Your Guide to PS3 Launch

Well..it's time to make decisions.

Get your wallet ready.

The holiday shopping season is bearing down upon us steadily and we all have to make our choices. What console to buy, or whether to buy one at all. Fortunately Sony has chosen to provide us at MyGamer information on it's PS3 console which will, after an examination of the facts contained within, help us all to make the choices that our bounding around our heads. Ready then? Here we go.

First of all let's talk about the differences between the 60GB and the 20GB versions of the PS3. The first and, of course, the most obvious is that they are markedly cheaper. The 60GB version will retail for $600 dollars and the 20GB for $410 dollars. Since the Xbox 360 is currently marked at about $400 dollars retail only the 20GB PS3 is on the same level price wise as the Xbox 360.

The heart of the PS3 system is the Cell Broadband Engine that promises new heights of processing power for the unit..certainly there is evidence to back this up as the tech demo that has been so widely circulated around the Internet has proven. The units will also contain a Blu-Ray disc player for use in high definition gaming. The Blu-Ray system has caused problems for Sony, but it's picture quality has been listed at 1080p, so those with a high definition system will no doubt find it very worthwhile. However, even if the purchaser does not have an HD TV, the PS3 supports conventional TV setups.

The system also has a Giga-bit Ethernet set up and a factory installed hard disk drive for downloading various media content, online games, and other online services over Sony's network. The controller, dubbed the SIXAXIS controller has been redesigned to include new technology such as the new motion sensing system that will, according to Sony, allow for easier in game control and better accuracy while playing. And, as with the PS2, it is backwards compatible so your PS1 and PS2 games will still run.

To hammer the point home, though, here are the specifications that show the makeup of the two models of the PS3 that Sony has very kindly provided for us.

PS3 system (60 GB HDD):

Dimensions: Approximately 325mm (W) x 98mm (H) x 274mm (D)

CPU: Cell Broadband Engine^TM

GPU: RSX

Main Memory: 256MB XDR Main RAM

Embedded VRAM: 256MB GDDR3 VRAM

Hard Drive Disk: 2.5" Serial ATA (60 GB HDD)

Main Input/Output: USB 2.0 (x4), MemoryStick/SD/CompactFlash

Ethernet: 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T

Bluetooth: 2.0 (EDR), Wireless Controller (up to 7)

Wireless Communication: IEEE 802.11 b/g (w/60 GB HDD PS3)

Screen Size: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p

HDMI: HDMI out – (x1/HDMI)

Analog: AV MUTLI OUT x1

Digital Audio: DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL x1)

Disc Drive: Blu-ray/DVD/CD (read-only)

PS3 system (20 GB HDD):

Dimensions: Approximately 325mm (W) x 98mm (H) x 274mm (D)

CPU: Cell Broadband Engine^TM

GPU: RSX

Main Memory: 256MB XDR Main RAM

Embedded VRAM: 256MB GDDR3 VRAM

Hard Drive Disk: 2.5" Serial ATA (20 GB HDD)

Main Input/Output: USB 2.0 (x4

Ethernet: 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T

Bluetooth: 2.0 (EDR), Wireless Controller (up to 7)

Screen Size: 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p

HDMI: HDMI out – (x1/HDMI)

Analog: AV MUTLI OUT x1

Digital Audio: DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL x1)

Disc Drive: Blu-ray/DVD/CD (read-only)

And here is more information from Sony concerning the nuts and bolts of the individual consoles themselves. I know it's a lot of information, but I didn't think this article would be fully objective without it. Read on and I'll meet you at the bottom of the page.

Dear me, that was rather a lot, wasn't it? Still, upon review, it seems that Sony will undoubtedly pose a threat to Microsoft's one year lead with it's Xbox 360. It's going to be a thrilling Christmas season so, as the time nears, when these two giants will battle at each other, stay tuned to MyGamer.com for more details as they become available.

Good luck!