Game console Sony Playstation 3: description, characteristics, reviews

After the release of the popular game consoles Sony PlayStation (1994) and Sony PlayStation 2 (2000), the creation of a new model was a matter of time. The first rumors about the next generation console appeared in 2004, but Sony did not provide specific information until the spring of 2005. The PS3 was first officially presented on May 16, 2005 during the Sony conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)[3]. Only the model was on display; The company presented a preliminary working version of the console at Tokyo Game Show (TGS) 2005. In May 2006, at the Sony conference held as part of E3 2006, information was announced about the price of the console, the start of sales, and a new Sixaxis game controller was presented. The PS3 was first available for testing at TGS 2006, where visitors were able to check out several games on the new console.

Sony vs Microsoft

In the world of trade, a manufacturer releasing its products before competitors has its advantages, but also a number of disadvantages. With the Xbox 360, it came out on top this year, overtaking Sony in the next-generation game console market. Over these 12 months, Microsoft managed to sell several million copies of the console, upgrade its internal software, fix identified hardware failures, and also provide a full selection of accessories for it. But this year also gave Sony time to develop a more ambitious and expensive console: the PlayStation 3. Like the Xbox 360, the PS3 is available in two versions. Both have a new processor, HDMI output, and, most interestingly, a Blu-Ray drive. A more expensive game console, in addition to a 60 GB hard drive with an increased capacity (the basic version boasts only 20 GB), supports Wi-Fi and contains slots for Memory Stick, SD, MMC and Compact Flash cards. The difference also lies in appearance. On the more expensive 60 GB PlayStation 3, you can notice the chrome trim, which is missing on the 20 GB model. For all this you will have to pay $100: 20 GB PS3 costs $499, and 60 GB: $599. The big question, of course, is whether the PS3 is $100-$200 better than the Xbox 360. The answer to that is: no, not today. As with any gaming console, you'll have to be patient for at least a year before you'll see game developers really start to squeeze the most out of the PS3, and right now, there isn't a single game that can beat anything on the Xbox 360. However, both PS3 models match their $500 and $600 prices very well in terms of design and features.

What does PlayStation 3 come standard with?

When buying a console, it will be interesting and useful to know what is included with the Playstation 3 in the box and what else you will need to purchase.

Here's what the standard console configuration looks like:

1. The Playstation 3 console itself
2. One Dualshock 3 gamepad (Sixaxis was included with the Fat one - it has no vibration)
3. Gamepad charging cable
4. Cable for connecting to a 220 V network
5. Analog cable for connecting to a TV. (It’s better to immediately purchase a good HDMI cable - analogue images are of much lower quality)
6. Operating instructions with demo disc

Design

The PS3's design is clean and stylish. The case is slightly convex (unlike the Xbox 360 case, which is “concave”), the dimensions of the console are 32.5 x 9.8 x 27.4 cm, and the weight is 7 kg. Like the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii, the console can be mounted vertically or horizontally. Early PS3 prototypes came in black and silver, but the console was eventually only available in black—the 20GB version was all black, while the 60GB version had a chrome trim. True, in Japan the console is sold in three versions: white, silver and black. In addition, the ability to change the appearance of the console is not provided, as is implemented, for example, with the Xbox 360. But if we take into account Sony’s decision to release the PlayStation Portable in different colors, then I think that the company will not stick to only black for a long time PS3. The console is relatively quiet. The optical drive is significantly less noisy than the Xbox 360, and the hard drive can hardly be heard at all. Again, unlike the Xbox 360, the PS3's power supply is built inside the console's case. So all you have to do is plug the cord into an electrical outlet. This approach has its pros and cons. On the one hand, the PS3 looks aesthetically impeccable, but on the other hand, the built-in power supply requires integrated temperature control (a liquid cooling system is used inside with copper pipes and fans in the rear of the console), and also increases the total weight of the console. One major difference between the Xbox 360 and PS3 is the way media is loaded. The PS3 has a media loading hole (like car radios) on the front panel.

On the front you'll find four USB ports for connecting (and charging) controllers and other accessories such as USB keyboards and PSPs. On the back of the set-top box you will find ports for Ethernet, HDMI output, optical digital audio output (SPDIF) and A/V output for analog audio and video.

The internal hard drive is replaceable (there is a slot that allows you to load a new hard drive). The PS3, like the XBOX 360, uses a 2.5-inch SATA drive, like laptops. Alas, these hard drives are twice, or even almost three times, more expensive than the larger 3.5-inch ones that are used in desktop computers.

PS3 from the inside The PlayStation 3 is built on the multi-core Cell processor, developed jointly by IBM, Sony and Toshiba. The processor operates at 3.2 GHz and has a power of 2.18 Teraflops (trillion floating point operations per second). Cell is approximately 10 times faster than the most powerful current-generation PC processors and 35 times more powerful than the 128-bit Emotion Engine at the heart of the PlayStation 2.

The core unit (PPE) is based on the PowerPC processor from IBM and has eight synergy cores (SPE). Each of the eight SPE cores is a separate RISC processor. Only seven cores are working, the eighth is additional and is designed to improve performance by distributing power between the remaining cores. The RSX GPU was developed jointly by NVIDIA and SCEI. Its core operates at 550 MHz. RSX supports the most advanced graphics technologies and high-resolution progressive scan displays, generating images (if necessary, two images at once, displayed on two screens) of the highest quality in 1080p format (with a picture resolution of up to 1080 lines). 480i, 480p, 720p and 1080i modes are also supported. The main memory of 256 MB runs at a processor frequency of 3.2 GHz. The VRAM capacity of GDDR3 video memory operating at 700 MHz is also 256 MB. The bandwidth of the main and VRAM memory is 25.6 Gbit/s and 22.4 Gbit/s, respectively. The highest speed and throughput of XDR system and video memory and FlexIO network interfaces from Rambus Inc. takes the performance of the new entertainment system to previously unattainable heights. The total floating point power of the PlayStation 3 will exceed 2 teraflops and will give the platform a performance reserve for a decade to come. The power of the PlayStation 3 will allow you to create games with a fantastic level of realism. We're not just talking about even more detailed visuals, models and game objects - PS3 will be able to shape landscapes and entire virtual worlds in real time. This will allow you to create game projects with a level of graphics that in the past was considered completely unattainable. Players will find virtual universes and views, the realism and detail of which are worthy of the best Hollywood films. All game projects for the PlayStation 3 will support multi-channel 5.1 audio (DTS, LMPS and other modern formats) by default. Sound processing is carried out by software - the Cell central processor. This solution is another guarantee of the technological longevity of the PlayStation 3 - when new digital multichannel audio formats appear, no replacement of the sound subsystem with a more modern one will be necessary. The digital audio output will allow you to connect professional speaker systems to the PlayStation 3 and achieve Hi-End quality sound. In addition to ultra-realistic graphics and high-quality multi-channel audio, PlayStation 3 will be able to simulate real physical laws and models in real time. The platform will use the advanced NovodeX core from AGEIA as a software environment for processing gaming physical laws and models. The NovodeX set of physical technologies will be included in the SDK for game developers. Thus, all game projects for PS3 - from logic and role-playing games to racing simulators - will have a set of complex physical laws that will make the gameplay absolutely realistic or allow you to create fantasy worlds with their own physical laws. The creation and distribution of game projects with high-resolution graphics and sound will require next-generation media. PlayStation 3 games will be distributed on new Blu-ray optical media, which can hold up to 54 GB of information, which is 11.5 times more than a standard DVD. Of course, it will take game developers years to eventually squeeze the system to its limits. In the long term, the PS3 is a much more powerful console than the XBOX 360 or Nintendo Wii. Despite the superiority of the Sony console, it heats up and makes much less noise than, for example, the XBOX 360.

PlayStation 3 Slim review

Sony's new gaming console, PlayStation 3 Slim, is already on sale. In the first week of sales in the US and Europe alone, the number of copies sold exceeded 500,000 units (despite the fact that the cost of the console was reduced from an estimated $600 to $299 - 29,980 yen in Japan and 299 euros in Europe). It should be noted that in addition to promoting its new product, Sony has also made moves to eliminate the remnants of the “fat” Playstation 3 in dealers’ warehouses: the recommended price of the existing version of the PlayStation 3 with 80GB HDD has been reduced to $299 from August 18 in the USA and to 299 euros from August 19 in Europe. In addition, as of August 18 in North America, the recommended price for a PS3 equipped with a 160 GB HDD is $399.

Sony PlayStation 3 Slim
What has changed in the PlayStation 3 Slim besides the thickness of the case? Unfortunately, it was not possible to get a copy of the new console for analysis. The Sony dealer sternly said that “if any serious scratches appear on the case or damage to the warranty sticker, it will mean that we bought the PS3 Slim, and for a cashless payment to the organization and on extremely unfavorable conditions.” More successful in this regard were colleagues from 3Dnews, who managed to dissect the PS3 Slim. And post a photo report

Comparison of the Sony PlayStation 3 and Sony PS3 Slim motherboard. Photo: 3DNews.ru

As you can see in the photo, in order to pack the PS3 Slim filling into a new thin and light case, Sony engineers had to seriously rework the console's circuitry. The result of this undoubtedly long and painstaking work was a reduction in the weight and thickness of the PS3 Slim by about 2/3 compared to its “thick” predecessor.

PlayStation 3 Slim (CECH-2000) has become almost half slimmer compared to PLAYSTATION 3 (CECHHL00).
In addition, Sony designers equipped the PS3 Slim with a more compact and less energy-intensive power supply (now Sony’s flagship console consumes about 250 Watt), as well as The console cooling system has been significantly redesigned. Changes in the latter affected mainly the design of the air exhaust casing, the design of the radiator and the blower fan - the diameter of the latter increased to 95 mm, and the number of impellers increased to 17 pieces. The fan speed was also reduced, which, coupled with the reduced power consumption of the Sony PS3 Slim components, led to a significant reduction in low- and mid-frequency noise in the console's operation. The only thing we can blame the designers for is the use of a 120GB hard drive made by Toshiba, which produces a fairly clearly audible high-frequency whistle during operation. Which, however, is practically indistinguishable by ear when the volume of the stereo system (or TV) speakers is set at -40 dB and above.

Sony has equipped the PlayStation 3 Slim with a fairly loud Toshiba HDD . Photo: 3DNews.ru

The changes also affected the functional component of the console. Like the PS3, the Sony PS3 Slim motherboard has two chips - an 8-core Cell (jointly developed by Sony, Toshiba and IBM) and RSX from nVidia. Initially, Cell is able to process graphics, and it does it more than well - one of the 8 cores is dedicated specifically to graphic operations, one to the operation of the operating system, another core is responsible for sound, the remaining five are for other operations. Game developers have direct access to these five cores of the Cell processor. In PS3Slim, the Cell graphics core was blocked, and all the burden of graphics processing fell on nVidia RSX (Reality Synthesizer or “Reality Synthesizer”). The main reason for the appearance of this GPU in the PS3 and PS3 Slim is the RSX's ability to support resolutions up to 1920 x 1080p (Full HD), while the Cell's GPU is capable of delivering images in "standard" NTSC/PAL (480i/575i) interlaced modes. Accordingly, due to the presence of two processors on the board (remember that the Cell is based on the PPE architecture - PowerPC Power Processing Element), the total amount of PS3 Slim memory (512 MB) is divided in half - 256 MB of XDR memory is allocated for the needs of the Cell, and 256 MB of DDR3 memory is allocated for nVidia RSX needs.

nVidia RSX and Sony/IBM Cell on Sony PS3 Slim board . Photo: 3DNews.ru

By the way, the hardware blocking of the graphics core in the Cell processor on the Sony PS3 Slim indirectly confirms that the company is aiming to release completely new content for the game console, and therefore the long-awaited dream of backward compatibility of the PS3 Slim with games for the Sony PlayStation2 is not destined to come true.

This is where the main changes in the Sony PS3 Slim hardware actually end. All other changes relate exclusively to the exterior and marketing positioning of the console. Thus, the Sony PS3 logo has been modified (changed writing style, size) and changed placement on the case. “Tons of piano varnish” were removed from the case itself, replacing the shiny and fingerprint-collecting lacquer surface of the PS3 with a matte textured one, equipped only with elements of glossy plastic.

Sony PlayStation3 Slim now has a new finish and logo.

The fiddly touchpad on the front of the Sony PS3 Slim has been eliminated; Power and Eject are now made into two large, round buttons well spaced from each other. In other words, the designers did their best, and the new, “stylish and compact PS3 Slim is sure to appeal to a wide audience of people looking to buy the best gaming console for themselves,” as Sony said in a press release on the occasion of the console's launch.

By the way, if previously the name of the PS3 brand should have been written exactly as PLAYSTATION 3, now Sony has officially changed the spelling to PlayStation 3. As stated in the Sony press release, “Together with PlayStation®2 and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable), united PlayStation family, the new PS3 model will help expand PlayStation's business and provide users with even more options through the PlayStation®Network ." In other words, for some reason Sony marketers needed to increase the recognition of already recognizable brands.

Sony is also placing special emphasis on promoting downloadable content and services of its own PlayStation Network. According to the press release, it is precisely for the convenience of working with this network, the number of accounts in which worldwide exceeds 27,000,000 units (by the way, the amount of content is just over 15,000 units. In the apt expression of one of the testers from Ferralabs - “good welcome to the faceless herd, my friend"), the volume of the PlayStation 3 Slim hard drive was increased in the base to 120GB, and the ability to replace the 160GB drive by the user without losing the warranty was added to the package. The main downloadable content offered through the PlayStation Store service is games, trailers, demos, films and TV shows, the social network is intended to replace the PlayStation Home service - “a revolutionary 3D gaming community in which PS3 users can communicate and share their impressions of games”, and the Life with PlayStation service must handle the functions of the news service.

In addition, new projects from SCE Worldwide Studios, including Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, EyePet, Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, Heavy Rain, God of War 3, MAG, ModNation Racer, Gran Turismo 5 and others will be released with initial code optimization specifically for PS3 Slim. So far, the console with games optimized for it is doing a little poorly - loading the system and content from DVD on the PlayStation3 Slim is slower than on the original PlayStation 3.

Downloading the operating system PS3 Slim and PS3 80Gb Launching a Bly-Ray movie on PS3 Slim and PS3 80Gb

True, when testing games, it turned out that, for example, “Batman: Arkham Asylum” loads faster on the new “thin” version of the console.

Other features of the Sony PS3 Slim include:

• Updated PS3 firmware version 3.00. With the new firmware, PS3 Slim users will receive new convenient features, including the What's New news screen, where they can quickly find out about everything new in the PlayStation Store. In addition, the XMB™ menu (XrossMediaBar) will provide a list of the user's recent games, as well as the ability to quickly access them. PS3 will continue to improve with system updates to continually improve its functionality and offer users new experiences through the PlayStation Network. All new features will be available to PS3 users after updating the PS3 to version 3.00 in the System Update option of the XMB*3 menu.
• BRAVIA® Sync™ - When connected to a Sony BRAVIA TV via an HDMI cable, PlayStation3 Slim users can control the PS3 console's XMB menu using a regular TV remote. Other console features include System Standby, which automatically turns off the PS3 when your BRAVIA TV is turned off.
• “Vertical stand” for the new PS3 Slim CECH-2000 series - will allow you to mount the new PS3 Slim in a vertical position and thus more conveniently place it anywhere. The stand will be available in Japan on September 3rd for a suggested price of ¥2,000 (tax included), and in North America for a suggested price of $24.
• In the PS3 Slim package, the long-outdated SixAxis joystick has finally been replaced with the DualShock3 joystick, which is beginning to become obsolete
• Support for the 802.11n high-speed wireless network protocol was never added to the PlayStation3 Slim, although given the enormous size of modern games, this is a clear marketing miscalculation.
• The "Message Board" item has been replaced with "What's New" , which is suspiciously reminiscent of the Top-Sites screen in Safari - a one-click screen that displays your favorite and/or latest game, main websites, communities, etc.
• “Status indicator” is a window in the upper right corner, which now, in addition to the time, date, controller number and battery status, will display information about the user’s PSN account: current avatar, number of friends online, new messages from PlayStation Network members.
• “PlayStation Store” - a preview is now available for the PS Store icon in XMB: you don’t have to go into it, just hover over it and you will see a list of new products next to the icon. They also plan to make similar functionality available for some other XMB applications and services.
• “Personalization” - several new features are available for personalization: you can now choose an avatar for yourself, and the wallpaper in XMB can be set to an animated image.
• “Trophies” - game developers were given the opportunity to divide the trophies available in the game into main and additional (trophies obtained by completing add-ons and Add-Ons). The lists of basic and additional trophies will be separated for users, so now additional trophies will not interfere with seeing what percentage of the main game has been completed; this statistics will be available only in the main trophies scale.

In this barrel of honey created by the efforts of the Sony marketing department, a fly in the ointment should be noted in the form of the absence of the “Install another OS” . According to a press release from Sony, all efforts of subsidiaries SCE Worldwide Studios and SCE Worldwide are aimed at improving the PS3 platform, sharpening the latter exclusively for games and entertainment content, and, therefore, giving the user the opportunity to install another operating system on the PlayStation 3 Slim, at a minimum. inappropriate.

The full technical specifications of the Sony PlayStation 3 Slim are as follows:

The set includes: One PS3 system, One wireless DUALSHOCK3 joystick (replacement for the standard SIXAXIS), one power cord, one universal AV cable, one USB cable (USB-miniUSB, for connecting/charging the joystick).

SixAxis controller

The only joystick that comes with the PS3 is very similar to the traditional PlayStation 2 Dual Shock gamepad, but has some notable differences. It is wireless. You can connect as many as seven controllers via Bluetooth, which picks up a signal at a distance of up to 20 meters. Recharging the controller's built-in battery requires simply connecting the joystick to the console using the included USB cable. You can continue gaming while charging (Sony promises 30 hours of gaming on a single charge), but you'll have to sit closer to the TV because The cable length is only one and a half meters. The controller has a mini-USB connector, which is used in many digital cameras and PC peripherals, so replacing the cable with a longer one should not be any problem. Unfortunately, the battery is not replaceable (like the XBOX 360 or Nintendo Wii, for example), which means if it dies, which it will eventually, you'll have to fork out for a new joystick ($50) if you want to play without wires The main feature of Sixaxis is the ability of the controller to determine its position in space, as well as capture movement (as the name implies, in six

directions: up, down, left, right, forward and backward) and rotation in three planes, which will allow you to use new techniques in games that do not require pressing buttons. Sixaxis does not support vibration function, which also makes the device lighter. According to the company, vibration was removed from the controller solely to reduce the price of the device, although it was previously believed that the vibration features interfered with motion sensors. Sixaxis replaced the "Analog" switch and its indicator on the front of the controller with a button with the PlayStation logo, similar to the "Guide" function on the Xbox 360 controller. The height of some buttons was increased for greater comfort. The “L2” and “R2” levers in the rear have become almost analogue, and now their degree of depression can be adjusted like the pedals in a car. The analog sticks have increased maximum deflection and increased sensitivity, giving you more precise control and a wider range of motion.

Specification

It is clear that the PS3 is not particularly powerful by today's standards. But for the year it was released, it was a good console, which worked with a central processor of 218 GFLOPS and a graphics processor of 1.8 TFLOPS. The crystal operated on eight threads and had a clock frequency of 3.2 GHz. The GPU was called the "Reality Synthesizer". The well-known company nVidia worked on it together with Sony.

The video card operated at a frequency of 550 MHz, the memory received 256 MB. The RAM inside was 256 MB, which was enough at that time. Blu-ray was responsible for the optical media. The laptop-type HDD was removable, that is, in case of breakdown or lack of memory, it could be replaced. There were, as usual, all wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi and the second version of Bluetooth.

To connect external devices, USB 2.0 slots were placed on the console. In the first versions of the console, you could find four of them; later, due to savings, their number was halved.

Interface and operating system

The set-top box has a full-fledged operating system installed, to which patches and updates can be downloaded via an online service. If you have a Sony PSP, you will immediately notice the similarities between the PS3 and PSP interfaces. The PS3's graphical interface, called the Cross Media Bar (XMB), is the control center for the console's features.

In the main menu, you navigate horizontally through categories such as users, system settings, etc. Navigation within the main categories occurs vertically. Cross Media Bar uses two types of accounts - administrator and user, with which you can limit, for example, the amount of money you spend in the online store. In general, the interface turned out to be very friendly and thoughtful, from an aesthetic point of view, more attractive than that of the XBOX 360 and Nintendo Wii.

Modifications and their differences

Since the release of the main console, the developers managed to please their fans with three more modifications:

Types of Playstation 3

The power indicators and “insides” of portable devices are not much different. The main difference is the dimensions. The FAT version is equipped with four USB ports and a built-in card reader (only for Super Audio CD). The owner will install Linux into the console (if the firmware version is 3.15 and higher).

The Slim version does not have the previous functions and is equipped with only two USB ports. However, the Slim model is made in a more modern way, due to which engineers were able to reduce the amount of energy consumed and heat generated during long-term operation. Extreme indicators made it possible to achieve a significant reduction in the noise activity of the device.

The Super Slim modification stands out due to its small size. The technical characteristics of the PS3 Super Slim are no different from the standard Slim. There is no way to unlock this version (unlike regular Slim). In all respects, Super Slim is easier to operate and transport than the inconvenient FAT modification.

Home multimedia center

PlayStation 3 is designed not only as a gaming platform, but also as a home entertainment center. The console is a good purchase even for people who don’t play games at all. The console is the most inexpensive Blu-ray player you can buy (compared to prices of $1000 - $1300 for models from manufacturers such as Samsung, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips and ... Sony). In addition to the 60GB model's card reader, the PS3 can read and write digital photos to its hard drive from USB-compatible devices such as digital cameras, PSPs, flash drives, and CD-R(W) (one caveat). : Images must be placed in a special folder, such as DCIM or Picture). The console supports the most common image types (JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PNG) and has a photo viewer with a good set of capabilities. As for music, the PS3 supports most types of music files, including MP3, ATRAC, AAC, WAV, but unfortunately WMA files are not readable. The set-top box plays video from Blu-ray discs just as well as from DVDs. It also supports MPEG1, MPEG2 and MPEG4. The methods for recording movies on a hard drive are the same as for other multimedia information. At the beginning of December, a remote control will go on sale, which will be used to remotely control some functions of the console, including playing movies on Blu-ray discs with standard capabilities: rewinding, switching between movie chapters, menu navigation, etc. The planned cost of the device is $30.

In addition, it is possible to record video from PS3 to PSP. True, Sony did not provide the ability to convert films to a portable size for recording on the PSP, but in the future this function will most likely be implemented.

Appearance

The design of the Sony PlayStation 3 gaming console is strict but stylish. The original version weighed 5 kilograms, and the dimensions were impressive: 325 x 98 x 274 mm. Interestingly, it has become larger than the second version and is almost similar in size to its main competitor, the Xbox. Shape: slightly convex, rectangular. The corners are straight and sharp. The attachment was easily installed both horizontally and vertically. All elements were placed in the case, including the power supply and cooling system.

The thin modification received a weight of 3.20 kilograms and reduced dimensions to 290 x 65 x 290 mm, which, naturally, made this version more compact than its main competitor. In general, the appearance remained the same. On top there was glossy black plastic. According to company representatives, such a strict and, on the other hand, necessary choice gives the console an elite look. That is, looking at the appearance, it is immediately clear why the Sony PlayStation 3 game console received such a price.

The price of $800 still did not convince everyone of the elite nature of the console. The plastic itself turned out to be very easily soiled. It seemed to attract everything that was possible: dust, fingerprints, dirt, etc. But it was the Slim version that saved the user from this drawback, since the gloss was replaced with matte plastic. The elements on the console have practically not changed their location. Blu-ray is on the right, and instead of a sliding disc tray there is just a hole. Depending on the configurations, minor changes in design were also observed. For example, in the cheaper version the chrome inserts disappeared.

Online service

PS3 has a built-in web browser with Flash support. This is very convenient for those who decide to surf the Internet while sitting on the couch in their living room. The display of web pages will depend on the quality and size of your TV. It is very convenient that the console supports USB keyboards and mice, as well as Bluetooth, this can free you from long and tedious typing of URLs through the virtual keyboard. Sony announced the launch of an Internet service, PlayStation Network Platform, much like Live! for Xbox 360. The service will allow you to download various content (videos, music, game demos, updates) to your hard drive, play and communicate with other PlayStation 3 users, find out information about projects of interest, etc. Another feature of the PlayStation Network Platform is access to a server of arcade games, which will include both modern projects and classic games. However, unlike the Xbox 360 service, all online capabilities of the console will be provided free of charge (excluding fees for connecting to the World Wide Web). Sony has also launched a dedicated online PlayStation Store. Here you can purchase additional content for games, pay for a subscription to MMORPG, and also buy music and films. Money is credited to a “wallet”, through which payment is made, so there is no need to enter credit card information for each purchase.

Modifications and their differences

Since the release of the main console, the developers managed to please their fans with three more modifications:

Types of Playstation 3

The power indicators and “insides” of portable devices are not much different. The main difference is the dimensions. The FAT version is equipped with four USB ports and a built-in card reader (only for Super Audio CD). The owner will install Linux into the console (if the firmware version is 3.15 and higher).

The Slim version does not have the previous functions and is equipped with only two USB ports. However, the Slim model is made in a more modern way, due to which engineers were able to reduce the amount of energy consumed and heat generated during long-term operation. Extreme indicators made it possible to achieve a significant reduction in the noise activity of the device.

The Super Slim modification stands out due to its small size. The technical characteristics of the PS3 Super Slim are no different from the standard Slim. There is no way to unlock this version (unlike regular Slim). In all respects, Super Slim is easier to operate and transport than the inconvenient FAT modification.

Variety of gaming options

Enjoy high-quality images in video games with the PlayStation 3 console. The console is capable of producing images in resolutions up to 1080p, and the frame rate in some games is kept at 60 frames per second. Compared to the previous generation of consoles, the developers were able to increase detail: character models are now carefully drawn, and the graphics are one step closer to the desired realism. Console gaming has always been renowned for its cinematic presentation, and the PlayStation 3 console takes this one step further. Exclusives like Heavy Rain, Uncharted, Infamous and Metal Gear Solid 4 will show you what the console is really capable of.

Sony's iconic gamepad, the DualShock, has also undergone changes for the better. The case still houses vibration motors, and the built-in gyroscope tracks the position of the gamepad in space (a function used in some games). Connect it to the set-top box wirelessly (via Bluetooth) or via a microUSB cable - choose what is convenient for you. The appearance of the device has also been improved: controlling action games and racing games has become much easier, thanks to the convenient location of the triggers and bumpers.

The PlayStation 3 also provides rich online gaming capabilities. A special network developed by Sony itself will allow players to participate in competitive and cooperative matches. You can also buy games digitally and search for players based on your interests.

In addition to the console, the package contains:

high quality HDMI cable;

80 GB hard drive;

DualShock 3 wireless controller.

Console Ports and Connectors

The following connectors can be found on the rear panel of the set-top box:

• Gigabit Ethernet port, which is designed to connect the Playstation 3 to the Internet. It is also possible to connect the console to the Internet via Wi-fi
• HDMI connector - designed for high definition video output (supported via HDMI 720, 720i, 1080, 1080i)
• S/PDIF - designed for high quality audio output. By the way, for music lovers the Playstation 3 can be an excellent audio combine. The set-top box supports surround audio, not to mention standard.
• Next is a standard connector, known since the days of the first Playstation, through which you can output both sound and video in the lowest quality (576p)
• Power connector. PS3 has a built-in power supply.

There is a separate article on ways to connect the PS3 to various video and audio output devices (How to connect Playsation 3 to a monitor, TV or projector)

• 2 USB 2.0 connectors (the first version of Playstation 3 - FAT has 4 ports)
• Connector for Blu-ray disc input (for the Super slim version, the disc is inserted from the top)
• Only FAT still has card readers and a slot for an expansion card

Via USB ports you can connect external storage media (flash drives, external hard drives). The console recognizes music, photos, and videos from them. Thus, PS3 can be used as a multi-media system. But the most important thing is that you can reset your saves so that no one accidentally deletes them.