CD-ROM Consoles

The Bottom Line: With a smaller design, more energy-efficient operation, lower price tag, and built-in Blu-ray and multimedia capabilities, the PS3 Slim delivers a compelling package for an affordable price.

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 Slim - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Cell Broadband Engine, 256 MB - Integrated, 1920 x 1080

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.

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Limited Edition Bundle - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Cell Broadband Engine, 256 MB - Integrated, 1920 x 1080

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.

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Cell Broadband Engine, 256 MB - Integrated, 1920 x 1080

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, IBM Cell Broadband Engine 3.2 GHz, 256 MB - Integrated, 1920 x 1080

The Bottom Line: A handful of notable upgrades from the entry-level model, the 80GB PS3 is superb Blu-ray player and high-definition game console.

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Cell Broadband Engine, 256 MB - Integrated, 1920 x 1080

The Bottom Line: While Sony has cut a few corners to get its entry-level PlayStation 3 below $400, it's still a great game console and Blu-ray player for the money--so long as you can live without backward compatibility for PS2 games.

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Cell Broadband Engine, 256 MB - Integrated, 1920 x 1080

The Bottom Line: The high-end Sony PlayStation 3's larger hard drive and ability to play PS2 games makes it a worthwhile alternative to the cheaper model--so long as you're willing to wait several months for the more promising exclusive titles to hit store shelves. If backward compatibility is your top priority, this hard-to-find model may be worth the search.

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, IBM Cell 3.2 GHz, 256 MB XDR DRAM - Integrated, 1920 x 1080

The Bottom Line: Sony's slimmed-down, network-ready PS2 is a welcome update to the world's most popular video game console.

Specs: Sony PlayStation 2 - Game console, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Toshiba & Sony Emotion Engine 294.9 MHz, 32 MB RDRAM (RAMBUS) - Integrated, 32-bit color / 1280 x 1024

Specs: Sony PlayStation 3 Slim - Game console, BD-ROM, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Cell Broadband Engine, 256 MB - Integrated, 1920 x 1080

Specs: Sony PlayStation 2 Silver Edition - Game console, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Toshiba & Sony Emotion Engine 294.9 MHz, 32 MB RDRAM (RAMBUS) - Integrated, 32-bit color / 1280 x 1024