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Since release in 2006, there have been several variants of the UK Sony Playstation 3 console. Most can be distinguished by the size of the hard disk drive inside the console, but there are other differences such as with the number of USB ports, the CPU efficiency and even Playstation 2 compatibility.
Originally, the 60Gb Premium model was released which had limited PS2 compatibility but today only the 80Gb and 160Gb are still in manufacture, with some outlets still selling the older 40Gb models.
All models feature a wireless controller, built-in wifi, a built-in hard disk drive, HDMI connectivity, and a DVD / Blu-Ray Disk Player.
A special mention for the PS3 Blu-Ray is deserved as the Playstation 3 is actually one of the best High Definition Blu-Ray video players in the world and when you consider it only costs up to £100 more than a device which only plays Blu-Ray disks, you'd be mad not to add a PS3 to your home!
Released in October 2007 the 40Gb version of the PS3 saw the prices drop to a more competitive level although PS2 support was dropped and the unit was shipping with only 2 USB ports and no flash card reader. It also featured a 65nm version of the Cell processor which meant lower power consumption (~135w), less heat and less noise.
This model has now been discontinued.
The original UK 60Gb version was the only model to offer backward compatibility with some Playstation 2 titles. This also came with 4 USB ports and a flash card reader. One drawback of this model was it's high power consumption (~200w) compared to later models.
This model has now been discontinued.
The current PS3 80Gb model offers all the same features as the 40Gb model, but comes with the upgrade Dual Shock 3 Controller, a larger 80Gb hard disk installed and is based on a more efficient internal processor. PS3 80Gb consoles were also released with a much lower RRP of just £299 which means they are often cheaper to purchase than the the older, less advanced 40Gb model.
In October 2008, Sony released the 160Gb version of their PS3 console. Commonly packaged with their Play TV Freeview extension upgrade, this was pitched towards the Home Entertainment enthusiasts rather than purely the gamers. Unfortunately the price often found on these packages is usually much higher than the individual components alone.
In our opinion you would be much wiser to purchase the 80Gb version, the Play TV add on package, and upgrade the hard disk yourself to 160Gb or greater.
We've seen customers fit drives up to 500Gb
From 1st September 2009, the Sony PS3 Slim will be available to purchase.
| PS3 Model | PS2 Compatible? | Built-in WiFi? | Flash Card Reader Built In? | Max Power (Watts) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60Gb | Yes | Yes | Yes | 170-200W |
| 40Gb | No | Yes | No | 120-140W |
| 80Gb | No | Yes | No | 90-120W |
| 160Gb | No | Yes | No | 90-120W |
| Slim 120Gb | No | Yes | No | 90-120W |
Updating the Firmware of your PS3 can add new features and improve the performance of those you already have.
If you're lucky enough to receive one of these amazing consoles for christmas, then we would certainly recommend updating the firmware as soon as possible as this will include any recent security updates, features and options released after your new console was boxed and sent to your supplier.
The Playstation stores information on a hard drive so you may think that the larger drive versions are better but for under £100 you can now fit a 500Gb to any of the PS3 models.
Any 2.5 inch SATA hard drive, normally found in laptop computers, can be used.
Fitting couldn't be simpler.
Simply unplug your unit, pop the left hand side panel off your PS3, unscrew and remove the old hard disk and remove it from the caddy, replace with the new one and refit the caddy to the PS3.
On restarting, the Playstation will format it for you, and that's it! Ready for use...
It is for this reason that the PS3 80Gb is our console of choice. 80Gb should be fine for the vast majority of gamers, and if you want to use the PS3 for home media purposes, even 160Gb is unlikely to cope with the demands of many enthusiastic users. Our top tip would be to get the PS3 80 GB Console
Even bigger drives will work, but unfortunately no manufacturers are currently producing anything larger than 500Gb. However, 500Gb would be a challenge to most to use up.
This was the original controller supplied with the PS3 40Gb and 60Gb Premium packages. This came with a new tilt sensor, but as a result the force feedback seen on the PS2's Dual Shock 2 controllers had to be removed.
The layout is the same as that on the PS2 so those upgrading will be immediately familiar and comfortable with it. A new 'PS' button was added between the Select and Start buttons and the L2 and R2 buttons have been changed to squeezable trigger buttons.
An upgrade to the SixAxis controller was made available late in 2007 with the Dual Shock 3 controller. This added the force feedback feature that was so popular with the PS2 and made playing compatible games all that more realistic and with it's wireless functionality takes the PS3 to a new level.
To get the most from your HD Ready TV set you will need to purchase an HDMI cable to connect your console to the screen. An HDMI cable can carry signals at resolutions up to Full HD 1080p (1920x1080) and can also supply the audio to the TV speakers. A free cable is available on some certain package deals.
If you don't have an HD Ready set but you're still looking for the highest level level of quality your tv can produce, this could be for you. Component leads are capable of supplying high definition signals, but what most users of this technology will be looking for is 576p, and it has to be said that Blu-Ray on this resolution looks far beyond DVD.
The Playstation Eye is a digital camera with built in microphone originally released for the PS2 but is compatible with the Playstation 3. Many games can make use of it, such as LittleBigPlanet where it can be used to create items for user built levels.
If you intend to use your PlayStation 3 system as part of a home entertainment system you'll almost certainly want the official remote control. This remote control uses Bluetooth wireless communication to operate playback of Blu-ray Discs (BD) and other types of disc media on the PlayStation 3 system. It's not an essential purchase as you can still gain full control via the normal joypad, but we would certainly recommend this remote for advanced installations.
This is a simulator-grade force feedback wheel which although designed primarily for the PC, can be used to great effect on a PS3. Rock-solid 900 degree steering. Six-speed shifter. With the Logitech G25 Racing Wheel, you're not playing games anymore - you're racing! The 28cm (11") leather-covered wheel has a stainless steel frame for superior rigidity. The dual-motor force feedback mechanism sports two sets of steel ball bearings for smooth, tight steering and superior force effects. Precision stainless steel accelerator, brake and clutch pedals let you elevate your driving to an art form. Components can be bolted down for exceptional sturdiness - Now it's not the wheel's fault if you don't win.
This entry level wheel gets you ready to experience the most realistic gaming experiences. With 900 degrees of wheel rotation, the Logitech Driving Force Pro duplicates the true to life steering dynamics of cars like never before. Inside, the advanced rack and pinion steering system lets you turn through 2.5 steering wheel rotations. Outside, the rubber wheel ... sequential stick shifter ... and responsive accelerator & brake pedals all combine for an incredible level of performance. And for games that don't support 900 degree steering, the wheel automatically switches to standard 200 degree mode. Combine that with state-of-the-art Force Feedback technology, and you have one of the most advanced, most authentic driving experience in gaming.
The official wheel of Gran Turismo, the Logitech Driving Force GT is designed from the ground up to provide an exceptionally realistic Playstation3 racing experience. Its advanced force feedback technology recreates bumps, crashes and traction loss with jaw-dropping realism, while the 900- degree wheel rotation accurately replicates the steering dynamics of many real cars. A comfortable 33 cm (11 inch) rubber-overmould rim provides a slip-free grip;the 24-position real-time adjustment dial (a first on a force-feedback racing wheel) lets you fine-tune brake bias, traction control and other settings on the fly for unprecedented control over your car's performance characteristics and the full size accelerator and brake pedals deliver instant response.
The Play TV add on allow you to turn your amazing PS3 into a fantastic home entertainment system with Freeview recording facilities.
PlayTV is a Freeview tv tuner plugs into the usb ports on the PS3 and allows the viewing and recording of Freeview channels.
Installation takes 5 gigabytes on the PS3.
Recording programmes takes roughly 1 gigabyte per hour.
Yes, PlayTV includes 2 tuners. The include 7 day programme guide allows recordings to be scheduled on a weekly and daily basis while watching other channels or pausing live TV for up to 90 minutes.
Yes, while playing Playstation 3 or PS1 games. However PlayTV cannot be run at the same time as PS2 games.
The Logitech Cordless MediaBoard Pro makes it easy to communicate on your PLAYSTATION Network. Forget entering text with a standard controller: use this Bluetooth keyboard to set up profiles, manage accounts and send text messages. A built-in touchpad means there is no need for a separate mouse and with smart features like the vertical scrollbar and L/R mouse quick-keys, navigating menus is a breeze. Thanks to its lightweight design with a slim, stylish profile, the Cordless MediaBoard Pro is easy to handle, use and store away. Works up to 10 metres (30 ft) from your PLAYSTATION3.
This official accessory features a QWERTY keypad for the PLAYSTATION3. It attaches directly to the top of your PS3 controller and also features short cut buttons to go directly to your Messaging Inbox or Text Chat.
With so much processing power and diverse capabilities in a single device the PS3 makes for one amazing home entertainment device.
The Sony Playstation 3 can play many Audio and Video formats. Both DVD and Blu-Ray discs can be played via an HDMI lead to your HD-Ready TV at amazing quality. Recorded or Downloaded video files in many different formats such as MPEG, MPEG2, MPEG4, Windows AVI, Windows Media and even AVCHD from your Home Camcorder can all be played, either from the PS3 hard drive, your home media server or even over the internet.
The Playstation 3 can play all the popular audio formats such as CD, MP3, Windows Media (.wma) and AAC like your iPod, but hook it into your home cinema system and the sound quality is unrivalled.
Finally, all the usual image formats normally found on the web or your digital camera or even your mobile phone can also be viewed and stored on Playstation 3 (JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF and PNG).
With all this functionality, there's very little your PS3 can't do!
You can do without all those other devices you sometimes see lesser mortals buying and if you're lucky enough to have a High Definition television and surround sound system, you'll be forgiven for thinking you've just bought a high end media center computer system, and not a relatively cheap games console that just happened to do all this other stuff nobody expected!
One thing you'll almost certainly want to do if using your PS3 in this way is to add on the Play TV and Sony Blu-Ray Disc Remote Control and then upgrade the internal hard drive to something more respectable like this WD 500Gb Internal Hard Drive
To really get the most from your Playstation 3 a hi-def television is a must. Games will have sharper graphics, jagged lines are a thing of the past. Blu-Ray discs will let you see every little detail in your favourite movies and the Playstation 3 will even upscale your DVDs to a clarity you wouldn't believe possible.
Although the PS3 is seen as many as just another games console it is far from just a games console and aside from the extra features built in to the PS3 as standard, installing Ubuntu takes thing to a whole new level.
Ubuntu is a Linux based OS that when installed on your PS3 turns it into a fully featured home PC. You can use a bluetooth keyboard and mouse to control it from the comfort of your sofa and you can basically do anything you could on a PC or laptop. This is a fantastic modification that many people don't realise they can do, and best of all it's FREE!
Download Ubuntu for PS3 Now!
We'll be publishing our walk through guide on the installation process soon.
