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Sony Playstation 3 Review: Great, But Nowhere Near Its Potential

By: Daniel Chubb | September 16, 2007 | 6 Comments

Playstation 3

So I got my Playstation 3 on the UK launch date, and I thought I should wait a few months to review it; taking into account of everything thats gone on. Yes, not alot’s changed, but I was bored of waiting for more games to come out.

I won’t bother going into the specifications of the console, you probably either know them, don’t want to know them or you can just find them on Google.

Design & Ergonomics: I’ll briefly talk about this first. The console looks slick, damn sexy and its highly glossy and it just looks beautiful anywhere. However, it also is a dust magnet which needs to be frequently cleaned to keep it up to its ultra-high finish. You really can see your own reflection it it. The disc tray is now automatic and eats your disc as you put it against the slot which feels brilliant. Similarly, you can eject it by using your controller, or use a touch sensitive button the ps3 itself; class. The controller is now wireless, a million times lighter and feels better overall. Sony did a great job designing the console, and the controller and I don’t think I would change anything about it.

PlayStation Store ScreenWarhawk

The games: It’s quite sad to say that there aren’t that many games out for the PlayStation 3 yet, well not any killer apps. At launch we had the likes of Resistance, Motorstorm which are perfectly great games. Recently, we’ve had Heavenly sword launched, and following Warhawk on the PlayStation network and is soon coming out on disc with a headset which is quite amazing. But to be frank, these games don’t even touch the potential of the system. However, 2008 promises massive titles such as Metal Gear Solid 4 and Final Fantasy 13. So, is it a good investment? Yes. Is it worth buying this second? Probably not.

Metal Gear Solid 4 - RaidenFinal Fantasy 13 Versus

Blu-Ray & DVD Play-back: The system comes with an inbuilt Blu-Ray player which is quite self-explanatory and boasts high-resolution footage and unparalled quality and disc size. Blu-Ray is currently leading the market with some reports saying it is outselling HD-DVD by 2-1; so don’t fret, the Blu-Ray player is definately worth it. Joined with this, the PS3 has a built in HDMI Output, so for those with HDMI cables and a HD television, this is ideal for superb picture and sound quality.

Additional: The ps3 itself is wireless and can connect to any wireless access points so you can play online games and browse the PlayStation Network. Within a few months, titles such as Home will be available which will add to the Online experience even further. On top of this, you also get an ethernet port in the back incase you don’t have wireless. The 60GB models provide plenty of space for movies, downloadable games, albums, photos etc. Saying this now, you can also stream photos, music, films from your computer so in theory you can use your ps3 as a home entertainment centre sharing media from your PC.

There’s not really a lot else to say, the PS3 has got heaps of potential and that is perfectly clear. So in this regard, the console is amazing. However, on the other hand the lack of games at the present is disappointing and could turn off those who want to play games this second. I really do think that is the PS3′s only flaw at the moment, in every other way it’s a brilliant console. Hold your horses, this console can only get better.

Review will be updated when more games come out due to some comments.

The low-down: 8/10

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  • Christian

    This website is clearly a Sony backed forum with bias articles constantly streaming out. There is no middle ground, everything Sony is good, everything Xbox 360 is bad. If people don’t believe me just look at all the articles & you’ll see it plain as day.

  • Daniel

    To: Christian
    Different people different opinions, my latest post is for Xbox 360 and you are talking to someone who owns all 3 main consoles.

    This is my personal experience and fact in my book.
    have a read http://www.product-reviews.net/2007/09/16/lack-of-sony-ps3-games-makes-me-get-my-xbox-360-out/

  • Peter

    Christian, this website often makes good comments about the 360 and actually criticised the PS3′s lack of games in this very article.

    The fact is that there is very little wrong about the PS3 therefore there is very little to criticize. As a piece of hardware its ability is completely unmatched not just in console terms but for it’s price it’s also unmatched as a piece of AV equipment. There are only 2 flaws which are the lack of games and the price. Both of those flaws will be improved over the next year.

    I’m looking forward to next year because I suspect a lot of 360 fanboys (of which Christian is a perfect example) are going to have to start eating their words.

  • GJGaubatz

    For all who think PS3 didn’t have enough titles at it’s release seem to forget that Nintendo 64 only had (2) titles on it’s release.
    So give it time.

  • Returned ps3

    I returned a ps3 because it offered nothing useful to me other than high def movies, which I’m not that excited about. The “media center” functionality doesn’t even compare to use of a 360 as an extender, which is how I decided to roll. Because the media functionality is so important to me, I’ve used the ethernet port (did not have to pay for wireless gear) and I prefer the controller. I liked the tilt functionality, but I think that it is under utilized and therefore not as useful as rumble. Had I cared about the movie situation, I would probably have felt differently. This was the only differentiator that I could find favorable to sony’s new gear. I found the article above to seem quite defensive of Sony, with everything qualified with *yet*’s and potential. Prices will only go down so I found it a poor investment, currently. I also have trouble finding any *potential* beyond what I’m getting out of the 360 (speaking strictly to games), or what will likely come out of the pipeline shortly.

  • The Saint

    “I’m looking forward to next year because I suspect a lot of 360 fanboys (of which Christian is a perfect example) are going to have to start eating their words.”

    LOL. Haven’t PS3 owners been eating their words since last November? What words are we exactly going to eat? Is the PS3 all of a sudden gonna come up with something so mind blowing we’ll all just wanna shoot ourselves for owning an Xbox 360? If the PS3 ever became THAT good, would it be against the law for 360 owners to purchase a PS3 also? The FACT is, 99% of PS3 owners are die-hard, irrational fans who don’t care about reality or games. The PS3 is getting beat from pillar to post by the 360. That’s the truth. If you truly care about games, then buy a 360 also because what matters more is the NOW. I’m not going to buy a console two or three years before developers are supposed to “learn to unlock its power,” which is the same song PS3 owners have been singing for the last year. There is absolutely no reason to buy a PS3 now, when everything great that’s supposed to come out for it is a year or more away. Is it going to be illegal to buy a PS3 when it’s finally worth it? Listen, the PS3 is just going to get cheaper and cheaper. I’ll get it first and foremost, when it actually has at least a couple dozen games that look mind blowingly better than the best looking Xbox 360 game, and second, when the price is right, which is $300. Ther’s no reason to buy a PS3 now.