Swanky design; quiet operation; all games in high-definition; user-friendly interface; plays Blu-ray movies; built-in Wi-Fi; 40GB hard drive; online play is free; HDMI output with 1080p support; no external power supply
Games lineup is still unimpressive; HDMI cable not included; PS2 games not supported
HDMI cable, 1080p television
Sony's PlayStation 3 may be the most expensive next-gen console, and its launch titles aren't very impressive, but its swanky design and bevy of features, including a Blu-ray drive, make it hard to resist
8.7 Excellent
Reviewed by Nick Hide
Sony has finally responded to criticism that its next-generation console is too expensive, slashing the price of the original 60GB model to £350, and introducing this new 40GB unit, priced at £300.
Apart from the smaller hard drive, the differences are minimal. Your £50 saving will only lose you two of the four USB ports, the multi-format card reader, an Ethernet cable and the ability to play SACDs. If that was the end of the list, we'd say there was no contest -- get this cheaper unit.
There is one more omission, though, and that's that it won't play your PlayStation 2 games. This was previously handled by a combination of chips and software, but Sony has decided to save money on the chips and let the PS3's games stand on their own. This may not be wise: since release, only the online multiplayer shooter Warhawk has stood out as an impressive title, whereas Microsoft's Xbox 360 has had several high-profile hits in that time.
Of course, this lack of backwards compatibility doesn't matter if you haven't got many PS2 games, in which case, this remains a brilliant multimedia home entertainment system. The 40GB hard drive should be large enough for most users and it's by the far the cheapest Blu-ray player on the market.
Update: A new version of the PS3 has been launched. Read our full Sony PlayStation 3 (80GB) review here.
Edited by Jason Jenkins
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