I believe.... it is time this thread had an update, as I have recently purchased, and got my hands on a PlayStation 3.
I have finally purchased one of the 60GB PS3s, which are no longer available in stores - they've all been phased out in favour of the cheaper, less functional 40GB SKU. I paid NZ$970 for it, plus two games, two Sixaxis controllers, and some computer speakers - which is a fantastic deal. Admittedly though, I would've paid the original retail price for the machine, given what comes with it.
In all honesty... it is the most wonderful machine created. I know the PS3 cops quite a bit of flak in the States, and high definition hasn't really taken off here in New Zealand yet. Straight out of the box, though, this is far and away the best console ever released. If you have a set up at home that can take advantage of even 50% of it's true power, you should get it.
I'll give a quick rundown on our setup... we currently have:
* a
standard definition, CRT 32" widescreen Sony television (yeah, I know, we're in dire need of an update... I'm working on it!).
* my PS2's connected to my TV via
S-Video cable (though, the PS2's with Sorien at the moment... I had to get the cable off him!)
* a JVC
surround sound system capable of Dolby Digital 5.1 via digital optical cable - our AV receiver isn't capable of HDMI.
* a
fully-fledged computer network - complete with WiFi, wireless printing, Internet, photo and file sharing (of course), a 10" digital photo frame that is also hooked up to the network, and a 200GB hard drive that holds a fair chunk of data - there's more but I don't think it's relevant...
So while it's not the most advanced of setups... it's decent enough. Even as limited as our television is, the rest of our house more than makes up for the console's functionality.
Within moments of the console arriving, I connected it to the network without hassle, as the PS3 comes with built-in wireless. Easy as pie. +1 point. Updated the firmware, which doesn't sound like a big deal... but when the only other person you know who has a PS3 isn't able to do that (no offense!), it's pretty cool.
The XMB, or
XrossMediaBar, is an interesting system to use. It's supposedly the new standard interface that Sony are going to use for their products from now on - as evident on the PSP, PS3, and some of their AV receivers and TVs I believe. It's an alright interface. Nothing wrong with it.
As one does when they get a new console, I wanted to set it up properly, and believe me, the
PS3 has no shortage of settings. There are so many categories of settings that you can edit, it's almost a daunting task to do! But it's also kind of fun, exploring all the little options and finding out all the little tweaks you can do to your console. Maybe that's just the tech-geek in me, though.
Of course, the second setting I set the console up for was
Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. Actually, that might've been the first. I forget. But given that it's connected via digital optical cable,
the console outputs surround sound during gameplay - compared to the PS2, which had the optical output, but didn't have the horsepower to use surround sound except for specific cutscenes. This is a HUGE plus, as it means now I can war with my buddies in ACTUAL SURROUND SOUND. NO MORE PRO-LOGIC II (though I suppose I could if I wanted). YES!
The
Internet capabilities of the machine are amazing, to be honest. The PlayStation 3 comes with an inbuilt Internet browser, which I'd expect to be the norm these days. I was rather surprised that not only could it browse the Net, but it actually played videos on YouTube.
That's not bad for a console... things have certainly come a long way from the PS2, that's for sure!
As one would expect,
the online store is easy to navigate - of course it is, all companies want to make sure it's easy to throw your money in their direction! I've downloaded numerous demos and things from the PlayStation Network.... this similar functionality IS on the X-Box 360. So while it's not a leg-up on the competition, it certainly doesn't fall behind in any way.
One of the biggest benefits, being stuck in the PAL regions, is the console's
region-free attitude. I'll be pre-ordering and/or purchasing numerous games from overseas in a couple of days, which I'm looking forward to, definitely. This means I can finally play Rock Band! (not to mention uncut versions of Grand Theft Auto IV and, when it's released, Metal Gear Solid 4!)
Given that I have one of the 60GB units, that also means that the console comes with 4 USB ports (a good thing),
PS2 backwards compatibility (a plus, given that Sorien has my PS2... mind you, he has all my games too!) and
numerous Flash card/memory stick slots. Our cameras have had a fair hammering over the last few months, so we've had a lot of photos and videos to view on all of our SD cards. The output's fantastic. As mentioned in our setup, we have a 10" digital photo frame that Dad bought a few months ago, which we used to plug our SD cards into to view pictures. Now we can just plug them straight into the PS3 and display them in all their high-definition glory - even Mum was heavily impressed, since now we can view memories of my sister right on our television.
What surprised me about the PS3, though, was that
it was able to connect to our network and view any shared videos, pictures and music on our computers. It can either stream the media over the network, or copy them straight to the PS3 hard drive for storage/later viewing. So all my music, our photos, Meteor videos, everything can now rest easy on our new console - and yes, Jyou, that does include videos of you!
Of course, all those photos and videos and game demos all take up space... so, being the tech-geek I am, I went out and upgraded my PS3 hard drive (which is really a cinch and doesn't void the warranty, awesome!) from its initial 60GB to
250GB (LOL). Needless to say, I think I have enough space now. XD
I also went out of my way to purchase two
DualShock 3 controllers, so now I have four controllers. Hopefully Sony will release some great local four-player games so I can take advantage of that too (Nintendo's got them beat there, admittedly)... and yes, for the record, the DualShock 3 isn't out here in New Zealand yet.
Also,
the integration between the PlayStation Portable and the PlayStation 3 is quite remarkable, really. The Remote Play Option allows you to connect your PSP to the PS3 wirelessly, and do things through the PS3 on the PSP screen. I've yet to discover all the benefits of this mode, but it should be interesting to say the least.
I haven't yet tried playing games online with the console yet, as I haven't had the time, so I can't give or take away points for that... more on that when I do so!
To be honest,
I don't have anything bad to say about this console. Most of the games that are out on X-Box 360 are out on this machine, and there are very few exclusives on 360 that actually make me want to buy it over the PS3. I'll admit the only reason I wanted an X-Box 360 was to play Halo 3 - Gears of War didn't interest me... but Spicey spoiled the only thing I wanted to see in the game, thus ruining my drive to get my hands on a 360. Call of Duty 4's a much better game anyway, I have to say. I've heard that playing games online isn't as good as X-Box Live, as X-Box has a larger base of people, while the PlayStation Network is only mildly organised at best... I'll have to see this for myself, though. So, at this stage, no negatives.
All in all,
if you have a setup at home able to use the PlayStation 3's functions, it's a must-buy... and even if you don't, I'd recommend one anyway (though perhaps with a litle less enthusiasm). I haven't even gotten to Blu-ray yet - given that I don't have a high-definition television, one wouldn't be able to tell the difference anyway. Once we have the final piece of the puzzle, though, the PlayStation 3 will be the perfect addition to our entire home network. Seriously an entertainment system like no other, at this stage I give the PlayStation 3 a
9.2/10, and the Maz-Stamp of Approval. (though of course, I might update it at a later stage once I've fully tested all the functions... and when we get an HDMI TV!)