Playstation 3 is coming...

[SAS]

Sony have released details of the Playstation 3, which is due for release in spring 2006. The BBC have a nice roundup of what will be on offer and over here you'll find more images of the console including the oddly shaped controller.

Specs:
+ CPU Cell Processor running at 3.2Ghz with 2.18 teraflops of performance
Backward compatible
+ 256Mb XDR main RAM at 3.2 GHz
+ 256Mb of GDDR VRAM at 700Mhz
+ Memory Stick Duo, SD, compact flash memory slots
+ Detachable 2.5 inch hard drive
+ Support for seven Bluetooth controllers
+ Six USB slots for peripherals
+ Supports Blu-ray DVD format
+ Output in HDTV resolution up to 1080p as standard

No details of how much damage your wallet will take to get your hands on the PS3, but with the Xbox 360 weighing in at $300 the PS3 can't be far off?

 

[Jonty]

For the amount and quality of hardware you're getting, it's certainly a very reasonable price (even £300, let alone dollars). The only downside is the lack of upgradability, as ever, which means the PC will leap-frog the consoles until the next iteration and so on.

Kind Regards

 

[Shovel]

Technically true Jonts, but while in the lifespan of a console a PC's specs will surpass it, the number of games which actually use that PC power is small, for reasons of supporting older systems. A console game can use all that 3.2 Ghz tri-core whatevery from day 1 if it wishes.

The bi-product of the above is not being able to upgrade the hardware, but it is the very rigid upgrade cycle of consoles (throw away, buy new) which enables then above. And surely, if the PS3 (and possibly XBox 360) are going to be backward compatible then why not regard the PS3 instead as a £300 upgrade to the PS2? Heck, you couldn't get the same kind of upgrade to a PC for that money.

So while you're point is technically true, I'm not convinced that it actually changes much. Console evolution is very different from PC evolution and has its own benefits.

I know this is in danger of sparking a "PC vs. Console" debate. It's not meant to be. In fact, it should highlight that such a comparison is futile (at least on a hardware level) because they are very different animals indeed.

I wont be able to afford either at launch, so if I get one at all it'll be with the nice retrospective look at their quality after a year or so.

 

[Cask]

Note that he said the XBox360 is going to be $300 whiich is about £160 so if the PS3 is around the same price I might pick one of them up and end my abstinence from the console market since the Megadrive.

 

[Shovel]

Erm, $300 is likely, but we wont see that kind of conversion rate over here. Probably looking at at around £250 at launch, if not just a straight £ for $ swap. That's what happened last time at least, iirc.