It’s not just a Gaming Console – Playstation 3
Gaming consoles, in todays market, are offering more than just a place to store, and play games. Most of them offer online communities and multi-media functionality. Sony’s Playstation 3 fits right in with the rest of today’s gaming consoles with new technologies and multi-media advancements.
The Playstation 3, like other gaming consoles, comes with a variety of hard drive sizes. The bigger the drive, the more functionality the unit has. Offering different consoles gives consumers the ability to choose how much they want to spend and what exactly they want with their console.
Take for example, the 80GB console. This console supports many of the older PS2 games – meaning you can play these old games on the new console. The 40GB console – on the other hand – does not support PS2 games. (The 60GB console supports more PS2 games than the 80GB does; however, it has been discontinued.)
Both Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity are available on the PS3. The Ethernet connection is easily accessible on the back panel of the unit. An HDMI, SPDIF, and Playstations AV output are all accessible from the back panel of the PS3.
The design, of the PS3, is definitely eye catching. It is only 12.8 x 3.8 x 10.8-inches in diameter, and weighs only 11 pounds. It has a shiny black casing, with chrome accents. Along the front of the box is a front-loading optical drive. Simply slide in your game, DVD, or Blue-ray disk, and you entertainment begins. The PS3 is a nice addition to any home theatre system.
The front of the box has a hidden compartment. In this compartment, you will find slots for CompactFlash, SD Memory Card and Memory Stick Duo card slots. Additionally, also on the front of the console, are four USB ports. These USB ports are for your convenience as you can plug in any USB device.
Like other gaming consoles, the PS3 now has wireless controllers. The only reason to plug them into the USB ports is to charge them. The one downfall, to these controllers, is that the batteries are not replaceable. When a battery life is gone, the entire controller will have to be replaced. (Other gaming consoles have replaceable packs.)
Stepping ahead of the Xbox 360, the PS3 not incorporates motion-sensitive controllers. The controllers are sensitive to six different motions: forward, backward, up, down, left and right. These motions perform different actions based on the particular game that you are playing. The technology is not near as advanced as that found in the WII, but it is there to be improved upon.
The PS3 also now has multi-media functionality. Image slide shows, music, and movies can all be stored – and watched – directly on the device. (The most common image, audio, and video file formats are supported.) The PS3 can also be used to stream media through, if you do not want to take up your hard disk space.
You can pick up a PS3 for anywhere from $300 – $500; price will vary based on hard drive size. Overall, the price is pretty sufficient for all the perks you get with the system. An entertainment system and gaming console all for under $600. The PS3 would be a great addition to an entertainment center or game room.
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