Playstation 3 - Slim 120 GB
Decision to buy a PS3 or Xbox has been daunting a lot of people around the world. I guess a lot of reading and research led me to buying the PS3 finally. And I strongly believe that I made the right choice. I would also agree that a lot of people will disagree with me and say otherwise. I don’t blame those people since it’s just a matter of choice in the end. So let me list down the features and rationalize my decision hoping it would help some aspirants out there.
Features:
- The PlayStation 3 uses the Sony, Toshiba, IBM-designed Cell microprocessor as its CPU, which is made up of one 3.2 GHz PowerPC-based "Power Processing Element" (PPE) and eight Synergistic Processing Elements (SPEs). The eighth SPE is disabled to improve chip yields. Only six of the seven SPEs are accessible to developers as the seventh SPE is reserved by the console's operating system.
- Graphics processing is handled by the NVIDIA RSX 'Reality Synthesizer', which can output resolutions from 480i/576i SD up to 1080p HD.
- The PlayStation 3 has 256 MB of XDR DRAM main memory and 256 MB of GDDR3 video memory for the RSX.
- The system has Bluetooth 2.0, gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0 and HDMI 1.3a built in on all currently shipping models. Wi-Fi networking is also built-in with slim model
- The system supports up to 7 controllers that are connected via Bluetooth 2.0 technology.
- Media: Bluray, DVD, CD, Flash Drive USB (Pen Drives), Portable HDD (FAT32 Format)
- Audio Output: HDMI (5.1 Dolby Digital), Fiber Optic (7.1 Dolby HD), AV (Standard Stereo)
- Video: HDMI upto 1080p Full HD, AV (Standard HD)
Now for my findings:
- In terms of sheer graphics processing power, the multi core processing power of the PS3 take the cake over Xbox any given day. I have played Halo-3, Gears of War etc on the Xbox and I found them very exciting however once I was playing games such as Uncharted 2, God of War etc on the PS3, I realized what I was missing out on.
- Bluray Media: now as we all are aware that HD content required a lot of space. Bluray disc can hold 25 GB on single density and 50 GB on double density. However the upper cap of Bluray is still not defined. Sony seems to have come up with Bluray discs upto 200 GB which are not yet commercially available. Now once might debate what do we need so much space? To start with, 2010 will see games such as Final Fantasy XIII which will be need about 28-30 GB of space. So on an Xbox, it would be offered on multiple DVDs while on PS3, it will be neatly available on once single Bluray disc. And since the data is all on once disc, it will not require too much space on the internal hard disc unlike on an XBOX which will need complete installation. Quad HD formats will hit the market soon – pushing resolutions of upto 2160p. And once needs to watch Avatar on Bluray to see its potential.
- The PS3 controller is a 6-Axis motion sensing game pad. The ones on the Xbox do not have motion sensing. Games such Little Big Planet on PS3 showcase motion sensing.
- I am using a Sony Bravia 32” Full HD model so the PS3 just works it seamlessly. The TV remote can control basic functions of the PS3 when I am watching movies etc. Also the Bravia Sync Feature is a boon. Switching off the PS3 will power down the TV and vice versa.
Some points I noticed between PS3 & Xbox:
- Internal Hard Disc: for a change sony did something really commercially viable. The HDD inside the PS3 is a standard 2.5” SATA and you can easily swap it with a higher 500GB without voiding the warranty. The PS3 is offered in 120 & 250 GB models. I am using a 120 GB Slim. Xbox comes with a proprietary HDD casing which is way more expensive.
- Controller: one of the smartest things I noticed was that the 6-Axis controller comes with an inbuilt rechargeable battery pack. Unlike the Xbox which needs standard AA size batteries to power it up. And since the force feedback motors tend to consume a lot of power – the Xbox controllers get drained soon. While the PS3 controller recharge using standard USB port and last a longer time.
- The power adaptor of the PS3 is in-built while the one on the Xbox is a huge power brick which sits outside emitting heat
For me the choice was made. After reading tons of reviews and doing a lot of ground work, I put my money on the PS3 Slim and so far I have been very happy with my decision. Most of the games now a days are Multi Platform. Same game available on both machines. I would say graphics wise I did not notice any difference between the Ps3 and Xbox. However I did feel somewhere that Uncharted 2 had some fab graphics somewhat better than Xbox. As a complete media center - PS3 completes my setup @ home. I have a Logitech z2300 hooked up with my PS3 and it churns out some amazing sound effects. But then its ur preference ultimately. I cannot tell you to go for a PS3 just coz I like it. I would suggest you try playing on both for sometime and then make ur choice. I am an avid movie watcher - and I have my Ps3 on Wifi so I can stream videos, photos & music off my laptop directly and seamlessly.
Games like Uncharted 2, God of War 3, Little Big Planet etc look great on the PS3. I think the PS3 is more future proof when compared to the Xbox.
PS3 is available in 2 Models in India:
PS3 Slim 120 GB: 19990/- (possible discount upto 1000rs)
PS3 Slim 250 GB: 22990/- (You can get a Game free such as God Of War 3)
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