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The new Xbox 360 is here -- we go head-to-head with the 360 Original, PS3 Slim, and Wii
Although we had a chance to play with the new Xbox 360 at E3, that was under Microsoft's gentle supervision -- now that the stealthbox is hitting stores and we've got a couple of our own to play with, we're ready to dive deep and figure out what's what. In person in the living room, the new 360 isn't quite as small as you'd think -- although it's definitely thinner and narrower, Microsoft clearly had to jury-rig its big "lift off the old Xbox to reveal the new one" moment at E3, because the new unit is actually a bit deeper by about a half-inch. We'll forgive them in interests of show business, but just know that you won't be saving a ton of space with this new version. We also went head-to-head with the OG PS3 and the Slim, as well as the Wii -- as you'd expect, the new Xbox 360 is much smaller than the original PS3, noticeably smaller than the Slim, and a hilariously gargantuan monster compared to the Wii. We just did a quick noise comparison video, and we've got some early notes, so check it out below! P.S. Fun note: the older 360 pictured here RROD'd almost immediately after we unboxed the new unit. Karma! %Gallery-95658% %Gallery-95652% %Gallery-95659% %Gallery-95660% We're going to be continually updating this post throughout the day, so hit us up with questions and keep checking back!
New PS3 models (2500 series) tested by FCC
As spotted by Engadget a few days ago, the FCC has tested new PS3 models, including a new debugging station. CECH-2501, as listed, undoubtedly features a few changes from the current Slim series: CECH-2100. Sony has tweaked the PS3 hardware over the years (with many minor changes unannounced to the public). Likely, this new hardware continues Sony's cost-cutting measures. But will it feature any consumer-oriented changes? Perhaps we'll find out tomorrow at Sony's E3 press conference.
TwistDock is the PS3 organizer for M. Night Shyamalan fans
Looking for a dock... with a twist? Frankly we weren't either, but that didn't stop us from being intrigued by the aptly titled TwistDock for the PS3 from Vogel's, a docking station for a console that we didn't think needed one. On the front the TwistDock houses a PS3, either original or Slim, and on the back (here comes the twist) two controllers can be slotted in and charged, shown after the break. There's also a USB hub for connecting other goods and overall it pledges to keep your layout "clean, stylish and sexy." That would be lovely progression from our current entertainment center's "dusty, cluttered and tangly" label. Can it deliver? It's on display at this year's E3, and we'll go see for ourselves.
MLB 10 PS3 Slim bundle outed again by Target
Two weeks ago, we published reports from a Target employee who claimed an MLB 10-branded 250GB PS3 Slim bundle had appeared on their store's list of new releases. Recently, another piece of evidence surfaced which adds further credibility to the story: Target's online store recently added the MLB 10 bundle to its virtual shelves. The online listing is scant on details -- it only mentions that the bundle comes with the console and a copy of the game. The tipster from two weeks ago reported a release date of June 13, and a price of $349.99 for the package. Once again, we've contacted Sony to try and get official confirmation of these details. [Thanks, Shiloh]
Engadget's crappy gaming system contest: we have a winner!
Congratulations to commenter BananaForce -- his crappy gaming system is the winner in our contest. He's soon to be the proud owner of the beautiful custom PS3 Slim from Rockstar Games that you see above. We had over 600 valid entries in the contest, and it was our pleasure to root through all of the photos you sent into us. We've chosen some of the more hilarious and enticing ones and thrown them into a gallery for your perusal below. Thanks again to Rockstar Games for providing the gear -- and be sure to be on the lookout for the next contest. %Gallery-92761%
Ben Heck's PS3 Slim laptop is newer, bluer and way more convenient
The more modder Ben Heckendorn continues to improve his design on each iteration of the PS3 Slim laptop, the more we think about parting with the outrageously high sum of money it would require to get our hands on it. This latest model comes with an external A/V port, so it can plug into a larger screen "for home use." There's also a headphone jack and a power cable which slides right into the body of the device, increasing its portability by roughly a factor of eight. You can check out a demo of the latest, and arguably greatest, version of the PS3 Slim laptop just past the jump. [Via Techland]
Sony offers PS3 hard drive upgrade service in Japan
Image: Seagate Feeling constrained by your PS3's hard drive? Daunted by the task of replacing it yourself? (Seriously. It's pretty easy. Check out these guides: Phat/Slim) Sony is offering a new service in Japan that's perfect for you. For ¥18,000 (~$184), you will be able to ship Sony your PS3 system and get it upgraded with a new 250GB drive. Sony will not only replace the drive, but will also move all supported content from your old drive to the new one. They'll even return your old hard drive as a souvenir. Considering a 250GB hard drive costs about $50 at retail, this service is being offered at quite a hefty premium. Is this something you'd like to see offered in America and Europe as well? [Via Andriasang]
Newest PS3 SKU has updated, cheaper RSX innards
Japanese tech site PocketNews recently -- for reasons unbeknownst to us -- cracked open the smooth, colorless shell of the new CECH-2100A model of the PlayStation. What did they find inside? Candy. So much candy. They also found a smaller, more energy-efficient RSX graphics chip, which allows Sony to cut costs on the console's heat sink, power supply and cooling unit. It also lets the manufacturer cut down on the number of graphics chips contained within the console, leaving more room for the aforementioned candy. While these technological improvements will likely help Sony cut down on the manufacturing price of each console, we wouldn't expect that savings to translate into a price cut for the console. Mostly because Sony's still working to recover from a few quarters of heavy, heavy losses, but also because the PS3 just got a price cut. Stop being so greedy. [Via Engadget]
Engadget giveaway: Show us your crappy gaming setup and win a custom PS3 Slim from Rockstar Games!
That's right folks, the crew at Rockstar Games is celebrating the launch of Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City, and they've offered up a custom Grand Theft Auto PS3 Slim to give away. We have just one of these to give away, and the package will contain the following: a custom decorated 120GB PS3 Slim (with a two tone paint job in black and Lexus pearl white, an LED-backlit skyline and logo on the unit, a custom power panel with laser etched back lit power and eject buttons) along with a color-matched controller. So you want this, right? If so, we need to see your current gaming setup -- the crappier, the better. To be eligible to win, you'll need to drop a link in comments of a photo of your gear (if you don't include a photo, you can't win). The deadline to get your pics in is by Friday, April 23rd, 2010, at 12:30pm ET. After we get all the contributions, we'll go through every single one to find the worst of the worst -- and that person will win this very special PS3 Slim. The full rules are after the break -- so get commenting and good luck!
Geohot brings back other OS support with PS3 3.21OO custom firmware
Well, Geohot promised a workaround for Sony's removal of the "install other OS" feature in PS3 firmware 3.21 and now Geohot has delivered. While it's not available to the public just yet, Geohot's 3.21OO custom firmware will apparently be simple to install and, as you can see in the video after the break, it works just as you'd expect and simply restores the "other OS" option to its previous place. Geohot even says that the custom firmware might actually enable the other OS feature on the PS3 Slim, but he hasn't yet had a chance to try it out. [Thanks, Milo]
PS3 meets Hori LCD dock, good things happen
Hori is a company that's no stranger to strapping LCDs to consoles and calling them portable, but for some reason we're quite smitten with its latest monitor docking station. The HP3-87 doesn't stray too far from the formula -- it adds an 11.6-inch screen to a wraparound structure for your PS3, with stereo speakers, two headphone jacks, and composite or component input options. With a resolution of 1,366 x 768, it's well suited to handling the 16:9 signal coming out of the do-everything console, although its 500:1 contrast ratio, 7ms response time, and 200 nits of brightness are perhaps a tiny step behind the times. On the other hand, it's compatible with the Japan-only Torne DTV adapter and it's officially licensed by Sony itself, so it can't be too bad, right? All you Tokyo-ites will have until May 27 to decide, when the HP3-87 goes on sale for ¥26,040 ($276). International release plans are not yet disclosed, but if you really need the portability, you could always grab a PS3 laptop from your local online auction house. Which option will be more useful (less useless?) we leave up to you to decide.
120GB PS3 is $269 from Dell, ships in 1-2 weeks
Odds are if you've been trying to track down a new PS3 lately, you're having one heck of a time. Well, if you wouldn't mind plunking down a bit of coin to get one in a few weeks' time, then you may be interested in what Dell's got going on right now. The retailer has taken $30 off the standard price for the 120GB PS3 Slim, bringing it down to a pleasant $269 -- the caveat being that Dell won't actually ship the system until an estimated 10 days after you purchase it (details here). For a bit of perspective, know that basically anywhere you try to purchase a PS3 online, you're going to be waiting a while -- unless you get one from a third-party merchant on Amazon, where you can replace "impatiently waiting" with "spending a lot more money." [Thanks Joel]
Sony: Don't turn on your PS3 until PSN bug is fixed
Uh, wow. That PlayStation Network issue that struck late last night has officially ballooned into a full-on PlayStation disaster: Sony is now saying you shouldn't use "fat" PS3 models at all, since a clock-related bug might cause data loss. The PS3 slim isn't affected, however -- which explains some of the conflicting reports we heard last night. Sony says they're working to get this fixed in the next 24 hours, but for now it looks like older PS3 owners are out of luck -- we'll do our best to keep you entertained, guys.
PlayStation 3 Slim sweeps the 2009 Engadget Awards
Up against the likes of the ... um ... Popcorn Hour C200 and the ... erm ... Asus O!Play (we'd better leave the gadget stuff to the folks who know what they're talking about), Sony's PlayStation 3 Slim has triumphed as the 2009 Engadget Awards winner in both "Game Console of the Year" and "Home Entertainment Device of the Year" categories. In fairness to the other game consoles, the Home Entertainment Device category didn't exactly feature Microsoft and Nintendo devices (the awards are for devices specifically released in 2009, as you might imagine), so the closest competitor (at 9.6 percent) was the HP MediaSmart Home Server -- the PS3 Slim took a commanding 54.3 percent of the vote. In terms of the Game Console of the Year award, the margins were significantly ... slimmer, with the PS3 taking 43.3 percent of the vote, followed close behind by the Xbox 360 Modern Warfare 2 Edition at 31.2 percent. The Slim also made the Editor's Choice top pick for Console of the Year, rounding out the love fest. Also of note, Wii's MotionPlus landed on both lists as well for "Game Accessory of the Year," beating out the Modern Warfare 2 night vision goggles by just 4.7 percent. Your giant golden USB hubs will be mailed out shortly, winners! Congrats!
Report: Global PS3 market share increasing
You may have assumed this from the climbing PS3 sales Sony reported last week, but a report from Research and Markets provides further confirmation that the system is increasing in popularity around the world. "The PS3 is dominant in Japan and Korea," the report notes, "and as of June 2008, has begun to outsell the Xbox 360 in Europe. It is also steadily increasing its market share in all other regions across the globe, including in the North American market." The Xbox 360 is still ahead of the PS3 in North America. It's worth noting that the increase in sales in Europe predates the price drop and introduction of the PS3 Slim. Research and Markets also provided a bit more information about the distribution of console sales. Though North America remains the largest market for consoles, "The high population density and rapid uptake of technology in countries such as Japan and Korea, and to a lesser extent in Singapore and Hong Kong, see a disproportionately high level of console sales compared to the rest of the world," the report reads." Console sales are also fairly high in Western Europe and are growing considerably in the emerging markets of Eastern Europe, Latin America, and other areas in Asia."
Sony Q3: PS3 software and hardware up, PSP and PS2 notsomuch
Here's some data from Sony's fiscal Q3 earnings and, as predicted, the electronics giant had some positives things to report out of its gaming division. However, like always, with the good comes the bad (and sometimes the ugly). The good: "Due to the launch of a new model, approximately 6.5 million units of PlayStation 3 ... hardware were sold in the current quarter, compared to approximately 4.5 million units in the prior year's third quarter," reports Sony's Q3 earnings report. The PS3 Slim continues to drive hardware sales, with its slim new form factor and, more importantly, slim new price tag. Now the bad: "Approximately 4.2 million PSP units were sold in the current quarter, compared to approximately 5.1 million units in the prior year's third quarter." And the ugly: "Approximately 2.1 million PS2 units were sold in the current quarter, compared to approximately 2.5 million units in the prior year's third quarter." It's when you get to the PS2 software sales that things really get ugly. Sony sold 11.2 million PS2 software units, a 62% drop from the same period last year. The bad: The PSP sold 15 million units, a tiny 3% drop from the same period last year. Just like the hardware numbers, the PS3 software numbers are the good: Sony sold over 47.6 million pieces of PS3 software, a lovely 17% jump from the same period last year. But things aren't so bad for the beleaguered division. "Despite a decrease in PS2 hardware and software unit sales, as well as PSP hardware unit sales, profitability was relatively unchanged mainly due to an improvement in the cost of PS3 hardware," Sony reported. Sony's Q4 forecast predicts more of the same: a "decrease in PS2 hardware and software sales" and "an improvement in PS3 hardware and software profitability." And that's how console generations work, boys and girls!
Ben Heck's PS3 Slim laptop going for broke on eBay
If you're an extremely nomadic gamer with a couple of grands in the bank to spare, you might be interested to learn that Ben Heck's ultra slick PS3 Slim laptop is now up for grabs on eBay. As you might remember, the portable-ized device was originally purchased by gaming retailer The Score, then raffled off to one of the shop's customers. Now that customer is selling it on eBay. We certainly hope that, at some point, somebody will play the damn thing. Please, if you've got the extra $2,000, won't you give this poor creature a permanent, loving home? [Via Engadget]
Ben Heck's PS3 Slim laptop pops up for sale on Ebay
You're probably already familiar with the work of modder / hacker extraordinaire, Benjamin Heckendorn... and if you're not, well, maybe it's time to familiarize yourself with his work. Regardless, some of his fantastic handiwork has shown up on Ebay for sale, and while we don't want to counsel you to foolishlessly spend loads of hard-earned cash, this is bound to be an heirloom one day. The listing here is for Ben's PS3 Slim laptop -- the one modded from a 17-inch Gateway 1775w LCD with a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution -- and its currently at around $1,075.00 with 16 bids on it and roughly 3 days remaining. So if this kind of thing strikes your fancy (and we know that it does) hop to it! Check out our segment of The Engadget Show we filmed at Ben's evil laboratory after the break. Update: It looks like the auction has been pulled just recently, though we're not sure why. Thanks for the heads up, Wesley H. Update 2: And it's back! Phew.
Limited edition Final Fantasy XIII PS3 gets unboxed
Sony and Square Enix have sure taken their time building up anticipation for this one, but the new limited edition Final Fantasy XIII PlayStation 3 is now finally available in Japan, and our pals at Joystiq were lucky enough to wrangle one for an unboxing. As you can see, this one definitely takes things further than the rather understated Final Fantasy VII limited edition PS3, with it boasting a stylish matte white finish and a slightly glossier rendition of the character Lightning in pink -- and, of course, a matching white controller. Hit up the link below for the full unboxing.
Unboxing the Final Fantasy XIII limited edition PS3
Click to start the unboxing. Japanese gamers are braving the cold right now, waiting on line to pick up Final Fantasy XIII. Square Enix and Sony have partnered up to create a limited edition bundle that includes a copy of the game, a white controller, and a pink Lightning-emblazoned 250GB PS3 Slim system. It's unlikely this system will ever be officially released outside of Asia. Unless you're looking to do some import shopping, these pics from Joystiq Japan's Ittousai are the closest you'll get to owning the first-ever special edition PS3 Slim.%Gallery-80441%
