Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) Review.

[WiFi.com]

Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3). A review at WiFi.com

We did not anticipate getting our hands on one these units until mid March, but low and behold one of our staffers (my better half) sniffed out a 60GB PlayStation 3 at a local GameStop. Anyhow, after a quick call to the store for verification we hustled down to pick it up…

The Box:
Wow! We never realized how heavy this unit would be. The packaging is about the size of two hatboxes but weighs as much as a thimble full of neutron star. No, really though the box was weighty and makes you wonder, “What’s inside this puppy?” On top of the PS3 we picked up an extra controller, HDMI cable, three movies (Stargate, The Fifth Element, and Swordfish), and three games (Resistance: Fall of Man, NHL 2K7, and Blazing Angels). Needless to say our hands were full when we walked out of the store to load up the car…

Thirty minute drive done in 15…

So, we get back to the house and I immediately head for the projector (DLP 1080i), lugging the PS3 of course. The projector displays on a 100-inch ceiling retractable screen that is optimal for a home entertainment system like the PS3.

Setup:
I admit, I rarely read directions. I feel all products should be intuitive (dreaming) and if I can’t figure it out without directions then, well I guess in this case I’d have to read them because I’m not taking it back! Now, I open the box and immediately notice Sony has placed an illustration on the inside flap of the package showing how to remove the PS3 from the box. Not that I couldn’t have figured it out, but I noted the illustration nonetheless because it was in an obvious location on the box and clearly demonstrated how to remove the PS3. It appears they did their consumer research. The PS3 base unit slid out with little effort. However, it was evident at this point what the source of all the weight was…

How it looks:
The base unit is heavy (likely hard drive weight). Not only that, the PS3 makes the second generation PS2 look like a matchbox. The PS3 is quite large. Yes, it’s big. The PS3 is, however, very attractive; shiny black shell with what I call a “Cadillac” shape. It really is the Cadillac of home entertainment systems. The front-loading CD/DVD drive is a nice addition to this generation PlayStation.

Wireless Controllers:
The controller looks much like the traditional PlayStation controller; two joysticks, four-directional pad, the X, circle, triangle, and square buttons, and the left/right buttons at the front of the controller. A couple of differences; 1) the controller is recharged through one of four USB ports located on the front of the PS3, and more notably 2) Weight – the wireless controller is very, very light. The one real downfall to the new controller is the lack of rumble when playing the aggressive or hard contact games. My better half dislikes the rumble, period.

PS3 Browser (Menu):
If you have a PSP and like it, you are going to easily adapt to menu browsing on the PS3. Navigating the PS3 to access video, audio, settings, games, and the Internet are very intuitive and serves as a good model for centralization of controls to the various features of the PS3.

Movies – BluRay:
At this point we have watched two movies on the PS3 (BluRay): The Fifth Element and Swordfish. I did not notice much difference between the BluRay visual qualities when compared to HD. However, the projector lamp is on its last legs and I may not be getting the best picture from it. However, I did notice a big difference in sound quality. The sound is much more crisp and the small Bose unit I hooked up seemed to be the right device to pump it out. Regardless of what you use for audio I am confident you will notice a difference in sound when watching BluRay movies on the PS3.

Games:
I have heard Resistance: Fall of Man is the game to play on the PS3. Unfortunately, it has yet to suck me in. Part of the problem lies in the fact I am used to playing first person shooters on the PC. Trying to adapt to the wireless controller is a painful process. Anyhow, I need more time to give an honest opinion on this title. NHL 2K7 is a lot of fun. We played a game and were fairly impressed – more to do with the gameplay opposed to being blown away by the commentary or the graphics. Don’t get me wrong the graphics are very good but not the dividing factor among the top gaming systems. I have only tooled around in Blazing Angels. The planes are much easier to fly compared to your typical flight simulators, so pretty much anyone could play it without crashing on take off. I did bury the plane on landing, oops! It will be interesting to evaluate the PS3 again as more game titles become available.

Conclusion:
In this case, as in previous launches, Sony was delayed launching the PS3. They were late to the table giving Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox 360 a head start. This will hurt initially. However, Sony has a reputation for delivering very good products. Based on the quality, to include functionality, support (firmware), and the BluRay technology, the PS3 stands to become the biggest selling home entertainment (gaming) system ever produced. That is until they launch the PS4.

We do recommend waiting until you can get a PS3 at or below MSRP. The 60GB PS3 is retailing at $599. Considering all the PS3 has to offer we feel this unit is a steal.