Here is my first look full review of Playstation 3 from the perspective of a casual gamer…
First thing’s first. I do like the PS3 a lot. I bought the 40GB which I hear runs cooler and quieter than other variants. I very much like the XMB (XrossMediaBar) user interface, however I do wish it were available in-game. Right now there is no way to access email, the store, etc. without quitting your game, movie, etc. The interface is sleek and sexy. It is a joy to play with and use. I am quite fond of the standardization such as the use of Bluetooth, user-upgradable hard disk, mini-USB connectors, etc. It makes for a slightly more consumer friendly system than the walled garden world of the Xbox 360.
Here are some of my initial thoughts for pros & cons:
Pros:
- Sleek hardware design
- Industry standard components (USB->mini USB charging cables, SATA drive, etc.)
- UPnP Media Sharing from Windows, Macintosh, Linux
- Wonderful Blu-ray playback (despite the lack of the proper support the high-def audio codecs)
- Light, comfortable bluetooth controllers
- Sleek bluetooth remote control
- Nice touch sensitive eject/power buttons on the front
- Network/disk access lights
Cons:
- Poor online implementation (Compared to Xbox Live)
- Playstation Storefront needs more content (i.e. more demos, game videos, movies, etc.)
- Incredibly slow downloads from the store
- Lack of rumble in controllers (ETA: 2008)
- Lack of in-game XMB
- Lack of IR receiver
- Small catalog of good games titles (Compared to Xbox 360)
All in all, I am VERY pleased and wish I had purchased this rather than jumping into HD DVD with the Xbox 360 player first, but hindsight is always clearer…