Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Having had the pleasure of using the PlayStation 3 for several days, I have come to appreciate what it is and what it isn't. What it is not is a substantial leap in entertainment quality. PS3 games, for the most part, feel like PS2 games or even Xbox 360 games. In terms of the gaming experience, the new tilt sensor is the main innovation, and while it is interesting, I can't help but feel that it's mostly a gimmick. That's not to say that it's useless, but it's hardly a reason to rush out and buy a PS3. That aside, the sheer processing power is remarkable; the 7-core Cell process is several times as powerful as most modern PC desktops, and the custom NVidia graphics chipset is roughly as capable as the best graphics cards you can buy today. While the PS3's price is expensive compared to other gaming consoles, considering what's stuffed into the sleek and attractive enclosure, it's actually something of a bargain. Fortunately, the massive upgrade in computational horsepower is immediately obvious when viewed on a high-definition display. To get the most out of your PS3, you'll want a 1080P display. If you have one, you really will be blown away by the resolution and detail present in all of the new games. In fact, at 1080P, these computer-generated graphics contain much more detail than any over-the-air HD broadcast, and they're also considerably sharper than HD-DVD or Blu-ray movies, which even at 1080P suffer from various shortcomings (compression, transfer issues, focus errors, etc.) If you have a standard definition television, you'll still see an improvement, because the PS3 doesn't just up the resolution, it ups the polygon detail and lighting complexity. In fact, on the standard definition display I hooked my PS3 up to just for fun, in some ways it looked closer to reality than it did on the HD display, simply because everything was smaller, and therefore less smooth/plasticy. It's hard to explain, but there are definitely times when you can almost forget that the PS3 output is fake -- and that's not something I've experienced on my PS2 or Xbox 360 (though it comes close). However, if you only have an SD display, you definitely want to get an HD display. At 720P, the PS3 looks great, but 1080P is where you can stop seeing pixelation from reasonable viewing distances. I'll refrain from mentioning the specific games in this review, but the five that I've tried have ranged from visually impressive to visually stunning. Some other quick points: 1. The console is considerably quieter than I expected. It's hardly silent, but I was afraid it would be much louder given its internals. I'd say it's slightly quiter than my Xbox 360. 2. Audio quality is shockingly good. Hooked up to a 5.1 system with good speakers... WOW! 3. The fit and finish of the console is excellent. 4. The built-in BluRay player is fantastic, though the interface could be quicker. This is a "cheap" way to get a BluRay player, at least for now. 5. Love the HDMI port! Super easy to connect audio and video to the rest of my AV system. 6. I miss the vibrating controller of the Xbox; without it I feel somehow disconnected to the game. 7. Don't sit too close to your TV while playing... I tried it and felt sick! Overall, this is a serious jump in visual and audio quality over the PS2, a noticeable jump over the Xbox 360, and a great buy if you're into high-quality gaming. Just don't expect the games themselves to be substantially more fun or shockingly different than what you're used to.