Sony PlayStation 3 Slim (Latest Model)- 160 GB Charcoal Black Console (NTSC - CECH-2501A)

The good: Slimmer, more compact design with quieter operation; all games in high-definition; easy-to-use interface; doubles as a Blu-ray and upscaling DVD player; built-in Wi-Fi; 120GB hard drive; HDMI output with 1080p support; no external power supply; built-in Web browser; free online gaming service.
The bad: Lacks backward support for PS2 games; no infrared port means non-Bluetooth universal remotes aren't compatible; online gaming, media, and commerce options still aren't as fully developed as Xbox Live, though they're getting better.
The bottom line: With a smaller design, more energy-efficient operation, lower price tag, and built-in Blu-ray and multimedia capabilities, the PS3 Slim delivers a compelling package for an affordable price.

More affordable $299 price; slimmer, more compact design with quieter operation; all games in high-definition; easy-to-use interface; doubles as a Blu-ray and upscaling DVD player; built-in Wi-Fi; 120GB hard drive; HDMI output with 1080p support; no external power supply; built-in Web browser; free online gaming service, NetFlix and Hulu with more enhancements to come!

With a smaller design, more energy-efficient operation, lower price tag, and built-in Blu-ray and multimedia capabilities, the PS3 Slim delivers a compelling package for an affordable price.

More affordable $299 price; slimmer, more compact design with quieter operation; all games in high-definition; easy-to-use interface; doubles as a Blu-ray and upscaling DVD player; built-in Wi-Fi; 120GB hard drive; HDMI output with 1080p support; no external power supply; built-in Web browser; free online gaming service.

The new PS3 and price point really deserves a 5-star rating (relative to ALL previous PS3 console releases)... unfortunately this system is not ALL it could be, and with the equally reduced Xbox360 prices, the PS3 now only has a marginal edge over the next-gen market.

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The Good: There's so much to say here--you get the SAME great hardware in the most recent GEN PS3 80gb--but with capacity increased to 120 GB. 25% starting price reduction. 30% lighter AND slimmer. 30% more energy efficient (and MORE than 50% more efficient than GEN1 PS3's). The same CPU/GPU power of previous PS3 consoles. You retain the ability to swap hard drives easily. New matte finish that is both scratch and fingerprint resistant. Added compatibility with Sony Bravia hardware--limited appeal, but a bonus.

The Bad: Two USB ports maximum--disappointing. Lack of memory card readers--not a big deal. Removal of the dual-boot Operating System feature--a slap in the fact to Linux fans. The refusal of Sony to bow to consumer demand and enable PS2 emulation at the software level--disgusting.

The Ugly: While the new matte finish is more scratch and fingerprint resistant than its predecessors, it gives the PS3 a MUCH less professional look. Most will agree that the new design is uglier, and rather bland (see logo).
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Conclusion:
Even with the most recent xbox360 price drop, Sony FINALLY has a leg up on the competition, in terms of price-to-performance ratio. The xbox360 is arguably equivalent, if not for the lack of a Blu-Ray drive, which is a MAJOR selling point for the PS3. At only $50 more expensive than the Nintendo Wii (without a price reduction planned), the PS3 may easily begin to siphon off sales from Nintendo come the Holidays.

The REAL difference between consoles is the ported games and system exclusives. Game ports between the PS3, Xbox360, and PC standards are pretty much a given with the majority of games--the Wii however will end up with watered-down ports in almost every case. At this point, system exclusives on all three systems are nearly equal in terms of quality and customer appear--each system has standout games, which should be used as the main criteria for console selection.

Favor the new PS3 SLIM if only because its hardware is superior AND features a built-in Blu-Ray drive with 7.1 surround... quite the nice perk, what with low-end Blu-Ray players starting at $150 now.

So far the best console I've owned ever... Now let give you reasons to why I say that.

1. Hardware- The new slim design feels more solid and durable, You have everything you need right out of the box (If your using a SD TV.) The controller is a improved design of the PS2 controller, Which may seem like a negative if the controller wasn't perfected as it is.

2. Features- The PS3 (offline) can play games,audio CD's (in Which you can import and save to your system.)It can play Blu-Ray DVD's (Movies made for a HD TV) and regular DVD's (SD). It can store pictures and gives you your own account that has all your data on it. (Online) You have Playstation home, which I'm still exploring, you can rent and buy movies and watch them right on your PS3, you can surf the web, play games online, and connect with Playstation Network. For at least the first three weeks, you'll be learning things about you didn't even expect. Now it can't do EVERYTHING, lets don't be silly, but it can do ALOT...a whole lot.

3. Games- The games are really the main factor when it comes to actually enjoying the system to the fullest. PS3 has a great number of good games, so you'll have no problem choosing the right game. One's I consider essential are, "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves," "Metal Gear Solid 4," "Little Big Planet," "GTA 4," and "Batman: Arkum Asylum." See I just named 5 games from 5 different genre's right off the top of my head...and each one of them is a brilliant experience from beginning to end.

4. Exclusiveness- The PS3 has some of the best exclusives I've seen in a system. While it has it's fair share of excellent third party games. Examples to buy the system for the exclusive games are, "Metal Gear Solid 4," "Killzone 2," "Both Uncharted Games," "Arkum Asylum," "God of War 3," and the list goes on and on. The Xbox 360 appears to have more exclusive games, but not as consistent in quality in my opinion. Not putting the 360 down, but this is just my opinion

5. Graphics- Well, I won't breakdown and tell you the logistics of the graphics, but I will say they look amazing, even on a SD TV. On HD you won't believe the kind of detail and colors will pop out at you, no I'm not exaggerating. The PS3 would be my main reason to switch to HD TV.

6. Life left- Playstation systems usually run for about ten years normally, so it should still be around for years to come. It's not to late to buy as it'll be quite some time before you see the PS4. Not to mention a lot of good games are still in development.

You just can't loose with PS3, no matter who you are there is a game for you now I'll recap.

Pro's-
1. Abundant features and multi media applications
2. Free online
3. Abundant exclusive and third party games
4. Strongly built
5. Less expensive in the long run
6. free PS3 demos from PStore
7. Always able to play a disc without malfunctioning

Con's
1. The only one I could honestly find was the longish updates and installation times for games and the system, other than that, no complaints


PS3 is one of the best, it would be a mistake to miss out on it.