PlayStation 3 Slim 120GB (Old Model)

I'm a bit of a nerd. I've owned a PS3, Xbox360, PS2, Xbox, Nintendo 64, Gameboy Advance, SNES, various PC games, and probably a few other gaming devices that I don't even remember. I have my issues with the videogame industry as it is, but I don't think I can rate the PS3 anything below 5 stars. The PS3 is really a fantastic device for gaming, and much more. I originally picked it up for the sole purpose of playing videogames. I use it for other things now-- for example, I watch Netflix with my girlfriend all the time on it. I've downloaded recently released movies on it when I'm too lazy to go to Redbox. I've found other features on it very useful, even though I really just intended to play videogames on it. Videogames on the PS3 are pretty good. I have high standards. I've gone from playing games like Goldeneye and the Legend of Zelda to SOCOM: US Navy Seals to Halo to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. It's hard to compare videogames nowadays to videogames ten to fifteen years ago. I will say that there is a very wide variety of choices nowadays. There is something for everyone; from sports to shooting to puzzle games, you can usually find a game with great reviews. In terms of innovation, I think things have slowed down quite a bit recently. Historically you can see new concepts pop up every few years in games-- the N64 and PS1 made huge gains in graphics with fully 3D games, the PS2 and Xbox introduced online play and games like Grand Theft Auto showed the possibilities of "open"/non-linear gameplay where you don't have to follow a storyline. I'm not sure what the PS3 has done that's any different now than 7 years ago, when Halo 2 came out. I guess they're trying to do more networking things, which people really appreciate (online play, downloadable content, Netflix type stuff), and there's also the Kinect motion-sensing type fads. But I will be the first to say that a lot of the stuff out there is gimmicky, to say the least. It's made so that it "seems cool", although the enjoyment/gameplay isn't really optimized. I just made a review on Madden talking about how their company focuses on the "cool new features" but ignores the core gameplay, because hey, it's a business and they want to sell games. But as a customer, I would appreciate something more than that. I guess I'll throw in a pro's/con's list: Pros --very good graphics. --free online play, comparing to Xbox's paid service. --free WiFi connectivity, that works pretty well (my router is maybe 20 feet away in a different bedroom) --large selection of games --Bluray player itself is worth quite a bit Cons --everything in the Store is ridiculously expensive. --sometimes things are more difficult than I'd like. For example, downloading updates requires a restart and takes way longer than I'd like. --lack of innovation in today's marketplace. In general, the console is worth the money. Sony probably loses money on these consoles; they're so expensive to make (although keep in mind they'll make a ton of money by selling the games). Take a shot and pick one up; they're loaded with features and you'll probably get your money's worth somewhere in there.

First off, I actually own two of the new PS3 slims. So unlike some of the 1 and 2 star reviewers on here, I can speak from experience. I also own an Xbox 360 and a Wii, but my review will mostly cover the difference between this model and my previous launch-model 60gb PS3. I had the original, backwards compatible 60gb PS3 from launch and have loved it. It took center stage in my basement home theater setup. Blu-rays look amazing on a 119 inch screen. I had been, for quite some time, considering buying a second PS3 for my living room. Once the new Slim was announced, I decided to sell my PS3 and use the proceeds to finance the purchase of two new ones. I bought one from Amazon and another from a local brick and mortar. I have three primary uses for the PS3: gaming, watching blu-ray movies, and watching videos stored on a NAS drive on my home network. I buy tracks for Rock Band, download demos for new games, and purchase the occasional LBP costume or pack, but otherwise, I'm not really an online gamer. Anyway, the new Slim is just an excellent, excellent system. Comparing it to my previous PS3: PROS: It is significantly smaller. Pictures don't really do it justice. Runs just as quiet if not more so. The only increase in noise seems to come from the disk drive. It's noisier than my old system when accepting or ejecting a disk. Runs even cooler. I never had any heat issues with my old PS3 but this one barely puts out warm air even after a couple of hours of play sitting in a cabinet. Better audio codec support. I'm running this on a 7.2 surround system so I like the best sound I can possibly get, and my receiver takes advantage of the Slims upgraded audio output. Seems to load game data faster. I had just picked up Batman: Arkham Asylum earlier in the week. The game loades an initial 1.8 gigs (I believe) of data to your hard drive. After getting my first Slim, I had to load the same data to the new system, and only took about 2/3 the time. It's surprising since it's the same speed disk drive, but I timed it and it definitely took less time. I actually like the matte finish better. No more finger prints or smudges, doesn't reflect light. The physical buttons are great. You can just tap the power button to turn the system off, instead of having to hold down the touch button until it beeps. CONS: Only two usb ports. I know most PS3s only have two but mine had four and I like the Rock Band. Thankfully, I had a 4 port hub sitting around unused. Still no IR receiver. This was actually a pretty big disappointment for me. I run my entire theater set up with a Harmony One. Projector, receiver, even my lights. I finally broke down and spent the exta $55+ on the Logitech Harmony Adapter, but I'd rather have the ability included in the price of the system. Having to backup, reload, re-download everything. I had upgraded my previous system to a 160gb hard drive and was hoping I could just pull it and slap it into the new system. Sadly, this wasn't the case. I had to manually back up my saves game files (not all with allow you to copy. I kept all my progress for Batman, for instance, but lost all my progress in Rock Band 2. I'll also have to find or rent a copy of Rock Band 1 to reinstall all the songs from the game disk). I lost backwards compatibility and other operating system support, but I didn't care about or use either of those anyway. Other than that, the sytem is just as great as always, and I'm loving the 3.0 software and animated backgrounds. Also, just a note: If you're moving from one PS3 to two like I did, your purchased games and add ons are good on multiple systems. My wife and I play Pixlejunk Monsters and we can now choose to hang out and play in the living room where you can actually keep track of the time or disappear for hours in the man-cave.

1st off I'd like to thank all the reviewer's on this forum for your reviews. On the whole they were highly informative. No way anyone could read this forum and not come away with more than enough information to make a highly informed buying decision. A. Dent "Aragon" I've gotta give you a gold star in particular for your review. Well done! You covered the key feature and spec differences nicely and I'd like to build on your review, if I may, from a philosophical mindset POV. Some background. I'm a software developer of some years. I grew up with MS. I've been developing with their products since DOS 2.0 :D. I'm an MS boy through and through. pfft, Of course my cell runs Windows Mobile. Ya, Win Mobile has given me fits a time or two, ;), but I doubt I'll ever own a phone that doesn't run Win Mobile. I know exactly who MS is. Back in the day they kinda sucked on more than a couple levels but even then, they were still the best software company in the business. Not only has that not changed in my mind but there's no doubt to me that they are currently better at what they do than they've ever been. Sure, there's any number of SW developers out there working for other companies who are every bit as good as any MS developer out there and oft times better but eh... At this point, there's no other software company in the world even remotely close to where MS is at in terms of maturity and quality. When I look at what Win 7 is coupled with Visual Studio and the .net 3.5 development platform, eh, those 2 things have always been the heart and soul of who MS is and those 2 things are currently rocking it harder than they ever have, no doubts. I've always been a hard core gamer in the PC FPS world. So naturally I've known the xBox and played games on the xBox since it's inception. I'm just saying, I've never owned an xBox. I've known at least 6 peeps with xBoxes. Of those 6, 4 of their boxes failed. Two of them went the RROD route, another had some internal disk failure, and the other had some funky internal connection problem. None of those boxes lasted a year. All of the owners I know went through varying degrees of rig-a-ma-roll trying to get their boxes fixed and/or replaced. The HW issues and the reasons behind the xboxes unreliability are pretty well documented. Because MS decided to farm out manufacturing early on for the xbox they never really had any true quality control over the product they were tossing out to consumers. They never had a handle. They still don't have all that much of a handle now. Given what I know about MS from the SW world and the fact that they are brand new to the HW biz ...eh, to this day I'm not feeling compelled to pick up an xbox. And no, it's not hardly about money. To be fair, I am an FPS kinda guy. There's still never been a console + controller + game created that affords me the precision and control in the FPS genre that WASD on a keyboard and a mouse does. I'm still waiting for one? As I speak I think everyone who owns an xbox today or buys an xbox tomorrow is STILL an early adopter. As it happens I do have more than a passing familiarity with that dynamic. I've dealt and deal with MS product continually every single day. Like I'm saying, I know who MS is. I know how much research and dev went into the xbox. Speaking strictly within the framework of the FPS gaming genre, I think the xbox is currently the best console platform out there. As well it should be. And it starts with the box and the controller. While the xbox was not designed specifically for Halo, the thinking behind the box, gpu, and the controller were absolutely designed to optimize any and every FPS gaming experience created for the xbox platform. Again, who can argue with that strategy? In the video game industry, what's the best selling genre? I truly believe MS has the right idea about the console platform in terms of the idea of the overall gaming experience. Also, no doubt to me that various XBL$ issues aside, the XBL platform is superior to the PSN platform as I post. From MS's inception they've always been many things but fundamentally stupid and obstinate has never really been their hallmark. At least not for long. MS is a whole lot like the Borg. If you've got half a clue about anything they will consume your uniqueness and add it to their own. The above said I think the xbox 360 controller currently implements a design that exploits the FPS genre best. To also be fair to the PS platform, from the very beginning the PS controller in all it's incarnations was never designed to exploit any specific gaming genre. The PS controller has always been designed to cast a much broader net across gaming genre's. So the question remains, given the fact that I am and will always be an MS boy, why is it I've never ever owned an xbox? Why was my very 1st console purchase evar this slimboy PS3? Heheh, it's really a no brainier for me. This PS3 is absolutely THE best media center on the market today. Nothing else comes close to the PS3 at this price point given what it can do. I've already got a PC for serious gaming. That said I'm about to explore the latest exclusive PS3 gaming titles to eval where the state of the art is really at. Seriously, the xbox comes closest for about an initial 50-150+ but even then the xbox can't output any media in any format at 1080p. See, for me? That right there is a deal breaker. MS can KMA right now. The xbox is not there yet. I think MS might still be butt hurt to this day behind choosing the wrong side in the HD war. Whatever? Until they ship with Blu-Ray, built in WiFi at a competitive price, AND they can deliver a reliable and quality product they're dead to me in this market segment. :) UPDATE: I'm still completely in love with this console and what it brings to the table. I think it's definitely the best console on the market at it's current price point. Once again... Pros: 1) Fricken Blu-Ray! Anyone with a quality 1080p TV understands exactly what I'm talking about. There are Blu-Ray players out there at this price point that only do that. And none of them are exactly superior. 2) Fricken integrated WiFi! Pardon me but I can't understand how anyone with a wireless router could not have a deep and abiding appreciation for that extremely salient point. Full on streaming capabilities out of the box. Hello? 3) Awesome gaming platform! I think it's every bit as good and viable as the xBox platform. Both platforms have their strengths and weaknesses. Both platforms have their signature series that are arguably best of breed. I think the Halo series is prolly the best FPS series created for a console. PS3 has the Metal Gear Solid and God Of War series which are arguably both best of breed within their genres. This brings me around to cross platform games. Specifically, cross platform games that target the HW strength's of a given platform. Take a game like Ninja Gaiden II for the xBox and sigma 2 for the this slim boy. In the end, I think sigma 2 version provides a better overall gaming experience for the following reasons. a) Again, it's a fricken 1080p game! b) Because it was released on the xb platform 1st, Tecmo had the op to learn from their mistakes. At certain times they pushed to many polygons in the xb version and you could experience moderate to severe frame rate drops at highly inopportune times. I think the fighting platform on the slim boy has a more fluid feel. I know part of that is because generally speaking you face fewer enemies in sigma 2 but I think that's as it should be. What's the point in throwing more enemies at a gamer than the HW can effectively handle? Here's my point. Given the fact that the xBox is not shipping with Blu-Ray and WiFi, it comes down to the gaming platform and it's reliability, right? I'm just saying I don't see how anyone could compare the two platforms and declare the xBox the winner. What would that be based on? I mean Halo is a pretty cool game and tons of fun but so what? For me? A game like Halo could never tip the scales when it comes to buying a console. From my perspective a bitchen gaming title or 2 is not enough. There's plenty different bitchen arse games for the PS3. I think that in terms of most bang for your buck this PS3 slim boy rules right now. Don't get me wrong. I'm an MS fan boi through and through. Ex: I've got what was a top of the line cell 2 years ago that runs win mobile 6 that I would relly like to upgrade right now. The user interface is pretty clunky by today's standards but I'm not gonna upgrade right now for 2 reasons. 1) The cell hw still supports the HSDPA 7.2 protocol. To the best of my knowledge there are still no phones available in the US that support the latest 14.0 protocol. 2) I know the next gen cells are coming out around early September. They'll be sporting the new win 7 mobile OS (think zune) with capacitive resistance touchscreens (think iPhone) and they'll be supporting HSDPA 14.0 protocol in upgradeable firmware. So I wait. I wait because I am an MS fanboi and on a certain indirect level they kinda own me. When I think about it, it's possible I might not be making the money I do if not for their arses. I wait because based on what I understand about what's in the pipeline, I expect the win 7 cells to rock the house. I wait because 9 of 10 times I will always choose and trust in MS. I got zero problems being an early adopter in the cell arena because MS is doing what they do best and they do not have a heavy hand in the hw. In the end the iPhone OS is not a preemptive multitasking OS and it won't be in the near future. Nor is the droid OS. And no phones running those operating systems currently support HSDPA 7.2 let alone the latest 14.0 standard. I realize I've digressed a bit but I did it for a reason. I'm highly disappointed with MS within the console arena right now. The PS3 slim boy 120 at it's current price point, I think, is a completely superior product to the xBox. Hands down. Any way you wanna look at it you get far more for your money with the PS3. Until MS starts shipping consoles with Blu-Ray and WiFi around the same price point I personally don't even see them as real competition to the PS3. If they do ever get there I will snatch an xBox up right pronto like. And it's the Blu-Ray standard that might hold the xBox back indefinitely. Like I'm saying, they're definitely still smarting behind choosing the wrong side in the HD media battle. Whilst MS is fairly accustomed to licensing tech from various vendors, I'm pretty sure licensing Blu-Ray from Sony under these circumstances is not exactly how they're thinking. Not saying it'll never happen. Just saying MS doesn't usually look to bust out the knee pads under these circumstances. So where does that leave the xBox? The way I see it MS has 3 options. 1) Bust with the pads for Sony. 2) Remain incompatible with Blu-Ray. Not seeing this option as a sales booster, per se. 3) Find and align themselves with a company who's got an idea about a media format that eclipses Blu-Ray by a reasonable measure. Pretty hard to see 3 happening within the next 5 years. 2 is like meh? 2 is tantamount to anathema for the xBox. 1 is what they should do in the near term. If MS can ship a box that supports Blu-Ray with integrated WiFi around the same price point as the PS3, regardless of the quality of the product they're shipping, there's no doubt that would boost their sales immeasurably. Cons: XBL blows doors on the PSN. Pretty much no comparison. Tons of integration on XBL that the PSN can't be bothered with. The PS3 browser is weak to be sure.

UPDATE (November, 2010): Before you decide to buy this model, note that the PlayStation 3 160 GB and for fifty dollars more you can get the PlayStation 3 320 GB . You may also want to consider the PlayStation 3 320GB System with PlayStation Move Bundle ________________________________________ RATING I will begin with the rating part so that those who are already familiar with the PS3 line may save a little time. On balance, I found the PS3 Slim or the 'PS3 120GB' to be a worthy addition to the current PS3 line. It comes with several major improvements over its predecessors and the 'trade offs' are few and, to most us, insignificant. This how the new model compares to its predecessors: PS3 SLIM vs. PS3 80/160GB + $100/200 less + Smaller + More energy efficient + More quiet operation + Cooler + Smaller Cell processor manufactured using a 45-nanometer manufacturing process + New, more advanced HDMI 1.3 chipset + Easier HDD upgrade - No Linux support - No on-off switch in the back - Push rather than touch 'On' and 'Eject' buttons - Not as pretty = Unchanged game-playing experience = Same great Blu-ray player = Same PSP integration = Same WiFi, Bluetooth built-in = Same Dualshock 3 rumble, motion sensitive controller = Same I/O options The PS3 Slim is a superior product when compared with the PS3 80/160GB models. This relatively inexpensive, feature packed, versatile gaming machine, multimedia hub and outstanding Blu-ray player, earns back the 5th star that I granted the Classic models and I didn't feel that the PS3 80/160GB models deserved. Granted, when compared to the PS3 Classic, the PS3 Slim lacks PS2 compatibility, has 2 fewer USB ports and and it lacks media card slots but these shortcomings are offset by the significantly lower price, energy efficiency, larger storage and an updated CPU and HDMI. And, keeping hope alive by feeding it rumors, who knows? Sony just might add PS2 software emulation once it stops manufacturing the PS2 sometime, next year. MY TEST DRIVE IMPRESSIONS The good news is that you can do just about everything you did with the PS3 80/160GB models and in the exact same way. During my test ride, I was able to play all the games I brought with me without a problem, the Bluetooth remote controller was recognized immediately and so was the Playstation Eye. Both a USB-dongle full-size wireless keyboard, a USB-connected wired keyboard and Sony's own Bluetooth mini-keyboard worked as expected. I was able to upload pictures, videos and music from a USB thumb drive and a USB-connected SATA 2.5" hard disk and play them in the same way I do it on my own PS3. The person who allowed me the test drive suggested that I do not sign into the PSN but I have no doubt that the Slim behaves exactly like its predecessors on the PSN, running HOME or while browsing the Net. The Slim has the exact same ports in the back, the same buttons in front - albeit 'push' buttons instead of the 'touch' buttons, the same 2 USB ports, comes with the same Dualshock 3 controller, USB cable and Composite AV cable accessories. The older PS3s weren't particularly noisy but the Slim seems to be more quiet and, after several hours of play, it didn't get as warm as my Classic. The ONLY 2 USB ports bother me a little because I brought along the Eye, a USB-wired HDD, a USB keyboard and a dongle-based wireless keyboard. That meant that I had to do a lot of plugging and unplugging when testing. In real life, it's not so convenient to charge a controller and access more than one USB-connected peripheral. There are third party generic USB hubs (ugly) or PS3-specific port extenders and media hubs that could be used to increase the number of USB ports and bring back the media card slots. My overall impression of the Slim is "nothing new" at least on surface. The "cooler, quieter, smaller, more energy efficient" you don't notice while playing a game or watching a movie. The really great news about the Slim is that so many more will be able to afford it and, with a larger user base, more developers will feel more strongly motivated to publish more, better games that all of us will enjoy. THE SLIM (PS3) vs. THE 'XBOX 360 ELITE FALL 2009' This is not meant to be a 'fan' statement. I don't own a Wii but I do own an Xbox 360 so I will be able to discuss PS3 Slim vs. Xbox 360 Elite and, hopefully, it may help a little those undecided between the two or those thinking about getting a PS3 as a second gaming console. Please be aware that, even though I own both consoles and I try to be as objective as possible, I do tend to favor the PS3. Parity ------ - Storage: 120 GB on both systems - CD, DVD playback: both - Bluetooth/IR: Bluetooth included with PS3, Infrared remote for Xbox - Community: PSN/Home memberships are free, Xbox Live includes free Silver membership and one-month Gold subscription, paid thereafter Advantage PS3 Slim ------------------ - Blu-ray: PS3 only. Blu-ray disks aren't used for HD movie playback but to deliver games as well. Since they store several times more data than a DVD disk, PS3 games can be 'bigger' and be still delivered on one disk, eliminating the need for swapping during gameplay. - WiFi: included with PS3, available as an add-on for Xbox. - HDMI 1.3a on PS3 (more vivid colors, better sound) vs. HDMI 1.2 on Xbox - Controller: wireless on both systems, rumble on both, PS3's only is motion sensitive, rechargeable batteries built into PS3's, Xbox rechargeable battery packs available for purchase. - Integration with a handheld device: PS3 integrates with the PSP, the Xbox offers Zune integration. I would call it 'advantage PS3' because the Zune integration is limited to file transfers. - Internal power supply: yes for the Slim, a large external 'brick' for the Xbox. - Ability to upgrade the Hard Disk: the PS3 could use any cheap 2.5" SATA on the market (a 500GB can be had for $90 at the time of this writing and the existing PS3 disk can be recycled to upgrade a laptop or as external storage) without voiding the warranty. I am not aware Xbox HDD upgrades beyond 120GB but, judging by the 120GB upgrade HDD for the smaller models, they are likely to be proprietary, more expensive solutions. - Slim comes with USB, Ethernet and Composite cables, Xbox has only Composite in the box. Advantage Xbox 360 Elite Fall 2009 ---------------------------------- - Headset: not included with PS3 but any Bluetooth device will work, wired headset included with Xbox Elite. - Ethernet: PS3 supports Gigabit Ethernet, Xbox is limited to 100BASET-T. - USB ports: Xbox comes with 3, Slim has only 2. It seems that a PS3 Slim can be brought to parity with the Xbox 360 Elite by purchasing a Bluetooth headset (possibly for less than $10 and that would make the PS3 a superior choice since the Xbox headset is wired to the controller. For the amount, the PS3 will match and surpass Xbox feature for feature if we don't factor in exclusive Xbox games or unique Xbox Live features. To bring the Xbox 360 Elite to parity with the PS3 one would need: a WiFi adapter ($70) and rechargeable batteries ($10). I will not add the various cables to the list because, depending on setup, they may or may not be needed and PS3's Gigabit Ethernet is not likely to make a difference in anyone's gaming or movie streaming at this time. $80 would bring the Xbox closer to the PS3 but the Xbox won't support Blu-ray, does not have a motion sensitive controller, can't function without an external power supply and, Zune withstanding, it does not integrate with a hand-held gaming device. In addition, continuing the Xbox Live Gold beyond the initial month would be another $30-50 per year for the life of the Elite. I chose not to factor in the quality of available software because it's impossible to be even remotely objective when it comes to judge Sony's exclusives vs. Xbox exclusives. My guess is that, in the end, those who must have Halo will buy a Microsoft Xbox regardless of cost or other features and those who fall in love with Little Big Planet or Uncharted have no choice but a Sony PS3. The general consensus is that, at this time, the PS3 has the superior hardware (see above) while the Xbox has an advantage in exclusive titles and some exclusive content. In addition, many multiplatform games are developed on the Xbox first and then ported to the PS3. That can make the Xbox versions appear to be superior and, more importantly, the PS3 versions do not always take full advantage of PS3s superior hardware. This seems to be less the case as developers are becoming more familiar with the PS3 platform - the software gap, if there is one at this time, it is closing fast. Update on PS3 vs Xbox 360 (July 2010) ------------------------------------- Quite a bit has happened since I posted this review and almost all of it was good news from a user's point of view. Microsoft got 'the message' and there is a new, slimmer, quieter Xbox with a larger but still proprietary disc and with built-in Wi-Fi, plus a proprietary Kinect port. Sony, on the other hand, has launched a premium 'pay' service on the PSN featuring Hulu 'plus' and maybe other goodies to be added in the future but the 'free' PSN service is still superior to its 'free' Xbox rival, in my view. So, revisiting the comparisons above, the PS3 still holds the advantage when it comes to Blu-ray and motion-sensitive controllers. The PS3 120GB's drive while smaller is still easily upgradeable while the Xbox is not (my 120GB Slim got its 500GB upgrade within days of purchase at almost no cost given that I was able to reuse the 120GB drive for other purposes). ESSENTIAL ADD-ONS AND ACCESSORIES For those who decided that the PS3 Slim is what they wanted, the list below may help them budget for the extra purchases they may want to consider. There are surprisingly few extra a PS3 REALLY needs and I listed them in order from what I view as the more to the less important or needed. Those at the top are, in my view, more 'essential' than the ones at the bottom, but with the exception of the HDMI cable which is a must have for an HD TV set, you could easily do without the rest or get them later if you really feel that you want them. - HDMI CABLE - It's a must for anyone who already has an HD TV. It's not included in the box and I am not going to provide a link because there are dozens of vendors at Amazon, competing and that's a good thing because one can be had for only a few dollars. Just make sure it's HDMI 1.3. A 'High-Speed' rating is not necessarily a plus if the cable you need is only 3 ft. or 6 ft. long. All HDMI 1.3 cables should be High-Speed rated and only High-Speed cables support 1080p resolutions. At these lengths, paying a premium for 'quality' can't be justified because the odds for the digital signal to be misinterpreted are close to non-existent. - REMOTE CONTROL - Unless your HD TV supports CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) which allows for the user to command and control multiple CEC-enabled boxes with one remote control and for CEC capable devices to command and control each other, Sony PlayStation 3 Blu-ray Disc Remote could make the operation of the PS3 a lot easier when you are not playing a game. It's optimized for movie viewing but XMB navigation, running slide shows and shopping at the PSN store are easier with the remote control because it does not need two hands to be operated. In fact, it can be operated with one thumb. - WIRELESS HEADSET - This is the one important component that the Elite bundle includes (theirs is wired) and the PS3 does not. Any Bluetooth headset would do which is why I am not going to insert a link to Sony's product or to anyone else's. - SECOND DUALSHOCK 3 CONTROLLER - Even if you play solo only, a second controller may be charging while the other is in use. - USB PORT EXTENDER - Again, there are many competing offers. I would prefer one where the ports are powered. Some singing games may come with their own extenders. - PS3 EYE CAMERA - This is not exactly a 'must have' but it's definitely a 'very nice to have' as the Eye is not only a camera but also a stereo microphone - depending on your needs, it may eliminate the need for a headset. I obtained mine cheaply, with a used copy of Eye of Judgment . If you decide to go that route, be VERY careful and ensure that the camera is indeed included before your order. - MEDIA CARD READERS - They would plug into a USB port and will allow your PS3 to read/write to Media/Multimedia/Secure Digital, Memory Stick (PRO), Compact Flash, or XD Picture cards. They can be had for anything from $1 to $20. ________________________________________________ Note 1: MY OWN BIAS We own a 'Classic' 60GB PS3, currently upgraded to 320GB, DualShock 3 and complemented with various peripherals: PS3 Eye, Logitech Driving Force GT Racing Wheel, Bluetooth keyboard attachment, headset... etc. We also own an Xbox 360 Elite, 3 PSP 3000's (got 3 kids) and a second-hand DS. We used to have a PS2 but we sold it shortly after purchasing the PS3. I've helped several of my neighbors purchase, install and upgrade their own PS3's. I am posting this review because I had the opportunity to test drive a PS3 Slim for several hours a couple of nights before the official launch - someone I know works at a store that sells gaming consoles. Speaking for myself only, I tend to favor the PS3 for several reasons and here they are: - WiFi - This is a major convenience for me. I hate 'wires' and the PS3 has the WiFi built in and it's VERY easy to set up. - Blu-ray - I was an early adopter and I haven't bought 'new' DVDs in more than a year. Having the PS3 doubling up as a Blu-ray player is another major convenience for me. - HDD Storage upgrade - I don't believe that 120GB is sufficient these days and our console has exceeded the 120GB threshold already after lots of downloaded games and movies and transferring thousands of photos and songs to it. A PS3 can be easily and inexpensively upgraded to 500GB today and this is a big plus. - Little Big Planet - It's a Sony exclusive and my kids just love this game. They would probably run away and resettle with a family that has LBP if I got rid of the PS3. ________________________________________________ Note 2: THE SLIM'S SPECS AND FEATURES - 45nm, 7-core Cell processor CPU - RSX - Based on NV47 Chip (Nvidia GeForce 7800 Architecture) for graphics - Updated HDMI chipset (bitstreams hi-res DTS-HD, TrueHD) - 256MB XDR Main RAM and 256MB GDDR3 VRAM memory - 120GB Hard disk - 2.5" SATA - can be replaced with any 2.5" SATA and a compatible 500GB HDD can be had for about $90 at the time I write this review - Blu-ray 2.0 player (possibly still the best) that also plays DVDs and CDs - Ethernet 10/100/1000Base-T wired networking - WiFi 802.11 b/g (from 10 Mbps up to 54 Mbps) - wireless networking I couldn't live without - Bluetooth 2.0 for game controller, headsets, keyboards and so on - Video resolution up to 1080p - Audio supported: LPCM 7.1, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD, AAC - Other outputs: HDMI, Optical, Composite AV - Other I/O: 2 High-speed USB 2.0 ports - Power: dual 120/240V - Power consumption: 250W - Weight: about 7 lbs. - Dimensions: about 12" x 2.5" x 12" (my measurements) - Included controller: DUALSHOCK 3 - Included cables: USB and Composite AV, power chord Additional features: - Displays JPEG stills. - Multi-featured, surprisingly good slide show functionality. - Plays MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4/h.264 videos. - Bitstreams DTS-HD and Dolby TrueHD to receiver - Upconverts DVDs to 1080p over HDMI - XMB in-game access. - In-game and off-game text and voice chat (headset, keyboard or Eye are needed). - Video chat with up to six people (PlayStation Eye is required) - Can discover media servers on the home network and stream content from any DLNA-compliant device. - Web browser (still has some usability and compatibility issues) but plays YouTube well. - Google Web search. - Remote play on a PSP connected to any wireless access point - play music, videos, show pics, turn on the PS3 remotely if on stand-by - Upload PSP games purchased from the PSN Store to the PSP. - Online software updates improve PS3 functionality and keep the Blu-ray player features current. - Online third party updates. - Online gameplay. - Download and play PS3 games and demos from the PSN store. - Download and play PSOne games. - Download and play movies and shows from the PSN store. - Supports HDMI Consumer Electronic Control (HDMI-CEC) - control the Slim through the remote of any CEC-enabled TV such as a Bravia. ________________________________________________ Note 3: HDD UPGRADE If you are on the upgrade path, less than $90 would buy you a 500GB drive. The one that I tested would be the 500GB Scorpio Blue Mobile Sata 5400RPM 8MB 2.5IN which replaced my laptop's 60GB drive and a friend's 80GB PS3 HDD. The nice thing about upgrading your disk is that you are also going to be left with a perfectly good 80GB or $160GB or 120GB drive which you can place into a cheap enclosure, and the StarTech AT2510U2 InfoSafe 2.5-Inch USB/SATA Hard Drive Enclosure worked for me. After I upgraded my own console to 320Gb, I used the free leftover drive as a backup device for family photos.

First let me say that I love the form factor of the new PS3 slim...I just never liked the glossy behemoth design style of the original. It felt like Sony was trying to hard with their hardware design. Next let me say that I own all three consoles so this review is not meant to be a fan boy rant for or against any one console. I am and always have been a diehard gamer at heart no matter what format the games were on. After having spent a fair amount of time with the new PS3 Slim and having played some of the better games the system offers (God of War collection, MGS, Uncharted, Wipeout HD, Stardust) here is my breakdown of pros and cons and what Sony needs to do to make this system truly worthy of a 5 star rating. Hardware/Form Factor: The new re-design is truly what the PS3 should have been from the very beginning, both in quality and price point. I feel that the initial design was far too radical for a gaming console. The system was bulky/bloated looking and I really hate glossy equipment; they attract dust and smudges so easily. Furthermore, I always felt that the lack of a re-designed controller made it feel like the system design as a whole package was never well thought out. The new slim corrects some of this and brings back a bit of cohesiveness to the overall design, keeping it in-line with the previous PS2 and the existing controller. As for the other aspects of the hardware, here is a breakdown: Pros: Built-in WiFi, nice power/reset/eject button design, Slot Load disc drive, HDMI support, BluRay support. USB cable provided for controller Cons: USB port placement, no headset for online gaming, no HDMI cable provided Controller: I am really having a hard time getting used to the PS3 after not playing a Sony system for so many years. I have just gotten very used to the 360 controller and it feels more naturally laid out, especially for those with larger hands and fingers. Why this controller has not been redesigned after three generations of PS systems is a mystery. I also don't see any usefulness in the sixaxis features in any of the games I have played. The controller also feels very cheap and lightweight. OS/Menu System: The PS3 XMB is quite possibly the worst and most illogically setup GUI I have used. Functional yes, but underwhelming and somewhat painful to use. The Xbox Gen 1 had a better menu. Even the Wii's clunky menu is laid out nicer. Many people seem to rave about the ability to modify the look with background pictures and icons or color theme, but that doesn't make up for a poorly laid out user experience. There are also several items that are useless to the PS3 slim like the PS2 memory card utility and minis utility since the new system is not backwards compatible. The ability to remove useless menu items would be a better feature to me than changing the wallpaper. Hopefully Sony will look at the 360's GUI for inspiration and do something about this in the future. BluRay and Games: I have watched a couple of movies (Dark Knight, Hulk) on the PS3 and I will say that the picture is fantastic. Just be sure and calibrate your system correctly. The exclusive games are the main reason to buy this system; (Metal Gear, Uncharted, Killzone2,etc). The third party games I have compared (Arkham Asylum, BioShock and Assassin's Creed 2) just look crisper and more detailed on the 360. Overall I think the PS3 is a great secondary system and I am pleased with the games that I have bought so far. I think the new price point is a great step at getting more people to buy it, but there still is a lot of work needed to make this system into a what it should be - a great game console that happens to play bluray movies and not a great bluray player that happens to play games.

POSITIVES: The first thing I immediately liked about it is the exterior casing. All of my friends have the older PS3 models and their systems have finger prints and scratches all over them-- simply by carrying them around. However, this new version doesn't appear to attract finger prints on the top of the case at all (but finger prints are attracted to the sides). The second thing I noticed (even though it's NO WHERE in Sony's documentation) is that the wireless signal strength is about 15 to 20% greater. For example one of my friends plays his PS3 80 at my home just about every weekend. I set it up to my living room television (which is about 100 feet from my router). The PS3 80 would get a wireless signal strength of 63/64% The PS3 slim in the same location gives me a 82 to 85% signal strength. The size is awesome-- very light. Very small. NEGATIVES: CANNOT STAND SIDEWAYS: It cannot stand on its side since it's so skinny. I like sideways instead of flat. I stood it up, but if I move anything around the television at all it wobbles, so I do not want to risk it. NO HD CABLES: This is a bluray machine. I assumed it would come with a component cable or an HDMI. It comes with neither. It comes with the old school composite (yellow, red and white). I should have order the HDMI cable when I ordered this system. Now i have to wait while one is shipped to me, because they're too expensive to buy locally. NO DEMOS AT ALL: Why doesn't the system include any PLAYABLE demos??? All it comes with is some video that shows what the system can do. HORRIBLE ONLINE MARKETPLACE: I created an account on Sony's Playstation Network (PSN) and saw some games for purchase and download, but there are NO DEMOS for the games I wanted! And, for the DEMOS that I did see online, MOST OF THEM WERE VOID SCREEN SHOTS! I love multiplayer games. PSN had a cheap game called Bomberman. My first issue is that it did not tell you HOW MANY PLAYERS it allowed. The second thing I noticed is that THERE WAS NO DEMO of it. So, I had to turn on my Xbox 360, 20gb, get on Xbox Live, download the demo, try it out, and THEN get back on the Playstation Network and buy the game.I would have purchased it for the Xbox, but I only have a 20 gig drive for that system that it's almost full. The Playstation Network had many of the SAME games that Xbox Live had. I am very disappointed that the Playstation Network only had about half the demos that Xbox Live had. And, I am completely baffled about how you can advertise a game for purchase and download but not have a screen shot or inform a person of the number of players! Final verdict: awesome graphics. Large hard drive, bluray player, but for demos, I have to stick with my Xbox 360.

Works like new. no issues. I bought it to play Gran Turismo 5 and 6. It's been a blast!!

The PS3 can do so much more than a PS2. For one thing, it plays Blu-ray dvds and streams internet wirelessly. It also plays awesome games in great quality. I have mine hooked up to a normal tv, the same one I had my PS2 hooked up to. I used the basic cables that came with it and I could easily tell a difference in the graphics. It would look twice as good if I hooked it up to an HD tv with an HDMI cord. The wireless controller works well. There is a usb cable that plugs in the front. When your controller gets low, a message appears and all you do is plug it in and it charges while you play. But the charging cable isn't very long and if you're camped out farther away from your system, you'll have to set up camp a little closer for the time being while it's charging. I have never owned the older version of PS3, so I can't say the pros and cons of this one vs. that one. But they say this one is quieter, more energy efficient, and smaller than the original. I never notice the noise of the fan when I am playing. Having it use less energy while still putting out the same great graphics is great too. This one is not PS2 compatible. Which is something I kind of wanted but considering this is the newest and cheapest model, I still went with this one. Only the very first model of PS3 is completely PS2 compatible. So then I was like, well I'll just buy that one, it should be pretty cheap since its an old model. But I was wrong. That one sold for more than this one. Not just a few bucks either. You'd be lucky to get one for somewhere in the high 300s. So then I was like no way I'm paying $75-100 more for an older model that can't do as much. One of my favorite things about the slim is Netflix instant streaming. If you don't have an account with them, your missing out. The cheapest you can get an account would be around $15 a month maybe. Now they have this box you can buy for $100 that allows you to instant stream movies for free. As many as you want, when you want. But if you get a PS3 Slim, you just go on the Netflix website and they'll send you a free disc. All you do is put it in your System, and it works the same as the instant box. The PS3 is like a do it all box. Over all, I'm pleased with the system. It occasionally freezes, but it can be prevented with a little thing called cleaning your discs and allowing your PS3 breathing time. The latter is only an issue if you play more than about 6 hours at a time. Any less and it doesn't matter. But I've found that after I been kickin' some butt in a game for 6-10 hours, my PS3 freezes more often, which is only about a couple times a day, but it's still annoying. If you play for a long time, here's what you do. Play your PS3 till you eat lunch or dinner. Then when you go to eat (unless you eat while you're playing) turn off your system. Then when you come back it'll be nice and rested and be ready to accompany you on your next quest. Play on gamers!!

[I was very skeptical placing my order knowing its openbox], I waited 3 days to post my review for very important reasons. The PS3 btw, is MINT CONDITION, came with everything it mentioned.[Console, Controller, Power+HDMI+Charger Cable, And even the Controller & (Charging Cable), HDMI Cable, & Power Cable were all in mint clean condition. I am amazed. I didn't expect it to be in spotless condition. I am so glad I went with this seller despite a few others in mind around the same budget. So Day1, I started the first game to test the PS3 and turned it on, worked great. Not a single glitch or lag. The processor speed is good. All 3 of my games load fine (even used ones). I played for about 2.5 more days (6-8 hrs each day). Everything went smooth and perfect. Buttons on the PS3 work great, looks brand new. I couldnt be any happier. The controller charges fast, and has all working buttons, mint condition. All cable ports have been cleaned, and fit cables(plugging) right and tight. Best of all, It arrived exactly on time!! Overall So far, Ive had NO problems ON THIS PS3. money spent well, totally worth it. I am beyond satisfied with my PS3 and glad I made this purchase! Thankyou seller. UPDATE: JAN 18TH 2022, THE PS3 IS STILL WORKING IN MINT CONDITION! UPDATE: SEPT 2024, STILL WORKING IN PERFECT CONDITION!

Amazing product works great worth it

Im very happy. Like new, a few scratches on the sides, otherwise perfect. Came way faster then estimated. All the cords, and cables are there. I cant be more happy. I am very happy with this PS3 and would order from this seller in a heartbeat.

Works great, everything I expected. Thank you so much It plays all my games, doesn’t lag. The only game it doesn’t play is black ops 2 for some reason. Gets frozen in loading screen and then I have to force shut off. Otherwise very happy especially with this being an outdated product

Amazing, it's a shared device for my brother and myself in our living room. It's a bigger HD than the one my father bought me but I still love my original and it stays in my room. 😁 Thank you so much for making it my brother can play the games he's always wanted to that I have I won't let him touch. 😂 I put game in, I takes game out. No touchies~! Love and appreciation from Hisoka 🐈‍⬛🐾 and me~! 🥰💕