique "photo album" view that
splays the images across a white work surface as if you'd dumped
them there and spread them out. When stored internally on the
hard drive (copying back and forth is easy), photos appear rapidly,
and in the basic slide-show mode, you can advance your slides
forward by simply pressing on the top-right shoulder button (the left
shoulder takes you back a slide). Most JPEG, TIFF, BMP, GIF, and
PNG images should work just fine. By contrast, the Xbox 360 lacks
both an internal media reader and the impressive photo album
viewer, and the Wii--while including some cool and fun photo-
viewing and manipulation functionality--includes only a built-in SD
card reader. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
As for music, the PS3 supports most of the major music-file types,
including MP3, ATRAC, AAC, and WAV, and like the Xbox 360, has
a built-in music visualizer. As with the photos, you can import songs
from a flash memory card or a USB thumbdrive--again, you'll have
to create a special Music folder--or rip songs directly to the hard
drive from a CD. (Yes, unlike some Blu-ray players on the market,
the PS3 can actually recognize and play CDs). While the PS3 even
plays Sony's increasingly obscure SACD discs, it cannot play back
music from attached iPods, nor can it stream from other music
players that incorporate copy-protected music formats. Here, the
360 has a leg-up: it offers some iPod compatibility, and it can play
back WMA music files as well.
On the video front, the PS3 plays Blu-ray discs in full high-definition
as well as DVD movies. It also supports MPEG1, MPEG2, and
MPEG4/h.264 video files from flash, USB, or disc-based media
(reading from the "video" directory). If you transfer the videos to the
PS3's hard drive, thumbnails on the video menu are shown as 15-
second video clips, rather than just as still images of the first frame
of the video. You currently can't stream files from your PC or over
your LAN (local area network), but you can stream video from your
PS3 to your PSP using the PS3's Remote Play feature. Sony hasn't
yet provided for a way to convert videos you might download from
its PlayStation Store to a portable size that can be automatically be
transferred to your PSP. But we've been told to expect tighter--and
better--integration with the PSP both offline and online in the future.
Sony's version of Web TV
Taking a page out of the PSP's book, the PS3 also has a built-in
Web browser, but the nice thing about the PS3 is that if you connect
a USB keyboard, you don't have to type in URL addresses using the
system's tedious virtual keyboard. Likewise, a USB mouse lets you
point and click your way through a Web page, just as if you were on
a PC. The system will eventually allow you to pair the PS3 with a
Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, which is probably the ideal setup
for living-room use. It's unclear whether all Bluetooth keyboards,
past and present, will be compatible, but Sony assures us that many
will. (We were able to pair a Plantronics Discovery 655 cellphone
headset with no issues, so the Bluetooth function definitely works
for third-party products.)
The browser appears to be pretty robust with the requisite Flash
support, and it certainly is a nice convenience for those who to
browse from their living room couch. That said, the sharpness of
Web pages' appearance--and how readable they are-will depend
on the quality of your TV and its size. For example, viewing Web
pages on a 60-inch DLP set is going to be more of a challenge than
say, looking at those same pages over a 20-inch computer monitor.
And viewing Web pages on anything less than an HDTV at full
resolution (720p, 1080i, or 1080p) will be decidedly eye-straining.
The PlayStation Network
As of this writing, Sony hasn't turned on its PlayStation Network, so
we can't say a whole lot about it other than it will be similar to
Microsoft's Xbox Live service, including typical online gaming
features along with community and messaging, as well as voice and
video chat further down the road. Xbox Live Silver, Microsoft's free
entry-level service, gives you access to some community options
but to play online multiplayer games, you have to upgrade to Xbox
Live Gold service, which runs $50 per year.
The promise of free online play is obviously a big plus in Sony's
favor. That said, Xbox Live has been around for years and has had
time to mature, and the majority of Xbox 360 games offer some form
of online play. Not all of the initial PS3 titles will offer head-to-head
online gameplay, but expect at least some online showcases:
Sony's Resistance: Fall of Man is designed to handle online
fragfests with as many as 32 players per match. (Nintendo will also
offer free online play and communications for the Wii, as it does on
the DS, but none of the initial Wii titles feature head-to-head online
gameplay.) Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Microsoft has its Xbox Live Marketplace, where you can download
games, demos, video content--including, as of November 22, full-
length movies and TV shows in high-definition--as well as game
themes and additional game content. The PlayStation Store will
offer similar options and functionality but it will most probably take
several months to flush out and reach a level of richness
approaching that of Xbox Live.
Also, keep in mind that despite the PS3 online play being ostensibly
free, Sony and its third-party publishers--just like Microsoft and
Nintendo--will be aggressively pushing "micropayment" transactions
(additional levels, in-game extras, retro games, and other goodies)
that will cost users. Instead of the points-based payment system
found on Microsoft and Nintendo's networks, Sony says it will stick
to dollars and cents--users can simply transfer cash to their
PlayStation 3 Wallet via credit card or with prepaid gift cards.
(International locations will likewise be denominated in their home
currency--yen, euros, pounds sterling, Canadian dollars, and so
forth.)
Cell inside
When final specs were released for the Xbox 360 and the
PlayStation 3, not surprisingly, there was a big debate over which
system was technically more powerful. The 360 uses more off-the-
shelf PC components while The PlayStation 3's 3.2GHz Cell
processor was built from the ground up just for the PS3. It consists
of a single PowerPC-based core with seven synergistic processing
units and is the result of a joint effort between IBM, Sony, and
Toshiba, which is ironic, considering that Sony and Toshiba are in a
deathmatch over Blu-ray and HD-DVD.
The key thing to know about the Cell is that it has the juice to run a
new class of gameplay physics that will allow developers to create
spectacular effects and eventually provide a whole new depth of
realism to games. Paired with PlayStation 3's RSX Reality
Synthesizer graphics-processing unit, a gargantuan 550MHz, 300-
million-transistor graphics chip based on Nvidia's GeForce 7800
GTX graphics technology, and you're looking at a very high-end
PC. The only problem, of course, is that it'll take developers years
to learn to take full advantage of all that processing power and truly
deliver on the graphical promise of the system. The same, of
course, is true for the Xbox 360, but we suspect from our talks with
developers that the PS3 may ultimately be declared the more
powerful system. (Say what you will about increasing development
times and rising costs for producing video games, but Blu-ray's
25GB to 50GB storage capacity--as opposed to 8.5GB for the Xbox
360's DVD drive--does give developers the chance to create huge
games). Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
At the end of the day, as Microsoft learned, you can tout all the
power you want, but if you can't keep your system cool--and fairly
quiet--you're going to have some serious problems on your hands.
What's impressive about this PS3, in fact, is that with all this power
under the hood, the system runs as quietly as it does. After running
for three hours straight, we found that we could still place a hand
over the back of the unit and not get scorched--the system runs
pretty warm, but not blazingly hot. While the 360's tendency to
overheat has been exaggerated, its cooling fan and DVD drive are
comparatively far noisier, sometimes to the point of distraction. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Play time
The first thing we should be clear on is that for your $600, you don't
actually get any games (the first round of systems will ship with a
Blu-Ray movie, Talledega Nights). There's also only a single
controller. With our review unit, Sony sent over retail copies of
Resistance: Fall of Man, a first-person shooter that's arguably the
system's most impressive title and Genji, a hack-and-slasher that's
garnered only average reviews. At a couple preview events, we also
played several other launch titles, the majority of which are also
available for the Xbox 360.
In fact, it's very hard to tell the difference between titles that are
already available on the 360 and their PS3 counterparts because
they're ports of the same game. Where you start to see some of the
promise is in Sony's in-house titles, such as Resistance: Fall of Man
and NBA 07. The latter may not measure up to 2K Sports' NBA 2K7,
but the game looks impressive, with crisp graphics and smooth
60fps high-def gameplay. Formula One Championship Edition is
another title that really jumps out at you graphically; the game looks
really impressive but won't be out until later next year. We're also
waiting to compare the PS3 versions of EA's Fight Night 3 to its
Xbox 360 counterpart to see if the company was able to make any
improvements. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
The long and short of it is that the PS3 clearly measures up to the
Xbox 360 in terms of its graphics prowess and the added dimension
that the tilt controller offers, is a new twist. That said, there really
isn't anything available yet that's too unique or so far beyond what
the Xbox 360 offers that you think, "I gotta get this system to play
that game." The reality is, as usual, you're going to have to wait for
that breakout title. (Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4, due in 2007, is
currently getting a lot of buzz and will supposedly be a PS3
exclusive.) Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Backward compatibility
While you're waiting for that killer PS3 game, you can still fall back
on hundreds, if not thousands, of PlayStation catalog titles. The
PS3 is fully backward-compatible with nearly all PlayStation 2 and
PlayStation 1 games. Just toss in a disc and the PS3 will create a
virtual memory card on its hard drive to store saved games and
preferences. We had no trouble running PS2 titles such as Shadow
of the Colossus and Star Wars Starfigher. While we expect that a
handful of older titles won't run on the PS3, Sony deserves kudos
for near-universal backward compatibility. By comparison, Xbox 360
support for Xbox1 titles is limited to a set list of games with
emulation profiles (Microsoft updates the list periodically, but it's still
limited to less than half the number of the games available for the
older console). Nintendo does better with the Wii: it plays all
GameCube game discs.
Hardware and accessory compatibility is a mixed bag. You can't
connect PS2 controllers to the PS3 because the new console lacks
the older controller port, but because the PS3 control design is
nearly identical, your older games will play just fine. Likewise,
games that utilize any unique accessories that must plug into the
PS2-style control port--such as Guitar Hero's mighty ax--won't work
on the PS3. But USB accessories--such as the EyeToy--should be
good to go. Have some old God of War saved games that you just
can't part with? Invest $15 in a special card reader, and you can
transfer any games from your PS2 memory cards to the PS3's hard
drive.
Movie watching
Before we got our hands on a retail unit, we'd been able to spend
some time previewing the system, and while we had a pretty good
picture of what it can do in terms of gaming and multimedia
functionality, we hadn't been able to test it as a Blu-ray player.
Sony, of course, is taking a big risk by attempting to go out with a
new system that not only features a new processor but a new,
unproven optical drive format. The company is making a heavy bet
on the PS3 as a game machine, but it's also staking its Blu-ray
fortunes on the system as well, and we were most curious to see
how it delivered as a Blu-ray player. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Because we were more familiar watching Mission: Impossible III on
the Samsung BD-P1000 Blu-ray player, we decided to do our
testing using that disc rather than Talledega Nights. Watching on
one of the finest large-screen TVs available, the 60-inch Sony KDS-
R60XBR2, we watched several scenes from the movie on the
Samsung first, then switched over to the PS3. In case you're
wondering, load times for the disc were essentially identical at 40
seconds on each player (we hit stop on our stopwatch when a
picture appeared on the screen). That isn't terrible, but this is
obviously an area where Sony can make some improvements down
the road with a next-generation drive that's faster.
As for the picture, it was quite comparable to what we saw on the
Samsung, and navigating the disc was a fairly zippy process. In
other words, at first glance, the PS3 seems to stack up fairly well
against Blu-ray players costing nearly twice as much ($1,000),
which may obviate the need for those players to actually exist. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
Furthermore, the PS3 is the first A/V device to hit the market to
utilize the HDMI 1.3 specification. That doesn't mean much now--
there's no corresponding HDMI 1.3 products to connect it to. But in
the future--2007 and beyond--that should enable to PS3 to pass HD
video and next-gen surround-sound audio (such as Dolby Digital
Plus and Dolby TrueHD) to compatible A/V receivers via a single
HDMI cable. In the meantime, the PS3, like other Blu-ray and HD-
DVD players, can pass 1080p HD video and uncompressed LPCM
surround soundtracks to compatible A/V receivers and TVs. Want
to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2 or PS3
game system?
If we had one complaint with the PS3, it was that it didn't upscale
standard DVDs to HD resolutions, a feature that's standard on other
Blu-ray and HD-DVD players. Instead, they default to 480p
(progressive-scan). But that's hardly a deal-breaker, especially
when you consider the competition: the Xbox 360 requires a clunky
add-on drive to play HD-DVD movies (though downloadable high-
def movies will soon be available via Xbox Live), and the Nintendo
Wii doesn't play back movie discs of any type.
Accessing Blu-ray and DVD menus with the PS3 controller is
functional, if awkward. Unfortunately, you won't be able to program
a standard universal remote to control your PS3--it lacks an infrared
port, so it needs to receive commands via Bluetooth. Not
coincidentally, Sony offers a Bluetooth compatible remote for $25.
Conclusion
Though not with out a few minor drawbacks--and we'll probably find
a few more as we continue testing the system--the PS3 is a versatile
and impressive piece of home entertainment equipment that lives
up to the hype. As usual, the launch titles don't do all that much to
sell the system, but that should start to change within the next six
months as more impressive titles come to market. Whether you buy
the PS3 today or whenever it becomes available in quantity, you
can be sure you'll feel that you got your money's worth--from a
gaming and a multimedia perspective. Reviewed by: David Carnoy
Edited by: John P. Falcone Want to buy an XBOX 360, PSP, PS2
or PS3 game system?
Go to the Top PS3 Guide Page 2
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