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Pros and Cons: PlayStation 3 Edition

17 years

We’ve heard all kinds of rumors about Sony’s highly anticipated PlayStation 3, and it’s time to get to know the $600 console before you pick one up off of Ebay. Gamers around the world have chosen sides bashing and loving the console at the same time, but most don’t really know what the actual pros and cons of the console.

GamePro got its hands on the PlayStation 3 and have posted a set of facts to enlighten us. How many of us knew that the PSP will be able to connect to the PS3’s hard drive via WiFi in a process labeled, “Remote Play?” For fans waiting for the PlayStation 3, the list does not disappoint. You can read the points down below, and expect to see just a little PS3 fluff along the way.

  • 1. Touch-sensitive power and eject buttons

    • I can’t argue with that, I love buttons that work with ease. (Raj just loves buttons. – Blake)

  • 2. 15,000 kiosks across the nation by the end of November

    • So you didn’t get a console on launch day, it’s OK. There will be plenty of kiosks at retail stores for you to stare, drool and lust after and over.

  • 3. The PS3 is not just a cheap Blu-Ray player

    • You’re right, it’s an expensive one! Just kidding, that was an easy blow. Though at the same time, GamePro isn’t really getting away with that statement by talking about how cool the PS3 looks.

  • 4. Not all games will be 1080p

    • We know that already. We also know that most games that are HD are rendered at 720p and upscaled after.

  • 5. SIXAXIS doesn’t feel too light
  • This is a relief, the rumors going around talking about how the controller felt like a toy were really starting to get to me. GamePro hasn’t convinced me though, even EGM editors have talked about the controllers being too light.

  • 6. SIXAXIS motion sensing is not intuitive

    • There are features that are well thought out way before the console is in development, and there are features that aren’t. Seeing as how SIXAXIS’ motion sensing was thrown on last minute, I wouldn’t expect it to be intuitive either.

  • 7. The PSP will connect via Wi-Fi to the PS3’s hard drive

    • This is the one I mentioned up above, and I am really looking forward to this feature. Why? Because you can download original PlayStation games onto your console and play them on your PSP. Final Fantasy 8

    on my PSP!? You better believe I’m gonna love it.

  • 8. SIXAXIS gets 30 hours of battery life

    • Also another great feature, plugging in your controller is so 2005.

  • 9. There’s no lag on the wireless SIXAXIS controller

    • Great! There’s no lag on any other controller on any other console either.

  • 10. SIXAXIS has a wireless range of over 65 feet
  • Pretty damn good wireless range if you ask me, especially for users with bigger living rooms and TVs.

  • 11. PlayStation 2 save game files can be transferred to the PS3

    • Also some great news, the gamers that get PS3s on launch day probably won’t even be finished with Final Fantasy XII.

  • 12. The Blu-Ray disc drive is slot loading

    • Some people like it, some people don’t. I have a MacBook, and I have to say I don’t like slot loading, but that’s just me.

  • 13. One LED on the PS3 dedicated to tracking hard drive activity

    • Not sure why this is a feature on the console other than the make it look more like a PC, but I’ll buy it for now.

  • 14. The first 500,000 PS3s will be packaged with a free Blu-Ray feature film

    • Fun! The Blu-Ray film is one you might be familiar with: “The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” starring Will Ferrel as a NASCAR driver.

  • 15. There’s a hard “power-off” switch on the back of the system

    • Cool. Just like the PS2

  • 16. The PS3 is shiny

    • Yuck. Remember how you got shit all over your PSP? Yeah, that’s back. (I doubt you’ll be carrying the PS3 around much. – Blake)

  • 17. PS3 itself looks sexy

    • When you first open it up, I’m sure it’ll look great. After you’ve hooked it up and gotten your dirty paws all over it, say goodbye to your clean looking PS3.

  • 18. The PS3 is super quiet

    • This is another big one, I can’t believe Sony got its power hungry console to be so quiet. A common problem with Xbox 360 is how loud it gets, sometimes it sounds like the damn thing is about to explode.

  • 19. You can plug in a USB keyboard for web browsing

    • Yet another feature on the PS3 to make it more like a PC. This also brings to my attention how much the PlayStation 3 is like a high-end gaming computer. When you look at the console this way, it is literally thousands of dollars less than any of its competitors.

  • 20. The power supply is integrated directly into the system

    • Gotta tip my hat to Sony for that. There’s already a mass of crap behind my TV, including the infamous brick that came with my Xbox 360.

  • 21. Re-download all your merch to someone else’s PS3

    • Wanna show your friend how cool a PS3 arcade game is? No problem, sign-in and re-download.

  • 22. New Controller Will Be $50.00

    • Standard pricing, not bad.

  • 23. First-party games are priced at $59.99

    • Also standard.

    PlayStation 3: 23 Things You Want To Know [macworld]