Playstation 3 - 40GB Review

Sony Playstation 3 console

Critics agree that the Nintendo Wii is addictive, intuitive and fun -- even after the novelty of the innovative Wii Remote has worn off. Nintendo chooses not to compete with Xbox 360 or PS3 when it comes to realistic graphics. Rather, the focus is on the Wii Remote -- a unique motion-sensitive controller that gets players off the couch, waving the controller around in the air. Reviews agree that hardcore gamers will be disappointed in the Wii, but that's not the Wii's intended audience. Rather, experts say the Nintendo Wii is great for families and groups. If you prefer intense first-person-shooter games or epic fantasy gaming, you'll be happier with an Xbox 360. But reviews agree that the Nintendo is more of a crowd-pleaser.

Reviews agree that the PlayStation 3 is technologically superior to the Xbox 360 -- at least on paper. But graphics and realism are great on both systems and the Xbox 360 continues to hold an edge in must-have game availability (though the gap is closing). The Xbox also has an advantage in online gaming. Hardware fixes are believed to have repaired the "Red Ring of Death" system failures that plagued earlier models. Other versions available include the Xbox 360 Elite, which ups the removable hard drive to 120 GB (vs. 60 GB) and throws in an HDMI cable. The Xbox 360 Arcade lacks a hard drive altogether, meaning you can't download content or play older Xbox games; most experts consider it to be a poor value.  The good: Swanky design with quiet operation; all games in high-definition; PSP-like, easy-to-use interface; plays Profile 2.0 high-definition Blu-ray movies in addition to upscaling standard DVDs; built-in Wi-Fi; 80GB hard drive; HDMI output with 1080p support; no external power supply; free online gaming service.

The bad: Lacks full backward support for PS2 games; only comes with two USB ports; no infrared port means non-Bluetooth universal remotes aren't compatible; no flash card or memory reader; glossy black finish is a fingerprint magnet; online gaming, media, and commerce options not nearly as developed as Xbox Live.

The bottom line: Even though PS2 backward compatibility has been dropped from this version, the 80GB PS3 is still a superb Blu-ray player and high-definition game console.

Specifications: Product Description: Sony PlayStation 3 - Game console ; Media Type: BD-ROM , CD-ROM , DVD-ROM ; Processor: Cell Broadband Engine ; 

There's general agreement that Sony stumbled out of the gate with the PlayStation 3. Months of intense hype were followed by a late launch  and a staggering $600 price tag for the deluxe model. Even worse, the PS3 didn't initially have any real must-have exclusive titles, and despite the power of its vaunted Cell processor, multiplatform games from third-party developers didn't look appreciably better than the respective titles on the Xbox 360.

Since then, the company's been modifying the PlayStation product line to better fit the competitive market landscape. As of August 2008, a new "bargain" PS3 is available with a larger, 80GB hard drive, and a "deluxe" model is due in November, doubling the capacity to 160GB. Both, however, lack backward compatibility with PS2 games and do not come with flash card readers. If those features are a must, it might be best to pick up the 80GB Metal Gear Bundle version on eBay while they're still out there.

If you don't want to opt for the new 160GB , the 80GB version reviewed here might short you on space. Now that you can fill up that hard drive more easily with TV shows and movies from the PlayStation Store, it's much easier to do so. Still, for those on a budget, the $400 PS3 ups the hard-drive capacity from the older "budget" model and delivers nearly all the same gaming and home theater features as its more expensive sibling. The PS3's game drought has largely evaporated, with popular titles such as Grand Theft Auto IV, Rock Band, Call of Duty 4, and BioShock all making their way to the console. While these titles are also available on the Xbox 360, the PS3 has exclusive dibs on Metal Gear, Uncharted, and MLB 08: The Show, as well as the hotly anticipated Resistance 2 and Killzone 2 due to hit in upcoming months.

Yes, the Xbox 360 and nintendo wii also have their own handful of exclusive titles (Halo and Gears of War on the former, and all of the Mario, Metroid, and Zelda games on the latter), but the PS3's HD graphics go far beyond those of the low-resolution Wii, and its stable hardware doesn't suffer from the Xbox 360's notorious game list Plus, now that Blu-ray Discs have become the de facto standard for high-def media, the PS3 is still the only console available to play back that format, and consequently is the best performing and affordable Blu-ray player on the market--a great option if you want to introduce yourself to high-def content.