Not one for writing Articles etc. But there have been a number of threads regarding the PS3 (quietened down a little now) so thought it would be useful to clear up a few things.
Although the PS3 does tend to be slated by a lot of people (including myself) it is a good console and despite what people say sales have been good. Within 2 days of being on the shelves in the UK 161,000 units were sold compared to the 71,000 for Xbox 360, and 105,000 for Nintendo Wii. The reason PS3 is still widely available is because there were 250,000 units available at release. The two most popular titles so far have been ‘MotorStorm’ and ‘Resistance Fall of Man’.
Region Encoding on the PS3:
PS3 games from any country can be played on the console, for the time being anyway. This means you will be able to buy games from the US (NTSC) and play them on your UK (PAL) console.
PSX/ PS2 games are region locked to either PAL (UK) or NTSC (Japan & US).
Blu-Ray & Standard definition DVD’s are also region locked as above. HD-DVD’s are not playable on the PS3. I won’t get onto the argument of which is better Blu-Ray or HD DVD in here. However, from what I can see Blu-Ray is the better one.
Backwards Compatibility
Before the release of PS3 Sony announced that the PS3 would be backwards compatible. The truth is they have had lots of problems with this issue and to this very day the problems remain.
The US and Japanese consoles have the CPU/rasterizer combination chip used in the slim PS2 (EE+GS) to achieve backward compatibility. The PAL consoles were shipped without the chip and rely solely on emulation to achieve backwards compatibility. They did announce that US and Japanese consoles will also be produced without the chip.
http://faq.eu.playstation.com/bc/bcGames.htm;ZSESSIONID=GWLyTyzzwq92y3Qzd2L2G4vQ98V 24qmrtCnbF64thd6Mf6sW8TV3!1129527845?locale=en_GB
Sony released this website ^^ before the UK release to say what PlayStation 2 titles would be compatible on the PAL console and if there were any issues with sound, quality etc.
PS3 Firmware
Like the PSP, PlayStation 3 has a firmware version. The firmware can be updated online by connecting your PS3 to the internet.
Rumour has it that Sony will be releasing a firmware version which will up-scale standard definition to 1080dp.
Which is better the 20GB (Basic) or the 60GB (Premium) package?
Apart from one having the bigger hard drive there are actually differences between the 20GB and 60GB packages. The 20GB package doesn’t have a chrome trim, neither does it have built in Wi-Fi, or a Flash Card reader. This may be the reason Sony are yet to release a 20GB Package in the UK.
Are there many titles for the PS3?
There are around 30 titles for the PS3 so far. However, there is news of a further 170 titles in development for this year.
Can I use memory cards and controllers from my PS2 console?
You can although will require a 3rd party adapter. I was told by a supplier that a USB adapter is being developed so such peripherals as the iToy will work on the PS3.
What will I require to make my US/ JAP PS3 work in the UK?
Whatever Sony have said the PS3 is 110V-240V so all you will need is the same power cable for the PC.
Will the PAL console get any cheaper?
Yes. Probably quicker that we would expect, as after being released nearly 2 weeks in the UK now the average retail price is £399.99 the original price was £425. I think within 12 months it will be down there with the Xbox 360.
I live in the UK, Should I buy a JAP console?
My advice to anyone who lives in the UK is to buy a PAL console. The price gap between the NTSC and PAL consoles is getting closer together now and I am sure Sony will play a cruel trick in a few months time. You will then also be able to play Region 2 DVD’s which you might thing you don’t need but never know. The same applies for your old PSX and PS2 games.
I hope someone will find this useful.... I will be updating it but its getting late now.