Manage updates with the Download AppPlayStation 3 (2006)
Following the market-leading PlayStation 2, the third-gen Sony video game console innovated in some bold ways. It added motion control, via the new six-axis wireless controller, and it was the first -- and to date, only -- game console with a Blu-ray drive.
Of those two experiments, the motion control was rarely used, but Blu-ray has becomes the default HD content format, fighting off a challenge from the short-lived HD-DVD format (which was available in the Xbox 360 as an add-on peripheral).
Released in November 2006, the console's original retail price was $499 (for the 20GB HDD version) and $500 (for the 60GB HDD version). The price has since come down significantly since then, and the PS3 has sold about 77 million units, or about half what the PS2 sold.
The good: Swanky design with quiet operation; all games in high-definition; PSP-like, easy-to-use interface; plays Profile 2.0 high-definition Blu-ray movies in addition to upscaling standard DVDs; built-in Wi-Fi; 80GB hard drive; HDMI output with 1080p support; no external power supply; free online gaming service.
The bad: Lacks full backward support for PS2 games; only comes with two USB ports; no infrared port means non-Bluetooth universal remotes aren't compatible; no flash card or memory reader; glossy black finish is a fingerprint magnet; online gaming, media, and commerce options not nearly as developed as Xbox Live.
The bottom line: Even though PS2 backward compatibility has been dropped from this version, the 80GB PS3 is still a superb Blu-ray player and high-definition game console.
February 14, 2013 3:11 PM PST
Photo by: AP Photo/Jason DeCrow
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