PlayStation 3 hands-on preview (with video!)
By Ryan Block 
posted Nov 1st 2006 3:07PM
posted Nov 1st 2006 3:07PM
We got a brief shred of playtime back at E3 this year, but Sony was kind enough to invite us down to SCEA HQ in beautiful Foster City for a little one on one with some PlayStation3s and execs. We shot some video (yes, us) and have a some notes on the hardware after the break, so check it out!
P.S. -Our flash video isn't the highest quality / res. If you want the best looking video of the PS3, check out the VGA h.264 file below.
Download video
MOV (h.264) - VGA, QVGA
AVI (DivX) - VGA, QVGA
Music: Christopher Willits - Colors Shifting (Ghostly International)
If nothing else, it's certainly something to behold.
Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to video the slot loading drive in the PS3, but there isn't much to write about it. Anyone who's ever had a slot loading laptop knows the deal. It was a bit loud, but did the trick.
The port config, as we all well know by now.
That's a lot of logos.
The thing about the PS3, it's definitely optimized for heat. Without looking too much like the Mac cheesegrater, this thing is really set up for unconstricted airflow -- a far cry from its original, smoother design. During our play time, the unit remained relatively cool -- as cool, if not cooler than the Xbox 360.
The eject and power buttons aren't tactile, but they are touch sensitive.
Here we've got the CF, SD / miniSD, and Memory Stick slots, as well as the four USB ports, hard drive indicator, and wireless indicator.
We're not 100% sure, but we think this is where the hard drive's at. We understand it may be removable, more on that shortly.
P.S. -Our flash video isn't the highest quality / res. If you want the best looking video of the PS3, check out the VGA h.264 file below.
Download video
MOV (h.264) - VGA, QVGA
AVI (DivX) - VGA, QVGA
Music: Christopher Willits - Colors Shifting (Ghostly International)
The controllers use lithium ion, not AAs.
NICE! Can't wait.
I can't think of anything that:
1) needs electrical current
2) and is that SHINY!
you could signal planes with it if you get lost in the woods... with your PS3... lost... in... the... woods....
Very cool! Hope it plays as good as it looks.
Perfect.
WHERE SHOTS OF SOME GAME PLAY?????
I've got more video coming soon, but unfortunately none of it is gameplay. I want to show the stuff you can't see on the web, and shooting gameplay won't prove very useful when you're checking it out through a VGA video.
That is truely one shiny piece of goodness.. I can't wait to unpack my PS3 on the 17th.
Is it just me or does anyone else think that the basic PS3 looks a lot better without that chrome? It just doesnt go with the black, the matte black panel on the basic PS3 looks extra sleek. Although I bet the silver PS3 with the chrome panel looks good.
yeah, black and chrome just don't go together (?)
NICE! Good job guys.
I'm gonna camp outside BestBuy two days b4 the launch to get my hands on this baby! Engadget staff, you guys are so lucky! I envy you guys a lot!!!!!!!!!!!
I want to see some game play footage!
Is it just me or is it really... big?
both.
Any video's of the OS?
Ryan,
Any video of the slot loading in action?
What's the size compared to the 360?
It's a couple pounds heavier than the Xbox 360 and quite larger, but that's mostly due to it having an internal power supply unlike the 360s.
This is a torrent file of the h.264 VGA video to help with bandwidth.
http://www.sharebigfile.com/getfile.php?id=73A317E8&access_key=YWNmYzQ1ODJlYTgzODgxOGYyMDhlNWQ2NTg1ZWNjMmViMTIwMzcyMjEzMzA4OGY3NWM2NzM4YTYzOTQ1OGNkMDMw&captcha=323135
I'll be seeding in 1 hour 20 minutes. :)
Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm PS3....can't wait... number 2 on my local ebgames preorder list, already got the day off of work, and the wife is leaving town for the weekend.
If the PS3 is backwards compatible, where do the PS1 and PS2 memory cards go?
There is an adapter you can buy for $15 from Sony that allow you to import your PS1/PS2 data from your memory cards and download it directly to your hard drive. The hard drive will also act as your memory cards when playing a PS1/PS2 game on the PS3.
I think it's actually about the same size as the 360.
The PS3 is a bit bigger than the X360 but, the X360 would be twice as big as the PS3 if it had internal HD-DVD and power supply (which the PS3 does)..
You would think, with all those memory card slots under the flap, they'd put a PS2 memory card slot there.
As someone who had an original PS2, my main question about the PS3 is whether it will have a noisy fan too.
The later versions of the PS2s had silent fans - I broke mine before the warranty ran out and replaced it and all the fan noise just stopped! :O
I would like to know how something that uses as much power as it does (300+ watts) with an internal power supply (no brick) is that quiet, and doesn't generate enough heat to fry it.
very easily, and it is importaint to remember a few things
first: efficancy of the PSU, my guess is around 80%, so if it gets 380, it only can actuall use 80% of that
second: it has 8 cores to run. even if each core takes 20 watts of power, that is 160 right there!
third: graphics card. these things take at least 60 watts alone
fourth: hard drive. nuf said
fith: bluetooth. yes, it takes a lot of power to run. you might not think it, but it has to maintain up to 7 connections at the same time (3 more then xbox 360) and charge them too.
lastly: that is at peak useage, which will almost never occure unless you are playing with 7 people on wifi with a 7.1 audio system (optical processing) acessing the hard drive often and transfering pictures from your media slots at the same time.
remember, with power supplies, its good to over estimate then under, or it might explode like all those emachines a few years ago
@tk2k: jge wasn't asking where the power was used, but rather how the heat from that power was dissapated. You generate heat due to ineffieciencies in converting AC to DC, you generate heat whenever whenever you use power in any of the components. I think it's a rather interesting question as to how loud it's going to be. If it's pretty quiet, I think everyone will be rather impressed.
Okay, a few questions
first: HOW LOUD IS IT? i have heard the 360 can be loud, and if one wants to use this to play blu ray movies on, it needs to be kinda quiet
second: CAN IT STAND ON IT SIDE? it looks like it could messs with the thermals?
anyone find it weird the PS3 logo is on teh side? you have to face the machine outwards for anyone to see it, meaning.... yup, you guessed it, to get to any of the buttons you have to go to the side of the console...
To all the people asking how loud it is, it's been confirmed to be a very quiet machine. I believe it will actually be the quietest overall, but I'm not honestly sure about that.
And to tk2k, yes it can stand on its side like the original PS2.
It's a bit quieter, I'd estimate, than the X360, though I don't have a frame of comparison to the Wii. I assume the Wii will be the quiestest of all because of its more pedestrian specs.
ac's changed dang. Gonna have to snake a new wire, but the AV plug is the same. And since I don't have an HDMI HDTV yet, I'll just stick with my component for now.
if i recall correctly, you can replace the hdd.
Yes, you can upgrade the HDD with any 2.5" SATA harddrive.
Yeah, you'd think so but an extra $15 isn't too big of a cost. At least it's an easier solution than trying to move over you Xbox saves to your Xbox 360.
WOW what a great video.....I love the shinyness! But like the guy said its gunna be covered in fingerprints :P
This video makes it look a lot more sleek than i thought it was from other pictures i have seen! Im impressed, but i was ages ago....lol
Thanks Ryan! Didn't get to hook it to a TV and run some tests?
the 360 is loud but it is the cheap ass DVD drive that makes it loud. I would assume if Msft were to put in a decent DVD drive it would be a lot quieter. When I take the disk out I can't hear the Xbox from my couch...with the disk in the neighbors call the police and complain about loud noises.
Thank god this is a game console and not something I have to leave out for others to see. I can't wait to get me one but I have to find a place to hide this old HIFI stereo or beta max player looking peice of cheap plastic first. Nice cheap plastic flip up cover that really makes it sleek. Thankfully though the games will still rock.
Yeah, gotta say I despise the design, I know they don't want to make it flat to discourage people stacking them, but hey I am a server guy, and I Rack mount beefier boxes that have decent airflow, they may not be pretty, but space in my entertainment center is at a premium without this mammoth box that can't be stacked. Also what is with the shiny black plastic. On the first day it'll have fingerprints all over it, but the second week it'll have little scratches everywhere and the cheap little plastic door covering the card slots will be broken. Maybe this is Sony's way of ensuring that used console sales won't bite into the new console sales, because it seems they have done everything in their power to design a console that looks nice the first day and then will quickly degrade to a scratched up peice of plastic with a missing door.
LOL at Spiderman font. Ruins the already mediocre design.
very pretty, but It's the TV I'll be staring at for hours, so the games better be good. Otherwise the 360 is still projected to be better.
Hey, Ryan what software revision is on the one you are playing with is it final spec? Can you show us the slot loading and what not to get a reference on if it looks smooth or clunky? I was first at my EB to get it reserved I can't wait.
I have heard from other sites that the PS3 only gets warm at best and is very quiet.
The PS3 is going to rock, I can't wait!
Now vatch very carefully as I putz zee me-mory cards in zee box, now I close zee lid, I'h spin zee box on eat's side, and ... va-la. I open zee box and zee me-mory cards 'ave des-appeared.
Zee's bow-x it es ma-g-cal, no?
when is it going 2 b launched and wat is the expected price of it ???
November 17th. Two models, one is $499 and the other $599. All in US currency.
Even sony know that people won't want the flap open when a memory stick is inserted. I was pretty annoyed that the flap on the Wii will have to be open when and SD card is in.
so glad you stopped just short of filming anything remotely interesting.
who cares about inserting a SD card. how about the OS/dashboard... anything new?
btw, who would win in a fingerprint race? an iPod or a PS3?
If you'd have actually read the comments, you'd know video of the interface is next.
is that gray tab above the hdd panel the release button?
i have to agree with dtrenz -- other than showing us a nice 360 view of the box there wasn't much to that video.
so ungreatfull
Does any one else think it looks kinda cheap? Like an 80s video console?
Mebbe it's me.
My Denon DVD Player just tanked in the living room, I think this might be the perfect opportunity to sell the wife on PS3!
damn this thing is UGLY and HUGE
Ugly and cheap-looking overpriced junk. I'll stick to my PC, thanks.
About the fingerprint race...PS3 all the way. #1 its black so they show up easier. Also, the thing probably wont get scratches if you leave it in an entertainment center, but it you do anything else it probably get scratches.You can even see dust and hair on it easily. The other thing is dust stuck in the air vents. Somehow, the Xbox 360's vents manage to keep free of dust, even tho every other air vent (alienware grill, PS2 vent, DVR) in my house gets dusty. My 360 still looks new although it is about a year old because of the non-shiny surface.
____________________________________
Not getting a PS3-yet, altho i cant wait
#9 on Wii pre-order
That was like watching a freaking porn movie!!!
Thanks for the cool video, hope you do a few more. I really can't wait to get one, though from the amount Sony is sending to the states it sounds like I'll have to wait a bit for mine....ah well at least it should be worth the wait.
Glorious!
"As someone who had an original PS2, my main question about the PS3 is whether it will have a noisy fan too."
It is reportedly as quiet as the SCPH-70000 series PlayStation 2, since it implements heat pipes instead of fans to cool the unit.
OK, it's shiny and does flash cards-so does my cell phone. I can't believe people are so impressed with this machine because it's shinier than they ever dreamed it could be. You guys would buy a 72 Volkswagon because it had Armor-all on the tires. Show us something interesting.
tk2ksaid "bluetooth. yes, it takes a lot of power to run... and charge them too."
You DO realize Bluetooth is a wireless connectivity technology right? You do realize that no PRACTICAL method for charging electronic devices wirelessly (over the air) exists, least of all with a technology like Bluetooth? You realize how ridiculous your statement is?
Finally, Bluetooth doesn't draw nearly as much power as you believe it does. It really doesn't. Don't make excuses for Sony: the PS3 is a power-hogging, tree-killing console.
okay, first of all
you are DEAD WRONG how do you think RFID tags work genius? wireless signals to electrical current. there was an artical on slashdot a while ago about nanies being powered off wireless power, pretty much radio waves were captured and converted into electrical signals powerful enough to get the little buggers to twitch, thus how they move.
wireless cards take about 30 to 40 watts of power depending on how powerful they are. a 7 device receiver for bluetooth will take at least that.
also, those controlers dont charge themselves, do they? no, they dont. they need to be plugged into the ps3, which uses power via usb
dont make excuses for sony? oh sorry, i guess no one really cares how this technology works. and why the hell would they intentionally make it use a lot of power? i mean, come on, its not like the cell has poor yeild or anything, if you look at any of the technical diagrams, you will see its a very well designed chip, its major downfall however is the fact it uses nonstandard code.
@tk2k:
"you are DEAD WRONG how do you think RFID tags work genius? wireless signals to electrical current."
RFID aren't powered by "wireless signals." Genius.
RFID works via magnetic induction. A RFID reader runs off electricity, which in turns generates a magnetic field. This magnetic field induces an electrical field the RFID chip, thus turning on the chip and being able to read it.
This isn't the wireless power you are speaking of, there is NO way to charge a battery or device via this method. Charging batteries involves DC power sources, while magnetic induction is only possible using AC power sources.
This has been in use for about 100 years or so. All those transformers on every block? Involves this same principle.
I have always thought that the PS3 was kind of ugly and now it is confirmed from all angles. It's like someone started with a great design and then got lazy at the end.
o...m...g....
Um...who cares what it looks like? i don't know about your dorks but if i don't get excited over shiny plastic boxes..seriously, where is the gameplay footage? this thing doesn't make me ice cream so why would i care what it looks like on the kitchen countertop?
The Wii is going to outsell this. It will be the DS vs. PSP all over again with the Wii running away with it after a year or so. The DS has outsold the PSP 26 million units to 15 million as of last NPD report.
what does that have to do with this video?
Seriously, let Engadget be the one place people into -technology- can escape the anti-sony fanboyism.
I swore I saw this video when I was downloading PS3 previews from Share. Is that a fully functional PS3? Is it a North American or Japanese PS3? Why wouldn't sony have an offical video trailer to their own console?
There have been a couple of videos like this lately. I actually thought I had seen this before also at first.
There's not a difference between the JP and US versions (on the outside at least)
And what do you mean "official video trailer"? You mean a commercial?
it's beautiful!!!!!!!!
What's with the "Spiderman" font on the Playstation 3 emblem?
Is the code for the flash player up for grabs? I'd like to post a myspace bulletin :X
hey i just went to the PS3 PArty in NYC and had a blast. here are some of my videos from there
sony montage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyWdXDapP-E
Warhawk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMm2HNfBDO8
Party View
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPij_5qV8mQ
If nebody went let me kno wat u thought and also sorry for the video it was on my cheap ass digital camera...
That's a real beauty!!!
I think it's a jewel of aesthetic design.
now let me just fill out this loan application so I can get one.
a) IT'S HUGE.
b) It will probably be a dust magnet.
c) WTF is up with the beep sound it made when he turned it on?.
d) And although this is very subjective, I think it's FUGLY, it looks like a UFO from one of those cheesy alien movies from the 50s.
Damn fine looking game console!!
Cant wait til the 17th, I'm getting it for free. B-day is on the 16th.
Looks like a shiny concert dome. It looks like it will attract hair, dust, fingerprint, and fur from my cat.
What I'm more interested in is to know whether the lenses will be durable unlike the old PS and PS2.
Until then, I'm going for the Wii.
I'm gonna be camping outside an electronics store too, only 9 more days to go! Im a bit confused however, as there is no information available for the more expensive PS3 yet, only the cheaper one - which I understand has no card reader, no wireless and no shiny face. Also, the release numbers (80,000) are divided up how? Half the more expensive unit? I'm probably gonna get the cheaper one - but only if the more expensive one inst available.
man this thing is sexy. i am really curious about the hard drive on the bottom though. ive seen plenty of video on the PS3 now and its features but i have yet to see anyone open that flap and pull out the hard drive or show what it looks like. i think i remember KK saying something about its a standard 2.5" notebook hard drive. im kind of skeptical of this but if it is then thats great. cant wait to get my hands on one!
o and that beep thing kind of wierds me out a little. ive seen this a couple times now and it just seems kind of tacky and out of place to me. but i guess the beep isnt whats playing the game huh? and thats what really counts so i guess id get over it. probably wouldnt even notice it after a couple of days or so with the console.
Wait, what happened to the dual HDMI outputs and the three ethernet ports?
"What's the size compared to the 360?"
The Xbox 360 is roughly 8x31x26cm, and the AC adapter adds 1,300 cubic cm. And the PlayStation 3 is around 10x32.5x27cm, but with an internal power supply. So all in all, the PlayStation 3 is 8,775 cubic cm compared to the Xbox 360's 7,748 cubic cm.
"If the PS3 is backwards compatible, where do the PS1 and PS2 memory cards go?"
It's backwards compatible with the PlayStation format CDs and PlayStation 2 format DVDs. A $15 first-party adapter is available for legacy Memory Cards.
"It's a couple pounds heavier than the Xbox 360 and quite larger, but that's mostly due to it having an internal power supply unlike the 360s."
More specifically, the PlayStation 3 weighs in at 5 kilograms compared to the Xbox 360's 3.5. So around 11 compared to 7.7 pounds.
"ac's changed dang. Gonna have to snake a new wire."
Well, you can use the pwoer cord from your PC, cuz it's a standard IEC connector.
"Okay, a few questions
first: HOW LOUD IS IT? i have heard the 360 can be loud, and if one wants to use this to play blu ray movies on, it needs to be kinda quiet
second: CAN IT STAND ON IT SIDE? it looks like it could messs with the thermals?
anyone find it weird the PS3 logo is on teh side? you have to face the machine outwards for anyone to see it, meaning.... yup, you guessed it, to get to any of the buttons you have to go to the side of the console..."
It's around the same sound level as the PlayStation 2 SCPH-70000 series, since it uses heat pipes instead of fans to cool the system.
Yes, it can stand on the side. That is actually better for it since there is less contact with the surface it's placed on.
It's not really weird, considering that's the same orientation as the PlayStation 2. I never found it to be weird. So what if it's facing the side when you're using it?
"You would think, with all those memory card slots under the flap, they'd put a PS2 memory card slot there."
The idea that SCEI has with the PlayStation 3 is to advance. And to do so, they need to start using more standard mediums, and hopefully, by the next iteration of the PlayStation, everyone will have converted their game save information into standard media.
"LOL at Spiderman font. Ruins the already mediocre design."
Mediocre?! I'll admit that the PlayStation 3 isn't as visually striking as the PlayStation 2, but at least it's better than all the other seventh-generation video game consoles.
"very pretty, but It's the TV I'll be staring at for hours, so the games better be good. Otherwise the 360 is still projected to be better."
Is that a threat? The PlayStation 3 games will have the best graphics of any games in the seventh-generation, and the PlayStation 3 will also be the only video game console in this generation to have any killer apps at launch, which will be key to winning the console war.
"Ugly and cheap-looking overpriced junk. I'll stick to my PC, thanks."
Ugly is an opinion. But the PlayStation 3 is by no means overpriced. If anything, the PlayStation 3 is considerably underpriced. Monetarily, the PlayStation 3 is already worth more than $800 just for the hardware used. And don't even talk about sticking with your PC. The PlayStation 3 is more powerful than any commerical desktop computer on the market. I'm guessing the most powerful processor you would be using right now is the Intel Core 2 Duo. The PlayStation 3's Cell microprocessor operates at speeds three times faster than an Intel Itanium 2 processor and twleve times the speed of an AMD Opteron processor. Both of these are server-level processors that cost even more than the whole PlayStation 3. Second of all, the PlayStation 3 implements the use of 3.2GHz XDR DRAM, which means that the speed of the memory is parallel to that of the CPU. Now, based on today's information, if you are a commoner, you're probably using DDR RAM, and if you are a techy-person or a rich guy, you'll be using DDR2 RAM. Both of these run at speeds of up to around 667-700MHz. The PlayStation 3's XDR DRAM runs at a speed of 3.2GHz. Third, and the most obvious one is the Blu-ray disc drive. As you may know, the only computers available with a Blu-ray disc drive are the Sony VAIO RC and AR series. Now, for a PC with these kinds of specs, that would cost you at least $2,000.
"when is it going 2 b launched and wat is the expected price of it ???"
It will be released in Japan on November 11, and in the United States on November 17 for the respective prices of $499 and $599 (20GB and 60GB models)
"What's with the "Spiderman" font on the Playstation 3 emblem?"
If you actually bothered to read the news, you'd know that Spiderman is from Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is owned by Sony Group, which owns Sony Computer Entertainment, which made the PlayStation 3.
"Wait, what happened to the dual HDMI outputs and the three ethernet ports?"
Those were removed like a year ago. The last time I saw those were at E3 2005. But honestly, who would've used three Ethernet ports anyway?!
myscrnnm @ Nov 1st 2006 9:37PM said:
"The PlayStation 3 is more powerful than any commerical desktop computer on the market. (snip)"
I haven't paid much attention to this latest console wars business, but when you started talking about Cell, Core 2, and RAM, I just had to drop in. First, everything you said seems to be regurgitated Sony advertising speak. Second, you must not have a good understanding of computer architecture. The Cell is an amazing multimedia processor; it does a great job at simultaneous parallel floating point calculations, which most multimedia is. However, it is not an amazing general purpose processor like IA-32 (x86) is. Just because the Cell is really fast, has 8 secondary cores, and has fast RAM does not make it 8 times more powerful than Core 2. As ugly as x86 is, the Cell cant compete with x86. Cell was designed with massive floating point calculations all running in parallel, computing vectors, and processing all of that together. X86 was designed to run a general purpose operating system and run as many different pieces of software and hardware added to it.
Speed is irrelevant. The worlds fastest super computer, IBMs BlueGene/L, has each CPU running at 700 MHz. http://www.research.ibm.com/journal/rd/492/gara.html
RAM speed cant be directly compared. Intel uses a front side bus to communicate with RAM, which is slow, but the L2 and L3 cache make up for the delayed CPU cycles. Cache misses are low enough, especially with that 4 MB cache, to negate the Cells fast RAM. AMD uses a much faster HyperTransport that is roughly only 1/2 the speed of the CPU.
Aside from this one issue, you had a very informative post. Answering everyone elses questions provided useful information, especially to someone who no longer has time to play games anymore.
a fraction of a second after he hits the on button the PS3 has a thermal meltdown ending the video.
for the people, that want to see gameplay footage visit, playsde.com, they have a tons of videos.
Sweeeeet!!!
The only question I have is: Does the HDMI cable come with the PS3 or do I have to dole out $100+ for it after I buy the ps3? Please say it does.
No, an HDMI cable doesn't come with it, but I think you'd be hardpressed to find an HDMI cable that costs $100.
They're usually $15, and I imagine if you have an HDMI HDTV and a PS3, $15 isn't going to bankrupt you.
Am I just crazy or does this guy sound like the guy from the GQ podcast. Adam Ravenport I think is his name. Take a listen.
Wow, look at all those features! I hear it can play games too...
Hi great vid and pics,
Canmyou confirm what the PC/network connectivity is like for the PS3?
As in, can I stream music (hopefully video) to it via a home network? like XMBC on a modded XBOX?
I dont think anyone has been able to answer ot posted infomation like that yet.
Thanks