Online

We advise you to set aside 15 minutes to set up your PlayStation Network account and have a credit card ready if you want to add money to your PlayStation Network wallet. Having a USB keyboard will greatly reduce the amount of time it takes to enter in personal information, passwords, password hints, address information, and credit card information. You'll have the option to create a master account or a sub account during the registration process. A master account lets you access all online features, such as wallet creation. The sub account is subject to parental control restriction settings and will need to use the wallet from a master account to make PlayStation Store purchases.


Once you have a working account you can maintain a friends list that will let you send and receive messages to other people on the PlayStation Network. You can invite friends to chat if you both have microphones or headsets, and you can also use the Sony EyeToy to enable video chat. We tried attaching a Logitech USB PC webcam, but the PS3 didn't recognize it. The voice quality for PS3 chat seemed to be better than the Xbox 360's voice chat sound quality.


The PlayStation Store itself gives you access to game and movie trailers, game demos, and full downloadable arcade-style games. Clicking on a game will bring you to a download screen that displays the game description complete with ESRB rating. You'll have the option to download the game if it's a free demo or add it to your shopping cart if it's only available for purchase. The store listed the full version of Blast Factor for $7.99. Once you buy the item, it's good for "use or downloads on up to 5 activated PS3 systems," according to the terms of use listed in the item description.


You can download files directly to the PS3 hard disk drive, but you'll also have the option to save files to attached USB devices or flash memory cards. We downloaded several game demos directly to the memory stick. We would have liked to see actual file sizes on the item description pages, but the service doesn't reveal the size of the download until you actually start the download process. Download speeds varied greatly while we tested the network the day before the official launch. The 36MB HD game trailer took about 12 minutes to download, while files that were 10 times as large, downloaded in a much shorter amount of time. We abandoned downloads fairly often because you can't do anything else on the console while waiting for a download to complete. Sadly, the system won't save your progress if you stop a download before it finishes--you'll have to restart the download from the very beginning.


Overall, the PlayStation Store seemed to function well, but it could stand to be more user-friendly. We kept on trying to use the "X" button to back out of store menu pages even though the only way to back out of pages was to guide the cursor to the bottom of the page and select the "Prev" button. Game menu navigation habits are difficult to break. Perhaps the PlayStation Store navigation team can take some cues from game user interface best practices.

Internet Browser

The PlayStation 3 Web browser offers a barely passable Internet experience. As it stands now, the built-in PS3 Web browser feels like beta software. Anyone familiar with the PSP's Web browser won't be surprised by the PS3's lackluster browser performance. The browser can load most sites, but not all pages load properly, and performance is extremely slow. The GameSpot site loads up on most attempts, but only after you click "yes" when the browser prompts you to allow the Flash plug-in to run. The problem is that the browser doesn't offer an "always allow this plug-in to run" checkbox option, so you'll have to go through the plug-in prompt every single time you load a site that uses a special plug-in. Yahoo displays a stripped-down front page and a message asking you to use a different Web browser to get full-page functionality. The PS3 does have you covered if all you ever do online is watch videos on YouTube--yes, the videos work.

Video
Video
Web browser video

General page loads can take anywhere from 10 seconds to two minutes or more, which is an eternity compared to the three or four seconds it takes for most sites to load on normal, broadband-connected desktop Web browsers. The slow load times on our PS3 Web browser made our fast Internet connection feel like a dial-up modem. The browser also hard-locked our system several times, but the danger of crashing only added excitement to the browsing experience because clicking on each link became a minigame of Russian roulette.

Performance issues aside, the browser does look like a decent starting point for Sony. The program has all the basic features. You can set your start page and save bookmarks to manage your favorite sites. It helps to have a keyboard for entering URLs. If you're stuck with the character pad, the PS3 offers predictive text that includes URL-related entries, such as "http://www" and common top-level domains like ".com," to make entering URLs a lot easier. You can adjust the text character size and pixel display ratios to customize sites for your screen.

We won't know how the upcoming console generation truly compares until all of the new systems have a few years to build up game libraries, flesh out online features, and perfect media capabilities, but we can tell you that the PlayStation 3 has the raw potential to excel in all three areas. The PS3's Cell processor and RSX GPU will keep the console competitive in graphics, and Sony's army of third-party developers will supply the PS3 with a constant supply of quality games. The PS3 also has the tools to become a formidable living room entertainment server, with its upgradeable hard disk, networking, and extensive media format support. Online is the biggest unknown because the PlayStation Network is Sony's first online service for the console, but we're willing to give Sony some time to develop the PlayStation 3's online functionality--it is free after all.

Visit our PlayStation 3: Inside and Out feature to find out more about the PlayStation 3.

1639 Comments

  • cuffyone

    Posted Dec 10, 2006 3:46 am PT

    yep the hd drive is out for the x360 now.....,but hey guess what i dont have to buy it if i dont want to. I like having choice. Sonys trying to cram blue ray down the consumers throat and i for one dont care for thier tactics much. going to stick with 360 for now and to think i used to be a hopeless sony fan boy..just dont believe in blind loyalty i guess.

  • aznkhaoone

    Posted Dec 10, 2006 2:32 am PT

    oh and one more thing, "dont hate, appreciate" ^_^

  • aznkhaoone

    Posted Dec 10, 2006 2:28 am PT

    dont be hatin, this is system is a great machine,I love it, all the new consoles are good. the games and storyline to those consoles define the strengths of the consoles so if its good its good and if its bad its bad. shoot its like this xbox gots halo and ps3 has resistance. final fantasy for playstation and fable for xbox. jus wait another year or so and things may be different, it just takes time. and so all i can say is "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" so please stop all the hating.

  • EvoStvO

    Posted Dec 9, 2006 8:39 pm PT

    LOL...Get a real gaming machine..A Computer....With a 8800GTX in it

  • animedrac

    Posted Dec 9, 2006 7:37 pm PT

    lets say i bought the console in asia, can i still play it in europe?

  • Jatt_Warrior

    Posted Dec 9, 2006 5:10 pm PT

    ps3 alll da way fooooossss

  • Strongshot

    Posted Dec 9, 2006 4:49 pm PT

    That shows what the SONY guys can do, this is a PERFECT machine

  • CWEBB04z

    Posted Dec 9, 2006 3:01 pm PT

    Nice the power button, and stuff is Touch Sensitive..I like that..

  • EDOG

    Posted Dec 9, 2006 1:15 pm PT

    I think it's time that Sony changes its controller than keeping the old super Nintendo 4 button lay out, but anyways just imagine if Sony and Nintendo would have made if they would of went through. it would be A Wii-mote with graphics/game play the perfect combination!

  • goograce

    Posted Dec 9, 2006 11:55 am PT

    i love them

  • sid13579

    Posted Dec 9, 2006 9:42 am PT

    well im glad some people agree with me as there are other such alternatives to the ps3.

    and to samiiii, i dont care what you have to say about me, coming from a sony fanboy as it seems that is just your own opinion, as mine is my own.

  • Mercenary19

    Posted Dec 9, 2006 9:34 am PT

    The PS3 seems awsome. BUt I agree with the other people who commented. Its all about the games and how good they are.

  • gatsbythepig

    Posted Dec 9, 2006 7:45 am PT

    schweet

  • bhzfhvsadsjczfd

    Posted Dec 9, 2006 6:29 am PT

    TIp: Did you know that the first person in the world that bought ps3 was a man from Greece?
    I heard it at the news(100% Sure)

  • leoploradon01

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 5:52 pm PT

    Who cares wich system is better! 360 and PS3 both have rainbow six vegas thats all that matters!

  • batman360

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 3:53 pm PT

    Coming from a sony fanboy.

    Judge the games and not the system.

    Exactly Kill-U

  • toru12

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 3:31 pm PT

    wow i want to buy one unit ¡¡¡ but it will be so expensive in my country I have to wait a little bit more

  • Kill-U

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 2:42 pm PT

    I don't like the fact that everyone is comparing all of the systems because one has blue ray and the other has xbox live, I just want to play the games not just the system alone. you are all forgeting the fact that its all just a game competition not much the systems. The systems just play them. Sure its good to have fan boys but you should also respect other systems for all systems have their own good thing. I love nintendo and mostly xbox; I hate sony and the playstation, but I respect thier good games and the developers. except nintendo which is system designers and games designers as well which is sweet. just pay attention to the games not the systems.

  • -Quincho-

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 1:32 pm PT

    sssoooo shiny

  • jimbo6923

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 10:25 am PT

    I'm curious why they didn't show any detail about games, I thought that's what the system was for, games. I would like to see if the PS3 can produce a good picture on a older HDTV (I doubt many people have brand spankin' new 1080p HDMI tvs) I just have to agree with galacticat, yes it might get better in a year, but the 360 is really Sony's biggest problem... and I really don't see anyway they can fully compete, let alone dominate.

  • galacticat

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 9:38 am PT

    A year in the gaming-technology world is a long time. The fact that the PS3 trailed the 360 by a year and is (generously speaking at this point) only equal to the 360 in these head-to-head comparisons is something that Sony should be ashamed of. If the PS3 would have launched first and the360 had a whole year to sit back and make an even better system, it would be absolute 360 ownage. PS3 fanboys keep banking on the fact that developers haven't had a chance to optimize code yet, and when they do, the 360 will get crushed. Sorry, but that's a wet dream, fanboys. The fact of the matter is that Sony's crappy PS3 development kit isn't a problem that all of the sudden gets solved and goes away. The 360 is inherently a better system to develop games for, and as PS3 developers make progress optimizing code, 360 developers will make that same progress and more. I'd rather be 360 and have a regular arm and a nailgun than PS3 with a slightly stronger arm (and that's a BIG maybe) and a hammer. There are surely some very sweaty balls at Sony right now.

  • Darkness_78

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 9:27 am PT

    I WANT THIS TO COME TO LATIN AMERICA!!!

  • CDWJUSTIN

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 6:20 am PT

    my favorite thing about the system is the Hard Drive...i like how u can just pop in a different one...if online the other systems would allow u this..

  • snukadaman

    Posted Dec 8, 2006 12:00 am PT

    Imagine if you will a ps3 with no blue ray dvd drive...why is it we can think it and the arrogance of sony cant...im no ms or sony fanboy..only a video gamer..i own a xbox 360 and plan on getting a Wii one day...ps3 is not in my want list...and from reading alot of the posts alot of other people as well...i think if there was no blue ray sony would be in the race...but as of yet..

  • bigboss33

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 9:11 pm PT

    yes horray for pc the best for all time

  • uberjannie

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 8:21 pm PT

    Stick with PC.
    Better graphic and we have better games (most of the times).

  • semperfi3

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 6:33 pm PT

    After reading the comparison they did with graphics between the PS3 and X360 I'm definately staying with either PC gaming or my X360. If graphics is what you want definately stay with those 2.

    www.PlugComputers.com

  • datniccah187

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 5:30 pm PT

    I want a PS3, but the games so far don't seem to be all that great. I think i'm going to hold off for a while.

  • cpilla1

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 5:28 pm PT

    It doesn't matter to me which one people think is better (I have the 360 and a Wii) and like them each for their own reasons, but what's funny is we will all be having this same argument in 4-5 years when PS4, Xbox 720? and Wii2 come out. Just watch out when they make Wii2. They already have the unique gameplay element locked up so maybe by then they will catch up in the graphics dept.

  • redrabbit

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 2:43 pm PT

    Compared to the U.I on the Nintendo Wii, it all look's very confusing!

  • GrimGravy

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 1:12 pm PT

    i own all three and after doing the math in order to make a 360 have all the bells and whistles like a ps3 you have to 1. buy WiFi add on which is 100 bucks that bring the total to 500 dollars 2. buy the HD DVD add on that comes to 200 bucks making the total 700 dollars for a 360 But the 360 came with component cable and i had to pay 60 bucks for HDMI cord so that makes the 360 40 more bucks still which isnt a big deal but the Ps3 for 40 less has 60Gig HDD. So in the end it gonna cost alot of money lol good thing they both kick ass

  • piztolero

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 10:47 am PT

    the sixaxis it's look like the control of the PS2......

  • lukeuh36azabc

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 9:40 am PT

    Everything on the PS3 looks so confusing

  • lukeuh36azabc

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 9:39 am PT

    The slide show rocks!

  • lukeuh36azabc

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 9:36 am PT

    It is very good at graphics sound and online multiplaying but one thing is missing FUN!

  • Samiiii

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 8:30 am PT

    Sid get your facts right man, PS3 will own,Free online gaming, blu ray. Mine after i done my GCSE's

  • glassesboy

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 4:20 am PT

    Honestly if i were rich i would buy all the freaken consoles, cuz all of them have their pros and cons. Comparing the PS3 to the 360 is like comparing the Lambo Murchilago and the Ferrari Enzo. We forget how far gaming consoles have come!!!!! Im a PS3 fan and loyal to Sony, like many people out there, but i must admit the 360 is better in some ways, but to say that the PS3 is overated, NEVER!!!!!!!

  • ff_gamerz

    Posted Dec 7, 2006 2:47 am PT

    greatt... can't wait to buy it..

  • racing5112

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 4:18 pm PT

    to semperfi3,
    PS3 is more of an investment, If you are not going to buy a separate next gen dvd player and want to use this format the 20 gig PS3 is already a better deal. if you through in wireless and the battery issue and an HDMI cable for PS3 the 20 GB PS3 is still cheaper. As for MS improving the audio quality and video quality of their HD DVD drive you're stuck because it doesnt support more than 1.5 MBPS audio meanwhile PS3 supports 8 uncompressed channels of 24bit- 192kHz audio. for anyone who cares about quality PS3 is definatly the way to go if you are tight on your budget. For those audio and videophiles standalone players WILL provide even better quality.

  • racing5112

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 4:12 pm PT

    finally nice too see some fellow intelligent people out there speaking up and attacking the BS statements being made here. as for Blu Ray failing, all BR movies so far use one layer meanwhile HD DVD's are using two already and are pushing them to the limit. As for triple and quadruple layer discs, those are a long way off for both formats.

  • semperfi3

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 1:39 pm PT

    After reading the 360 vs. PS3 comparison gamespot is showcasing right now, 360 is looking like a much better investment, I dont think that is going to help blu-ray become the leader for HD dvd's..

    www.PlugComputers.com

  • HavokReleased

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 12:42 pm PT

    Thank god i sold my PS3....

    Call of Duty and resistance were both crap on that system, that's why you hear no talk about it.

  • werid

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 8:16 am PT

    whats up with the massive comments?

  • Xuljester

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 7:58 am PT

    Okay, let's cut through the crap here.

    Xbox 360:
    Bad console (A lot of hardware mistakes and poor design; scratched disks = loud noises = overheating = nuclear meltdown? =p)
    Good games (But we'll probably see production slow down within a year, unfortunately)
    Nothing really new as far as function (Save for later add-ons, like the HD-DVD, and of course, the readily available Hi-Def)

    My Prediction - The 360 will be a good console, but the only attraction will be the big titles. As soon as the big titles are released, the 360 will start loosing it's appeal, and 360 owners will look elsewhere, much like the Xbox. There may be a few extra add-ons for the xbox 360, but nothing the other consoles won't already offer, or plan to offer. Microsoft will most likely begin work on another console much sooner than the other consoles, and plan an earlier release again, hoping to compensate a bit. (I really hope not though, as I don't want to imagine seeing another next-gen console until 2009)

    Playstion 3:
    Good console (Nice design, nice hardware, props on easily upgradable HD, let's just hope the ram holds up)
    Good games (Good graphics because of the better hardware, several big titles, and we'll probably see plenty of games get released every year which are worth buying)
    Great functionality (The hardware alone makes it appealing, like the Blu-Ray, although the Six-Axis could have been better)

    My Prediction - The PS3 will be a good console for any gamer, having plenty of games and power to boot. We'll probably see some nifty additions like an improved Eye-Toy, and better controllers, but probably nothing newer than that. Blu-Ray DVDs will most likely be very popular with everyone, save for Microsoft who is trying to compete with it. Sony will most likely release a smaller and more compact version of the PS3 as well.

    Nintendo Wii (Viva la Revolution!):
    Great console (It's gone in a very different direction, albeit a funky one, but it works and we love it)
    Good games (They're old, they're new, they're different, and let's hope there's plenty of them)
    I won't say great function, but I will say it's a nice change of pace (The controllers are really the biggest selling point, as they've changed the way many of the games are played)

    My Prediction - The Nintendo Wii will be fun and entertaing for the whole family, like always. The rate of release for games will be satisfactory, but not spectacular in comparison to the PS3. We'll see several clever, yet costly, additions to the console that will improve the experience somewhat, but not enough to give it a lead against the other consoles. And... Well... We'll just have a lot of fun with the damned thing. =)

    END CRAP-CUTTING!

    Let's hope we don't see any new consoles until 2009. That way we have enough time for our money pouches to stop writhing in pain. And let's hope all the consoles surpass my predictions! Mostly because I'll most likely atleast try and get all three consoles. The Wii first, of course, but it's a toss-up between the PS3 and the Xbox 360 right now. When I'm ready to buy my next console, it'll probably be more clear as to which would be the better choice.

  • sid13579

    Posted Dec 6, 2006 6:19 am PT

    to xBlacknifex, first off, i wasnt trying to "bash" the PS3 for what it is, i was just mearly pointing out the few mad things about it that a casual gamer may or may not notice. I do not hate any of the consoles, nor do i make myself a hardcore fan of any of the consoles. Yes i know there are PS3 advantages over the other consoles, but still, its still just a bloody games console. If you have enough money to spend on a PS3 then go for it, im not here to try and stop you nor do i care in fact.

    But i can almost GUARANTEE that some annoying people out there will say "PS3 games rule over 360 and Wii's games!" and that just plainly annoys me purely the fact that they are so narrow minded. Obviously they would say that because they only looked at the games from the outside, and not actually play the games on the other consoles apart from the PS3. I had recently changed the way one of my mates way of thinking of games as he used to be a "playstation follower". I let him play a few games on my 360 purely because he was flaming them to pieces because it was on microsofts console, but after a few hours he loved it and since then i have never heard a flame or complaint about anything not Sony.

    Halo is awsome and so is MGS, i was merely giving examples of games to play that werent MGS, or VF, or GT etc. I may have not worded it correctly due to my lack of proper english literature, but i was just stating to those pure "sony lovers" out there that there are alternatives, and if you give them a chance then you may actually like the product that you were flaming in the first place.

    To darkwolfs48, yes i do agree with you that VF5 contains a more complex "learn and master" style of character play, but dont forget that DOA4 also contains a few characters that are hard to master, maybe not the months that you are talking about, but a good amount of time to get used to. For example, one of these characters could be Ryu Hayabusa. I mean his moves may only just come over a number of 100, but some of those moves take ages to master, especially the throw combos. To a casual gamer, they would probably be more inclined to play DOA4 alot more than VF5 just because it is easier to play and less time consuming to become good with a certain character.

    Yes both Halo and MGS are system seller games, but again i was only intending to point out those narrow minded gamers that there is an alternatvie to the games they always seem to praise about.

    Yes i agree that its all personal preference, that was basically my whole point. My intended message was to those who see a certain console as a far superiour console to the others, stop flaming things that you have no knowledge or experience about, and if you actually give those things a chance then you actually may become to like it, weither its Sony or Microsoft or Nintendo.

    Good work on Wow tho, played the trail version myself, wasnt my kinda thing to carry on over the trial, but i still had fun (the sole reason games were invented in the first place: fun!). I personally have a current subscription to RF Online. Bloody good game and i would recommend it to anyone to give it a go and see what they think :-)

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PlayStation 3 Hands-On: Hardware, Media, and Online

We get hands-on with the Sony PlayStation 3. Find out what $600 worth of hardware can and can't do.

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