Sony PlayStation 3 Slim Console

Some things not mentioned in the product description; This is a new CECH-3003A console which comes loaded with firmware 3.65 and will require an update to 3.70 if you intend to use PSN. The controller which comes with the console is a vibrating DualShock3 with six-axis, not the non-vibrating original controller the description wrongly states.

I've been a happy Xbox360 user for almost 6 years so after a few weeks, these are some of the pros and cons I've experienced compared to the 360:

Pros

- Much quieter than my 20gb Xbox 360 (I don't know how it compares to the newer 360's). Every now and then you'll hear the Blu-ray disc spin up momentarily but general noise is very low while playing.
- Wireless controller has a charging lead which connects into a usb port. Buying batteries/play and charge kit isn't cheap for the 360.
- Great TV on demand services including BBC iPLayer, 4od and ITV Player. BBC iPlayer is partically impressive, allowing much of its content to be played in HD if your connection to the internet is sufficiently fast enough. Dragon's Den looked brilliant.
- The system is generally much more open than the 360. You can use your own keyboard, mouse or bluetooth headset without having to buy Sony's own peripherals. You can also put a bigger hard drive in if you like, quick glance on amazon and you could upgrade to a 640gb hdd for around £50, not bad at all!
- Had success importing video files to enjoy on my PS3. Firstly, external storage devices must be formatted to FAT32 which means all files must be below 4GB's in size. All the AVI and MP4 files I tried worked, sadly videos formatted in MKV format won't work. I also imported some of the AVCHD formatted HD video from my Sony camcorder and it looked stunning, great way to show videos to the family.
- Playstation Network is free. I've loved playing Xbox Live over the years and will continue to pay my subscription towards it, but it has to be said that Sony offering their service for nothing is very attractive if you're new to online gaming.
- Blu-ray player. Although their price has come down in recent times it's still a bargain to get a brilliant gaming platform and Blu-ray player at this price point.

Cons - Before I start I just want to say that all the problems I'm about to list are minimal at best and shouldn't be reason enough not to buy a PS3.

- Updating/Installing/Loading times can be significant. Getting my system up to date when I plugged the internet in took the best part of 30 minutes, maybe even slightly longer. When it then came to update Uncharted 2 this also took a long time compared a 360 title update which in my experience takes less than a minute. The first time you play a game can also take quite a long time to load as the console has to install a large amount of the game on the hard drive because transfering data straight from a Blu-ray on the fly is too slow. However I found that once this initial load had completed, in-game load times are much shorter.
- No Sky Player. Not an issue if you don't have sky, but this functionallity has been quite useful on the 360 for watching sky sports in a room other than the one we have the sky box in.
- Lovefilm is actually a bit naff. At the moment when you buy this PS3 you get 3 months unlimited (one disc at a time) membership to lovefilm with the ability to stream films to your PS3. Great right? I was initially quite excited about this until I actually tried it. For starters there isn't a great list of available titles. There are one or two I would watch but don't expect to find big blockbusters such as The Matrix, Dark Knight or Avatar. I tried watching Hurt Locker and Swordfish but both had very average picture quality and sound even when left to buffer for a while. This is a shame as the BBC iPlayer app showed that my connection can easily support watching programs in HD so I was quite disappointed with that.
- The charging cable for the controller is very short making it difficult to play and charge.
- Doesn't come with a headset, my 360 came with a wired headset.
- In my opinion the Xbox360's controller is superior. It's much chunkier than the PS3 controller and easier to hold; my hands tend to cramp much quicker with the PS3. I've also found the PS3's L2 and R2 triggers to be less responsive and accurate than the 360's, I'm looking to purchase the EA Sports Comfort Play Pack from amazon which adds thicker grips and triggers to the PS3 controller.

Thats all I can think of right now, I'll update if anything else comes to light. In short I'm very happy with my purchase and now that it costs the same as a new Xbox 360 I do think that it is a superior package.

The Good:
> It's black and it looks very sexy in comparison to the uglier fatter version
> It's powerful processor renders graphics slightly more beautifully than the Xbox 360.
> There is a wide range of titles to play on both new (Uncharted, Deus Ex, Mass Effect and familiar faces (Final Fantasy, Devil May Cry, GTA).
> Loads of fantastic downloadable content available on the Playstation store.
> Plays Blu-Rays in stunning HD quality.
> The Six-axis motion sensing controller is pretty accurate although a bit of a pain to get used to....
> If you're lucky enough to own a Sony Bravia 50-inch HD TV to play your PS3 on then you tend to forget all the points I made out below.

The Bad:
> Due to the powerful processor it does heat up pretty quickly (guess you win some, you lose some...)
> Can't play Playstation disc media on it.
> Didn't come with a HDMI cable.
> Provided USB cable is too short.

The Ugly:
> XMB software is a horrendous operating system as it requires specific folder directories in order to display images and video. For example if you wanted to view some photos you need to put it in a folder: PS3/PHOTO and your storage device must be FAT32 formatted.
> Although it can play Youtube videos it can't play downloaded flash videos, which is a bummer for me as I have a lot videos in the flash format.
> Can't play PS2 games which is a shame because I have A LOT of PS2 games.

I have had a Xbox 360 since release and loved it. I always thought the Xbox was better than the PS3 due to more games available, better graphics etc.

However, since the recent death of my Xbox (RIP) i decided to venture forth and purchase the PS3 160GB and i can safely say, I wish i had done it years ago.

The console itself looks alot prettier than the new xbox model and fits nicely into any available area due to its compact size. The first thing i noticed was there is no oversized powerpack for the pS3, only a power cable, nothing more. Also during gameplay the console makes vertually no noise other than when reading the disc, superb when compared to the infernal roaring of the 360. In addition the console does not get hot when used for hours on end unlike the Xbox that frequently overheats and shuts down.

The online is simple to set up and best of all ITS FREE!!!! with all the xbox arcade games plus PSN only titles to enjoy, the Playstation network matches Xbox Live in every aspect, did i mention its FREE!!! However, the navigation of the menus takes some time to get used to but nothing to complecated.

The only niggle i have with this console is that the more recent games HAVE to be installed before use, however this isnt such an issue as it is done automatically and doesn't take too long plus it means installed games have virtually no load times during gameplay once it has started. Also the older games (the first resistence for example) do not feature trophys, which for an achievement junkie like myself finds frustrating.

Overall a great console in both design and functionality. The social side is not as broad as the Xbox but still there are millions of players online at any one time. With a wide array of PS3 titles such as Killzone 3 and Infamous, the Playsation is really a must for any gamer regardless of whether you have an Xbox or not.

5/5