PlayStation 3 80 GB

PlayStation 3 80GB Buy Now

Monday, January 25, 2010 by Migo | Posted in Best PlayStation 3 80 GB, Buy PlayStation 3 80 GB, Cheap PlayStation 3 80 GB, Discount PlayStation 3 80 GB, Looking for PlayStation 3 80 GB, PlayStation 3 80GB

If you're reading this review, you've probably read plenty of others so I'll just cut to the chase. The major reason I waited so long to get the PS3, as opposed to getting the 360 and Wii shortly after their launch, was due to the lack of first party software support. Basically the PS3 was getting all the same games as the 360 but not nearly as many exclusive titles.

Recently though there's been an increase in quality software. Check out Little Big Planet and Folklore to name a couple. Most of the Xbox exclusives are making there way to the PS3 as well. Not only that, but I too have been burned by the red ring. My faith in the reliability of the 360 has faltered. Finally, with the upcoming addition of Home and various firmware updates, the appeal of the social networking/online play of the PS3 has greatly increased to the point of being competitive with Live.

The issue I have is Sony's "Consumer Confusion" strategy. There are 6 different consoles out there that all have varying capabilities and have only been available for certain amounts of time. Let's break them down:

The original 80gig: 4 USB ports and software based PS2 emulation, No DualShock 3, WiFi. (No longer in production.)

The MGS4 80gig edition: Comes with the original 80gig and MGS4 game. (No longer in production.)

The MGS4 Limited Edition 40gig:4 USB ports, NO PS2 emulation, WiFi, No DualShock 3. (No longer in production.)

The new 80gig: 2 USB ports, NO PS2 emulation, DualShock 3, WiFi (Currently in Production.)

60gig console: 4 USB ports, PS2 hardware-based emulation, WiFi, No DualShock 3. (No longer in production.)

20gig console: 4 USB ports, PS2 hardware-based emulation, No WiFi, No DualShock 3. (No longer in production.)

40gig console: 4 USB ports, NO PS2 emulation, WiFi, No DualShock 3. (No longer in production.)

160gig console: 2 USB ports, No PS2 emulation, WiFi, DualShock 3. (In Production.)

So consumers have no idea what they're buying without doing a decent amount of research, especially if they're taking refurbished ones on Ebay into consideration. Furthermore, consumers have to make the decision to buy one now, or what to see what they'll release in 3 months. Make up your mind Sony.

I ordered the new 80gig thinking it was the same 80gig as the MGS4 pack that was on the shelves only a few months ago. I figured they just weren't including the game anymore. To my surprise, it has 2 less USB ports than I thought and no PS2 compatibility. This is irritating because I have PS2 games that I enjoy playing from time to time, but my PS2 barely works anymore. (I was one of the unfortunate that bought one on launch day.) I really can't justify buying a new PS2. I can only hope that they release some software emulation in a future firmware update.

All in all, it's a good system that's starting to get its act together. I would have given it five stars but the lack of backwards compatibility irks me. Get more detail about PlayStation 3 80GB.