PlayStation 3 Black 40GB Console

Playstation 3 System

Strengths: Excellent graphics, reliable hardware, great games, Blue-Ray.

Weakness: Expensive, online network not as good as XBOX.

An issue many raised for the Playstation 3 was that there were no games for it. That is no longer the case today, as there are numerous games that are excellent for the PS3. The one game that is worthy of owning a PS3 is none other than the highly acclaimed Metal Gear Solid 4. This game displays the power of the PS3 not only in the graphics department, but in quality as well. Metal Gear Solid 4...
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An issue many raised for the Playstation 3 was that there were no games for it. That is no longer the case today, as there are numerous games that are excellent for the PS3. The one game that is worthy of owning a PS3 is none other than the highly acclaimed Metal Gear Solid 4. This game displays the power of the PS3 not only in the graphics department, but in quality as well. Metal Gear Solid 4 is not only the best looking game for any console, but also the best game as well. There are other fantastic games for the PS3 including Resistance, Uncharted, Call of Duty 4—just to name a few.

I was debating between getting a XBOX 360 or a Playstation 3 for quite awhile now. The PS3 was on the expensive side, while the 360 had some great games like HALO 3 and Bioshock. When I discovered that the 360 has an extremely high rate of failure for its hardware, that pretty much sealed the deal for me. The 360 has over a 33% failure rate, and I know many people who had to send back in their 360 for repair. Microsoft announced that they will repair for free any 360 with the “red ring of death” for up to several years. What they didn’t tell is that they oftentimes just send the person back a refurbished unit. It is without doubt the 360 is a faulty machine, and unless they come out with a new model people will continue to experience problems with that unit. I am not going to lay down $300+ on a system, only to have it break down months later, despite having some great games on it. Speaking of which, most of the games that are on the 360 are also on the PS3, so that also helped in making my decision as well. One game in particular was Bioshock, which was supposedly an XBOX 360 exclusive—but it was announced just recently that Bioshock will be coming out to the PS3 later this year at the end of October or November. Another game that will most likely find its way on the PS3 is Ninja Gaiden 2, because the original which was also supposedly an XBOX exclusive found its way on PS3 with Ninja Gaiden Sigma. The only games that are worthy of note that will never find its way on PS3 is Gears of War and HALO 3, but PS3 has Resistance and Killzone so the exclusives even themselves out.

Simply put, the Playstation 3 is a superior console to the 360 and the Wii (which is basically a slightly improved Gamecube) in terms of quality and raw power. It may be more expensive, but is worth it (you get what you pay for). I believe Sony did make a mistake by overpricing the machine at launch, and their schizophrenic stance on backwards compatibility confused many people with multiple sku’s. Because of that, the PS3 lagged in sales. But after the price drop last summer, the increasing failure rates of the XBOX 360, and more quality games for the PS3, it has finally turned a corner and Sony is gaining momentum for the Playstation 3.

It is true that the 360 has a superior online network system, so Sony needs to improve that area ASAP. Sony also needs to figure out a way to improve download times for the videos and demos because some take literally hours even with a broadband connection.

I forgot to mention that it is imperative that you invest in a quality high definition television if you decide to get a Playstation 3. The PS3 was designed to play on HD TV’s, and you would only be doing yourself a disservice by playing and PS3 on a standard television. You can get a quality 32” HD television for $600—check the internet and even your local Costco or Sam’s etc. Also get an HDMI cable (Walmart sells them for around $20-30) which greatly enhances the picture and audio quality compared to the included composite cables which the system comes with. You may also want to get a surround system if you can afford it.

There are currently two versions of the PS3 out now as I write: the 40gb model for $399 which comes with the basic sixaxis controller, and the 80gb model for $499 which comes with the Dualshock 3 which rumbles/vibrates. The 40gb does not play Playstation 2 games, while the 80gb plays some to most PS2 games. The 80gb currently comes bundled with Metal Gear Solid 4 and the Dualshock 3 controller, but in the short future the 40gb will come with the Dualshock 3 and perhaps more memory. Sony should have just have full backwards compatibility for all models, but since I already owned a PS2 I decided to get the 40gb. Currently, the 40gb has a better 65 nm chip while the 80gb has a 90 nm chip. The 40 gb uses slightly less power and does not get as hot as the 80gb. On the surface, it looks like the 80gb is a better buy, but in reality your getting an older system which uses slightly more power and gets hotter. In addition, one excellent feature with the PS3 is that you can swap out the hard drive and install one with more memory. This answers the question if you have enough space for all your games, videos, etc. with 40gb or even 80gb.

So my final verdict is that the Playstation 3 is the best system to get, the graphics

By CStech43 - Jul 19, 2008

Nice All-in-One Entertainment Center!!!

Strengths: Blu-ray player + Gaming console = Sweet deal. Built-in wireless adapter. PSP user friendly. Free Online Play.

Weakness: Only 2 USB ports on the front part, none on the back. Available online content is still limted. Web browser feature is not convenient.

This machine meets all of my expectations and needs. I also own xbox 360 and I must say this PS3 has an edge. Free online game play is the key. I personally don't want to pay about $52 extra per year to play xbox 360 games online. PS3 online play is FREE!! However, I'm kinda frustrate on web browser issue since it can't display web page properly. Anyhow, this issue is not a big deal.

By nikornpon - Jun 16, 2008

Great console

Strengths: Blue-ray player

Weakness: Not compatible with PS2 games.

This is not only a game console but simply the best home entertainment system to watch high definion movies (blue-ray player), listern music, view pictures, and browse internet. Eventhough I don't really play lot of games, I primarily purchased this as a blue-ray player. You can also install another operating system like linux on PS3 as well since it comes with 40gb hard drive which is pretty...
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This is not only a game console but simply the best home entertainment system to watch high definion movies (blue-ray player), listern music, view pictures, and browse internet. Eventhough I don't really play lot of games, I primarily purchased this as a blue-ray player. You can also install another operating system like linux on PS3 as well since it comes with 40gb hard drive which is pretty cool. Overall PS3 is a great system with a great value. I would recommend this PS3 to anyone who is interested in all in one entertainment system.

By vutukuris - Aug 18, 2008

Playstation 3 Console 40GB

Strengths: Serves as game system AND Blu-ray player.

Weakness: Expensive.

I bought my Playstation 3 mainly because I wanted a Blu-ray player. I figured if I am going to drop a few hundred bucks on a Blu-ray player, I might as well get a game console with it. I am glad I did. I have bought Blu-ray movies and games (Tiger Woods golf others) and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I did have a problem with my controller sticking but I had no problem getting Sony to...
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I bought my Playstation 3 mainly because I wanted a Blu-ray player. I figured if I am going to drop a few hundred bucks on a Blu-ray player, I might as well get a game console with it. I am glad I did. I have bought Blu-ray movies and games (Tiger Woods golf others) and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I did have a problem with my controller sticking but I had no problem getting Sony to replace it. Also, you will need to buy a remote control if you want to use it as a Blu-ray player because its a bit awkward to use the game controller for that purpose.

By lsutigr - Jul 6, 2008

PS3 40 GB

Strengths: Great graphics, Quite

Weakness: None so far

It's my first game console ever, I bought it more for the blu ray/dvd player. One issue I had was after the firmware upgrade it stopped playing all DVD's. Did a reset and everything has been working fine now. I heard game consoles make a lot of noise when I was doing some research but this is quite, very quite. Haven't explored all the features yet. Currently working to setup as a media center so...
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It's my first game console ever, I bought it more for the blu ray/dvd player. One issue I had was after the firmware upgrade it stopped playing all DVD's. Did a reset and everything has been working fine now. I heard game consoles make a lot of noise when I was doing some research but this is quite, very quite.

Haven't explored all the features yet. Currently working to setup as a media center so I can play songs, watch movies and pictures by streaming them from my computer.

Overall I am very happy with it.

By msakham - Jun 15, 2008