This weekend, I had the pleasure of toying around with Sony's new console, unsurprisingly named, PlayStation 3, or PS3 for short. There was much hype surrounding the system before launch and most systems sold on eBay for well above the $600 Sony was asking for. Some preorder slips sold for as much as $10,000, even though a system was not necessarily guaranteed at launch. Sony faced many troubles in bringing its new console to American shores, mainly due to faulty Blu-ray lenses and delayed production times. So, after all the shootings, robberies, riots, and camp-outs, was it worth it? Some fanboys (and girls) say "yes," while others like me say "not really."
The PS3 is a sight to behold - that is, if you can take it all in at once. The device is quite large (3.9 in. x 12.8 in. x 10.8 in.)and even a bit larger than the original XBOX. The buttons on the system are touch sensitive like an iPod, so there are no physical "buttons" on the device that can snap off a la the PS2. The controller is wireless and rechargeable via a USB cable attached to the system. The six-axis motion sensitive feature hasn't been fully utilized on many of the games so far, and from what I could tell, isn't that innovative. If you're looking for motion sensitivity, get a Wii.
As for the main reason you're reading this article, the graphics are very good, but not as good as some people say they are. I believe that the hype surrounding the graphics of some launch titles was due in part to people who waited a week to get their system not wanting to be disappointed, so they made themselves believe the graphics were better than the XBOX 360's graphics. The problem is that, while the system is newer than the 360, that does not mean it is better...yet. I see great potential in this system and in a year, the games will most likely blow everything else out of the water, but as of right now, the XBOX 360 has a good year and a half on the PS3 in terms of game development. The graphics on the 360 are better right now because developers have had a longer time to explore the technology than those who developed for the PlayStation 3. A great example of graphical differences between the two systems is Fight Night Round 3.
On the PS3, the graphics are great, but there are pixelation problems, frame rate issues, and graphical glitches. In one instance, when Ray Robinson hit the mat, his left arm fell into his side and became a part of his torso. I have yet to see issues like this on the XBOX 360 version of the game, although I'm sure they've occurred sporadically. The lighting in each version of the game is also drastically different. The PS3 version looks very washed-out and a bit too bright, while the 360 looks darker, grittier, and more realistic. The blood and spit effects on the XBOX's Fight Night are also slightly more realistic.
I was not surprised when other (more established) blogs and tech-mags gave all around negative reviews of the system. Seth Schiesel of the New York Times said that, "Overall, Sony seems to have put a lot of effort into cramming as much silicon horsepower under the hood as possible but to have forgotten that all the transistors in the world can’t make someone smile," and he's right.
Perhaps, when Sony releases the mountain of firmware updates and patches for it's new console, it will be a big deal, but for now the PlayStation 3 just feels like Larry the Cable Guy at a soiree in the Hamptons - unfinished and unpolished.
