Shacknews' PlayStation 3 Buyer's Guide

The newest PlayStation 3 model hits stores in the U.S. today, packing a 40GB hard drive and retailing for $399.99. It doesn't play PlayStation 2 games, but did you know it still plays PSone titles? It's easy to be confused by all the PlayStation 3 SKUs out there, as this newest model is the fourth one introduced in North America. If you can't wait any longer to watch Blu-ray movies or play games like The Eye of Judgment, check out this buyer's guide to figure out which model has all the features you want, and take a look at this helpful Shack-crafted table to compare all four packages. The most sensible model to buy, if you have to choose: 60 GB version, MSRP $499.99 Despite being the same price as the 80GB PlayStation 3 model that comes bundled with Evolution Studios' Motorstorm, the 60GB model makes the most sense from a gamer's perspective for a lot of reasons. It's still got nearly complete hardware-enabled backward compatibility for PS2 (and software emulation for PSone) titles, something the 80GB version's software-based PS2 compatibility can't match. The new 40GB PS3 lacks PS2 backward compatibility altogether. Why is full backward compatibility important? It upscales legacy titles to output in HD resolution, giving a much better image on HDTVs. So even if you still own a PS2 or PSone, you're never going to get the image quality you could with a backward compatible PS3's upscaling capability. And obviously, it's a hassle to keep multiple PlayStation systems cluttering your entertainment center, as the PlayStation 3 is already a bulky piece of consumer electronics. The four USB ports on the front of the 60GB version, rather than the 40GB version's two, give ample room for charging extra controllers or plugging in lots of peripherals for titles like the instrument-heavy Rock Band. The flash memory slots present on the 60GB model give it a little bonus over both the 40GB and 20GB models, though honestly this isn't that important unless you need a lot of storage options or have a mess of CompactFlash cards lying around. The built-in Wi-Fi on this model is a nice touch, but along with the flash memory card slots, both of these features are fairly minor advantages over the 20GB model. Most important is that both the 20GB and 60GB models have full hardware backward compatibility, but only the 60GB version is still widely available both online and in stores. The 20GB model has literally vanished from both online and brick-and-mortar outlets, and this 60GB model will follow soon. That's not to say you should rush out and buy one, but if you were going to make the purchase already, you should heavily consider picking up the 60GB model. With the holidays fast approaching, it's likely retailers will start incentives to sell the 60GB model at a lower price point or with some bundled extras, as Sony said this model won't be sold anymore after current inventories are depleted. Wal-Mart has a pretty good online deal going for this model right now, which includes Sony's Blu-ray remote and a free game for no extra cost. Check the links below for more places to pick this model up, as well as the rebate for five free Blu-rays with the purchase of any PlayStation 3 model.

• Wal-Mart
• Best Buy
• Circuit City
• Free Blu-ray form

The less sensible model to buy: 80GB version, MSRP $499.99 The 80GB version has 20 more gigs of space on its hard drive than the 60GB version, comes bundled with Motorstorm, and sells for the same price. But its use of software rather than hardware emulation for PS2 titles is the real deal-breaker. There are relatively few titles that won't play at all--Capcom's original Devil May Cry and Level-5's Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King were the only titles I found completely incompatible with the 80GB model--but tons of popular titles have serious problems that make games unplayable. Sony's online tool for checking backward compatibility only allows you to search for specific titles, making it tough to narrow down which games suffer most. But one hilariously terrible problem I found comes from the entry for Naughty Dog's Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy--"Throughout gameplay, when the user's character collects a precursor orb, the title freezes for approximately 55 seconds." Most of the problems for other titles weren't as specific, but just as troublesome. A lot of top tier titles like Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and the nearly the entire Ratchet and Clank series from Insomniac have the following issue: "Throughout gameplay, the title runs at a significantly slower than normal performance speed." Meaning you're not going to want to play these games. I put together a list of several games with either no issues or no gameplay affecting issues, if you think you can deal with the 80GB model's finicky software emulation for other titles. But if there's full backward compatibility available on one model, why would you settle for half-assed backward compatibility on another? It doesn't really make sense to have to bust out your PS2 from the closet to play certain games, in non-upscaled standard definition no less. To top it off, the recently introduced 80GB model won't be going anywhere anytime soon, and with very few actual quality titles out on the PS3, it might pay off to wait until the price comes down even further on this model, which will likely happen by next holiday season. The model that can't be found: 20GB version, MSRP ???? In truth, the 20GB version would be my choice over the 60GB version, but the little-model-that-could has disappeared entirely from both online and retail outlets. Until recently, GameStop had been selling the model at a discounted price online, but the retailer apparently ran out of stock. Unlike the 60GB model, the 20GB SKU isn't even listed along with the other models on Sony's PlayStation site. The 20GB model's lack of flash card slots and Wi-Fi shouldn't really mean a lot for most gamers. It's the model's full hardware-supported backward compatibility with PS2 games and software support for PSone titles that makes the difference. If you can find a reasonably priced used 20GB model on Craigslist or eBay, I'd say go for it. It's a bit of a risk, since the model won't be under warranty. And without a receipt from a retailer, your purchase won't be eligible for the five free Blu-ray movies incentive from Sony. But it's still a much more reasonable purchase than Sony's newest model... The model that punishes you for buying it: 40GB version, MSRP $399.99 Sony's finally selling a PS3 model at less than $499, and it's the worst one yet. Its only perk is that it's $400 bucks, and it's got Wi-Fi support. It lacks any kind of backward compatibility for PS2 titles, but retains software compatibility for PSone games. Yeah, I don't get it either. It also cuts the number of USB 2.0 ports on the front of the console in half, down to two, and ditches flash card slots. With peripheral-heavy games like Rock Band coming out and the need to constantly charge the PS3's consistently dying controller batteries, the lack of USB ports could definitely become an issue. And for those who bought into Sony's super-expensive Super Audio CD media format, those discs won't be playable on the 40GB version, while all other PS3 models still support SACD playback. But then again, the system does come bundled with Spider-Man 3, the worst of the Spider-Man movie series, on Blu-ray. If all you care about is playing PS3 games, this model is your cheapest way to do it, so don't let my underwhelming synopsis of the SKU derail your purchase if that's the case. Before I heard the details of the new model, I was seriously considering making the 40GB SKU my entry into the world of PS3 gaming. But Sony managed to steal all my excitement and incentive to buy the system away with one baffling blow. My endorsement of the 60GB version still stands, but in all honesty, I can't see myself picking any of the models up before the next price cut/rearrangement hits, most likely sometime next year. By that time, bundles will likely include Sony's rumble-enabled DualShock3 controller, which comes to North America in the spring, rather than the Sixaxis currently packaged with all models.