PS3: Sheer Power

So it is here. Shining black, sitting by my TV. The new Sony Playstation 3. A game console or a supercomputer? According to Wikipedia, the processing power of PS3 is 2 Teraflops, on par with the latest 80-core prototype CPU by Intel. The potential processing power of the PS3 can also be anticipated by looking at its power supply, rated at 380 Watts.

I must say I am surprised with this gadget in many ways. A few years ago when I bought my old XBOX, I didn't have any need for something more powerful to just do the games. But there was one thing I underestimated a little bit - the high definition TVs, about to hit the market. Sony PS3 is all about high definition. It is the first console to have HDMI port built in and it really shines when connected to a true 1080p - capable TV (1080p means the screen resolution is 1920x1080, or 2 million pixels). But the most important thing about the PS3 is, this time Sony did practically everything right. Below is a list of features I like a lot in PS3:

• Built in HDMI (already mentioned). This means absolutely hassle free setup - just one thin cable and one plug from the console to the TV, carrying both audio and video, with automatic detection of TV capabilities, so the PS3 automatically configures itself).
• 1080p resolution. Practically the highest available today (be careful when buying a TV, as most are "only" 720p, but this does make a difference, as 1080p picture has twice as many pixels as 720p).
• Built in and silent power supply. This was the primary factor why I did not decide to go for an XBOX 360. XBOX has an external "brick" (and I do mean brick) power unit and is famous for the noise it generates. I hate cable mess and I hate noise. So much for the XBOX.
• Built in WiFi. I do not know how many of you have Ethernet ports by your TV, but Microsoft designers for some reason have not equipped the XBOX with WiFi. WiFi is the de facto standard at homes. While we may have Ethernet cables lying around our offices, we hate them at home. I think 90% of DSL-connected homes have WiFi and this is the target market for the new game consoles. As WiFi chip costs probably some 5$, the lack of it in XBOX is hard to understand.
• Standard connectivity ports. This is something like no Sony. There are four STANDARD USB ports at the front. There is a CompactFlash socket. There is a Secure Digital socket (both standard and mini SD)! There is of course a Memory Stick socket as well. But the presence of CF and SD made me look twice at the Sony logo... And these ports just work. Just plug in a CF or SD card from your camera for an absolutely jaw-dropping experience of browsing pictures on a 50-inch, 1080p screen. I would say the built - in photo browser (when matched to a big screen and high resolution) should be used as the primary marketing vehicle for the console. Many adults just do not understand their kid's games, but having seen the high definition photos served by the PS3 they should have less of a problem shelling out a few hundred dollars. The USB implementation is so standard, it works even with an iPOD...
  
• System - wide Bluetooth. Another brilliant move by Sony. Wireless controllers (BTW the controllers are charged over standard mini-USB cables!) are great, showing absolutely no lag, and I was even able to pair a standard Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse with PS3 for improved navigation (especially when browsing the Internet). Of course you can pair other devices, like keyboard etc.
  
• Built-in Blue-Ray drive for high definition movies. PS3 supposedly is the best Blue-Ray player on the market now and for the price equal to other Blue-Ray players you get all the "console" stuff included. Again trying to compare that with XBOX 360, leaves Microsoft in the dust, as 360 requires an add-on HD-DVD drive (another box, another cable...) to play HD movies.
  
  

Taking all the above into account, I must say it has been a long time (if ever?) that I had such a well designed device in my hands. Hardware - wise, there is probably not much more I could wish for. May be UWB for wireless USB, but this has not been yet fully standardized across consumer devices.

So is there a weakness? Definitely not in the hardware. But the software lags far, far behind. The number of games is fairly limited, and when selecting them, be careful. I love racing games and my first one has been the Ridge Racer. It has wonderful smooth graphics, even at the highest resolution. But the second one - the MotorStorm is only 720p and feels slower, probably the screen refresh rate is a bit below 25fps. Spiderman 3 has been criticized all over for the sluggish performance, so when shopping for a game, read the reviews first. The online experience is far behind Microsoft's now, but we know Sony is working on some interesting projects like the Home.

The final and probably most important (in the long run) thing worth mentioning is the open software platform. Again "like no Sony"... We have both huge community of enthusiatst and the big ones like IBM (see "An introduction to Linux on the Playstation 3") standing behind.

The PLAYSTATION 3 is unusual for a gaming console for two reasons. First, it is incredibly more open than any previous console. While most consoles do everything possible to prevent unauthorized games from being playable on their system, the PS3 goes in the other direction, even providing direct support for installing and booting foreign operating systems.

A few weeks ago I posted on the Apple TV, pointing to the need on an open TV platform. With PS3 it just looks like we have already found one... Now it is time for the software developers to prove the real power of PS3 will be in its software.