$500 PS3 vs $600 PS3 In depth comparison with pictures

[Razer]

Courtesy of Gamepro.com

http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps3/games/features/60688.shtml

This will help you make up your mind a little better as to what you personally need for your gaming.



"Feature: The PS3: What You Need to Know
Feature by Vicious Sid | 05/31/2006 | 23:59:01 PM PST

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Fresh off the floor of E3 2006, here's the latest intel on Sony's next-gen gaming powerhouse.

Ever since it was first announced at E3 2005, Sony has captured the hearts and minds of gamers with its PlayStation 3. After collating all known data, both from fact sheets and from hands-on time, here are answers to your most pressing PS3 questions.
So what's with the price? Why is Sony selling the PS3 at the ultra-high prices of $499 and $599?
The differences are more than skin deep...though those chrome highlights on the 60 GB model sure bring out our shallow side

The differences are more than skin deep...though those chrome highlights on the 60 GB model sure bring out our shallow side

We know it hurts, but the key reason for the price is the next-gen DVD format war. The PS3 will be Sony's first big mass-market Blu-ray player, making it a key strategy to capturing the lead in the next-gen format war... but the bad news is, we'll all pay for that decision. The Blu-ray drive is probably the single most expensive component inside the PS3.

A Merrill Lynch analyst recently deduced that Sony would spend over $800 for each PS3; of that cost, almost half ($350) would go towards the Blu-ray drive. More recent analysis have lowered those numbers slightly, but in any event it's not hard to see how Sony settled on the prices of $499 and $599. And at those prices, Sony is still losing hundreds of dollars per PS3.
Any chance Sony will lower those prices before they launch?

Nope, almost certainly not. Publicly announcing a retail price is like publicly announcing a marriage engagement -- once the secret's out, there's no putting it back in the bag.
Sigh. Okay, so what are the differences between the $499 20 GB PS3 and the $599 60 GB model?
Missing HDMI output distinguishes the 20 GB model (top) from the 60 GB model (bottom)

Missing HDMI output distinguishes the 20 GB model (top) from the 60 GB model (bottom)

The $499 model has all the same core capabilities of its bigger brother, with a few key deficiencies. It lacks HDMI video output, a sacrifice that's meaningless to the vast majority of gamers (component cables work just fine, thanks). It's also missing the integrated Wi-Fi receiver, the multi-format memory card reader, and it's got a smaller hard drive.

There are also eye-catching chrome highlights on the pricier 60 GB model. We still think the 20 GB model looks plenty slick, however.
Which PS3 model should I buy? The 20 GB or the 60 GB?

That's up to you. But unless you're ga-ga for HDMI video output, or you're dead-set on using integrated Wi-Fi functionality, the $499 model will be the better deal. It's the exact same machine, with a few less frills. And you can always install a bigger hard drive or Wi-Fi access later, if you want.
That reminds me: how difficult is it to install a new hard drive for the PS3?

We don't have a full briefing on how this is done (yet), but it should be a simple process. You won't need to hire any Sony specialists.


What if I don't have HDMI input? Will I still be able to use the HDMI-equipped $599 60 GB PS3 on my TV?

Definitely. Just use standard component cables (the red, blue, and green ones) and the image will still look fantastic. Even though it's digital, HDMI isn't automatically better -- unless you're spreading dozens of feet of cable, you're unlikely to notice the difference anyway. Typical component cables will make both PS3 models look great on any HDTV.

Think of HDMI as the "Next Big Thing." You've got plenty of time -- no need to worry.
Okay, so the $499 PS3 does not have integrated Wi-Fi. Does that mean that I can't connect my PSP to the PlayStation 3?

This is true in one sense. You won't be able to use Wi-Fi to connect your PSP to the stock $499 20 GB PlayStation 3 unless you shell out for an external Wi-Fi unit for the PS3. But all is not lost -- there will be other ways to connect your Sony portable to the PS3.

If Sony makes good on the ability to use the PSP as a remote control center for the PS3, you may be able to use the PSP's infrared port to make the connection. In fact, IR could end up being the best way to control the PS3's media functions, as it wouldn't suck nearly as much battery juice as Wi-Fi would. And there is always the old-fashioned method of connecting the PSP to the PS3 with a USB 2.0 cable. Yeah, it's not as effortlessly cool as Wi-Fi, but you'll still get the fastest connection speed.

No one can argue, though, that Wi-Fi will be the slickest way to connect the PSP to the PS3. It might be worth the investment, especially when you see some of the things developers are planning (rear-view mirrors in racing games are just the beginning).
Check out those over-sized triggers

Check out those over-sized triggers
So what does the controller feel like?

It feels good, much like the PS2's stock DualShock controller. In fact, it's so similar that at a glance, you won't see anything different.

When you pick up the controller, the first thing you'll notice is that it's wireless. Look a little deeper and you'll see that Sony redesigned the L2 and R2 buttons (the triggers), giving them a mushier, more "analog" feel. The new oversized triggers are similar to the analog triggers on the Xbox 360, only bigger and with a much bigger range of motion. They felt soft and comfortable, more like big foam pads than hard, unyielding plastic buttons.
What about the controller's motion sensor?

It's not currently operable, except in a crude real-time demo for Warhawk. Sony was in such a hurry to implement the motion sensor functions that many game developers found out literally at E3. None of the PS3 games on display at E3 -- Heavenly Sword, Madden NFL 07, Resistance: Fall of Man -- had motion sensing functionality.
What's with that little button in the middle of the PS3 controller?

At the moment, we have no firm idea what it does. We overheard one developer say that, on current dev kits, this button turns off analog functionality, just like the Analog button on the current PS2 controller. But there's a safe bet that Sony has bigger plans in the works for that little button. Will it bring up some kind of online guide menu? Activate the motion sensing capabilities? Release a burst of minty freshness?

When we know exactly what it does, you'll know.
Whatever happened to the PS3's original "boomerang" controller?
We're still curious: would

We're still curious: would "the boomerang" have been comfortable?

It's DOA. It's hard to say whether that was just an early design study or a final candidate that was scrapped at the last second. It's also possible that Sony's ongoing legal feud with Immersion, who sued them for allegedly infringing on their force-feedback technology, played a role. We'll probably never know precisely what happened to the "boomerang."

Maybe it's for the best.
Okay, so what about the games? What are the PS3 launch titles to watch?

Heavenly Sword, for one. This fusion of God of War and Virtua Fighter was easily the most visually impressive title we've seen for the PS3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Sons of Liberty also looks excellent.

Outside of those, it's too soon to say. Games like Warhawk, Sonic, and Resistance: Fall of Man looked good...but not necessarily $499-$599 good, if you catch our drift. One surprise caught our eye: after months of mockery, Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom actually looked and played surprisingly good. It's like Dynasty Warriors on steroids, and it was good button-mashing fun, and generally speaking far superior to the version we first saw it back in February.
I heard awesome things about Gears of War. Will that ever come to the PS3?

No. Epic and Microsoft have worked closely on Gears of War, and it's unlikely that Microsoft would such a high-profile title to move to Sony's camp. The same can be said for games like Fable 2, Forza Motorsport 2, and Halo 3 -- there's just no way they'll land on PS3."