PS3: The Things I Like & Dislike
I'll be adding to this over the next few days, but here is my initial list of things I love and hate about Sony's latest console.
Things I Like:
Pure Digital Gaming Goodness
For the first time, I'm actually able to play games via both HDMI and Optical Digital and know that I'm getting the best video and audio possible. With my receiver turned up and Resistance running on my 50" DLP, I'm not sure that the experience of gaming can get much better at this point.
Blu-Ray
It's true that there isn't a substantial difference between well-produced DVDs that are up-res'd and most of the currently available Blu-Ray movies, but there are differences, nonetheless. The audio is one such noticeable area and really sounds clear and vibrant. On the video side of things, text and edges are generally quite sharper than DVD and fast motion, especially with lots of color, are now devoid of banding and compression issues. However, the typical film noise and other artifacts still show up, depending on the level of "clean-up" that the studios did when creating the high-res digital masters.
I would say that Talladega Nights isn't the ideal Blu-Ray movie to include with the PS3 and that it's barely better than nothing. Too bad Spider-Man 3 isn't out yet :-) You can read more about my gripe with this pack-in below.
PlayStation Store
Wile it's not quite ready for prime time yet and features only a few goodies as of right now, the PlayStation Store definitely shows promise and I prefer its mix of pictures/art and text over the text-heavy Xbox Live Market Place. Sony still needs to work on some things, like the speed of the site, as well as downloads and adding features like queuing, but they are definitely headed in the right direction. A year from now, I bet the PS will feature way more games, demos and downloadables than Xbox Live. Throw in music and movies and you'll have a one-stop shop for all your entertainment needs.
PSP Connectivity
Again, this is quite early, but you can already see the potential of the PSP + PS3 relationship. Being able to transfer media files back and forth and browse is quite cool and the thought of being able to download movies and PS1 games on the PS3 and then be able to carry them around on the PSP is downright cool. I also can't wait for the time where I'm in another state and am able to connect to my PS3 via Wi-Fi can grab new stuff to play and watch. The future is now.
Bluetooth
Being able to use my old cell phone Bluetooth headset for the PS3 is awesome. I just synced it up and now can use that as my wireless headset. I don't have to run out and buy a PS3-specific one. I'm gonna have to try out a Bluetooth keyboard next and see if that works, as well.
Game Cases
I love the clear look and the shape (which is basically like a thicker Blu-Ray case) but I wished that the top part of the case, which has the PS3 and Blu-Ray logo on it was dark instead of clear. The Wii game cases remind me too much of the Baby Einstein DVDs. Parents will now what I mean by that.
Things I Don't Like:
Single Digital Audio Output
Since I have a kid, I mostly play game audio through my TV. However, there are times when I like to crank up the receiver and play in full surround sound. Previously, I had my standard RCA-style cables plugged into my TV and a Digital Audio cable plugged into my receiver. However, now that I am using HDMI to plug into my TV, I can't output digital audio through that and the Digital Audio cable at the same time. I actually have to manually go into the PS3's system menu and change the audio output. This is plain annoying and an extra step. I don't see why the PS3 isn't powerful enough to process two digital audio streams, but maybe it's just not a priority for Sony as most people would never need it.
No Clear Eyetoy and Headset Support
Sure, the OS recognizes the older Eyetoy camera, as well as the PS2 USB headset, but no games really take advantage of them. If they do, it's not clear that they do so most people will just rely on text chat. With the ease of how such things work on the 360, it's a shame that the PS3 is lagging in this regard. I would assume that when the next SOCOM comes out, Sony will be full-on with the Headset and Eyetoy support in games... but we'll just have to wait and see.
PSP Firmware 3.0 Not Yet Available
Version 3.0 will unlock a lot of the features of the whole PSP - PS3 relationship. You'll be able to download and play PS games, as well as share media. This firmware should have hit when the PS3 launched, so Sony better release it soon.
No Rumble
I generally like the SIXAXIS controller but it is hard to get over the fact that there is no rumble support. I'm sure I will get used to that, but it's strange to see a feature that is available in the other consoles not be included with this one.
No USB Ports In The Back
This is one area where I love the Wii. I hate having things plugged into the front of my console systems, especially if it is for an extended period of time. Having an Eyetoy, a keyboard and whatever else makes the front of the PS3 look like an old telephone operators terminal, with cables going everywhere. I guess that once everything goes to Bluetooth, this won't be a problem, but I still would have loved a couple of the USB ports moved to the back.
No Component Cable
This wasn't such a big deal for me since I already had an HDMI cable and several PS2 component cables, but there is no excuse for not including a component cable with the $600 PS3. Since this is touted as the definitive HD console, it's plain ridiculous that it only comes with a composite cable. What was Sony thinking? This has got to be one of the stupidest things they have ever done, second only to releasing the PS2 HDD with no real plans or support for it. There's simply no excuse for it.
Bad Choice For Blu-Ray Pack-In
Talladega Nights? Come one! Who are you trying to cater to? I understand that it had to be a movie that was PG-13 or less, but there has got to be something better than this. To make matters worse, the Talladega Nights Blu-Ray version is getting bad reviews for its video quality. How are you going to convince people that Blu-Ray is the future of movies when you can't even pack-in a movie that features good visual quality. Microsoft did it right by including King Kong with the HD-DVD player, as that movie is quite highly rated in the video quality department. Sony needs to learn from that.
Things I Like:
Pure Digital Gaming Goodness
For the first time, I'm actually able to play games via both HDMI and Optical Digital and know that I'm getting the best video and audio possible. With my receiver turned up and Resistance running on my 50" DLP, I'm not sure that the experience of gaming can get much better at this point.
Blu-Ray
It's true that there isn't a substantial difference between well-produced DVDs that are up-res'd and most of the currently available Blu-Ray movies, but there are differences, nonetheless. The audio is one such noticeable area and really sounds clear and vibrant. On the video side of things, text and edges are generally quite sharper than DVD and fast motion, especially with lots of color, are now devoid of banding and compression issues. However, the typical film noise and other artifacts still show up, depending on the level of "clean-up" that the studios did when creating the high-res digital masters.
I would say that Talladega Nights isn't the ideal Blu-Ray movie to include with the PS3 and that it's barely better than nothing. Too bad Spider-Man 3 isn't out yet :-) You can read more about my gripe with this pack-in below.
PlayStation Store
Wile it's not quite ready for prime time yet and features only a few goodies as of right now, the PlayStation Store definitely shows promise and I prefer its mix of pictures/art and text over the text-heavy Xbox Live Market Place. Sony still needs to work on some things, like the speed of the site, as well as downloads and adding features like queuing, but they are definitely headed in the right direction. A year from now, I bet the PS will feature way more games, demos and downloadables than Xbox Live. Throw in music and movies and you'll have a one-stop shop for all your entertainment needs.
PSP Connectivity
Again, this is quite early, but you can already see the potential of the PSP + PS3 relationship. Being able to transfer media files back and forth and browse is quite cool and the thought of being able to download movies and PS1 games on the PS3 and then be able to carry them around on the PSP is downright cool. I also can't wait for the time where I'm in another state and am able to connect to my PS3 via Wi-Fi can grab new stuff to play and watch. The future is now.
Bluetooth
Being able to use my old cell phone Bluetooth headset for the PS3 is awesome. I just synced it up and now can use that as my wireless headset. I don't have to run out and buy a PS3-specific one. I'm gonna have to try out a Bluetooth keyboard next and see if that works, as well.
Game Cases
I love the clear look and the shape (which is basically like a thicker Blu-Ray case) but I wished that the top part of the case, which has the PS3 and Blu-Ray logo on it was dark instead of clear. The Wii game cases remind me too much of the Baby Einstein DVDs. Parents will now what I mean by that.
Things I Don't Like:
Single Digital Audio Output
Since I have a kid, I mostly play game audio through my TV. However, there are times when I like to crank up the receiver and play in full surround sound. Previously, I had my standard RCA-style cables plugged into my TV and a Digital Audio cable plugged into my receiver. However, now that I am using HDMI to plug into my TV, I can't output digital audio through that and the Digital Audio cable at the same time. I actually have to manually go into the PS3's system menu and change the audio output. This is plain annoying and an extra step. I don't see why the PS3 isn't powerful enough to process two digital audio streams, but maybe it's just not a priority for Sony as most people would never need it.
No Clear Eyetoy and Headset Support
Sure, the OS recognizes the older Eyetoy camera, as well as the PS2 USB headset, but no games really take advantage of them. If they do, it's not clear that they do so most people will just rely on text chat. With the ease of how such things work on the 360, it's a shame that the PS3 is lagging in this regard. I would assume that when the next SOCOM comes out, Sony will be full-on with the Headset and Eyetoy support in games... but we'll just have to wait and see.
PSP Firmware 3.0 Not Yet Available
Version 3.0 will unlock a lot of the features of the whole PSP - PS3 relationship. You'll be able to download and play PS games, as well as share media. This firmware should have hit when the PS3 launched, so Sony better release it soon.
No Rumble
I generally like the SIXAXIS controller but it is hard to get over the fact that there is no rumble support. I'm sure I will get used to that, but it's strange to see a feature that is available in the other consoles not be included with this one.
No USB Ports In The Back
This is one area where I love the Wii. I hate having things plugged into the front of my console systems, especially if it is for an extended period of time. Having an Eyetoy, a keyboard and whatever else makes the front of the PS3 look like an old telephone operators terminal, with cables going everywhere. I guess that once everything goes to Bluetooth, this won't be a problem, but I still would have loved a couple of the USB ports moved to the back.
No Component Cable
This wasn't such a big deal for me since I already had an HDMI cable and several PS2 component cables, but there is no excuse for not including a component cable with the $600 PS3. Since this is touted as the definitive HD console, it's plain ridiculous that it only comes with a composite cable. What was Sony thinking? This has got to be one of the stupidest things they have ever done, second only to releasing the PS2 HDD with no real plans or support for it. There's simply no excuse for it.
Bad Choice For Blu-Ray Pack-In
Talladega Nights? Come one! Who are you trying to cater to? I understand that it had to be a movie that was PG-13 or less, but there has got to be something better than this. To make matters worse, the Talladega Nights Blu-Ray version is getting bad reviews for its video quality. How are you going to convince people that Blu-Ray is the future of movies when you can't even pack-in a movie that features good visual quality. Microsoft did it right by including King Kong with the HD-DVD player, as that movie is quite highly rated in the video quality department. Sony needs to learn from that.
posted by Frosty @ 8:34 PM
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