Customer Reviews

PlayStation 3 160GB Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Bundle

5 star:		(64)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Necessary disclosure: I do not own this model but do I own the 60GB model, recently upgraded to 320GB. I am also very familiar with the latest 80GB model (which is basically this one with a larger disk) because one of my neighbors has one and I am the neighborhood's unofficial and unpaid 'computer' consultant :). I did some research in anticipation of us purchasing a second unit because I promised the kids "their own" if their grades were going to meet a certain standard.

As compared to the 60GB model (see this model's pluses and minuses and what all PS3s have in common):
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+ Less expensive (I paid $599 for my 60GB PS3)
+ 266% more storage
+ Improved power efficiency
+ Dual shock controller (rumble)
+ Bundled Drake's Fortune and Pain voucher for a PSN download
+ Amazon Blu-ray movies promotion (buy 4 movies from list and get $100 off through end of 2008)

= Wireless Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet network connections
= Bluetooth for controllers, keyboards, earpieces, etc.
= Controllers charged via USB wires
= Free, unlimited access to the PSN network, including online play
= Full PSOne compatibility
= Blu-ray player
= DVD player
= CD player
= HDMI, component video (component wire included but no HDMI cable)
= Surround sound
= Internet browser
= Allows for installation of third-party operating systems such as Linux
= Disk is easily upgradeable without voiding warranty
= Quiet operation

- No memory card interfaces
- 2 USB ports vs. 4 USB ports on the 60GB
- No PS2 compatibility
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STORAGE and STORAGE UPGRADE:
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This model comes with an 160GB drive. This is nice because, based on my own experience, 160GB should be sufficient for a few years of use for as long as you don't plan to purchase lots of movies from the PSN store or download to many full games - if you are thiking about storing movies on your PS3 disk, consider upgrading to larger storage. However, unless you believe that Uncharted + Pain are worth the extra $100, you may be slightly better off buying the 80GB model for $100 less and then upgrading.

To give you an idea of the amount of storage you may need on your PS3, I recently checked the status of my 320GB disk and I found that I had 198GB free. That means that, one year after purchasing my (then) 60GB box I was using 122GB already. The space is taken by family pictures, a little music, lots of demos, many 'disk' games that dump gigabytes of data to the disk to improve performance, many videos the kids are making with the 'Eye' camera, game saves. I suspect that 'Home', when it becomes available, may require a few more GB's for its own use so 320GB may be what you need if you don't want to constantly worry about deleting old stuff before you run out of space.

If you are on the upgrade path, $80 would buy you a 320GB drive. I used the Western Digital WD3200BEVT 320 GB Scorpio Sata 5400 Rpm 8MB 2.5 inch myself but that was back in June/July and I paid about $150 then; you could get much larger drives for less now. 500GB drives are available for less than $100 and you should try to get one of those if you are planning to store lots of videos. One that I tested would be the Western Digital 500GB Scorpio Blue SATAII 5400RPM 2.5IN 8MB Bulk/OEM Hard Drive WD5000BEVT which replaced my laptop's 60GB little drive and I helped a friend upgrade his own PS3 with. The nice thing about upgrading your disk is that you are also going to be left with a perfectly good 80GB or $160GB drive which you can place into a cheap enclosure, and the StarTech AT2510U2 InfoSafe 2.5-Inch USB/SATA Hard Drive Enclosure worked for me. I am using the free leftover drive as a backup device for family photos.

Upgrading the disk is (relatively) easy and you can find a lot of advice on the Net. Search for "PlayStation 3 Hard Drive Upgrade (HOWTO)" for videos that should help you decide if you are comfortable with upgrading. If upgrading is the first thing you do (before installing games or uploading personal files), everything becomes very easy because you need not worry about backups or restores. I upgraded my box in a couple of hours WITH the backup/restore steps.


MEMORY CARD INTERFACES:
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The lack of memory card interfaces is annoying but you can get around it. Copy your stuff to a USB drive or flash drive and... problem solved. You can then upload your things through the USB. It's somewhat inconvenient but it's no big deal.


USB PORTS:
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My old 60GB model has 4 USB ports and I am using all of them. One for the PS3 Eye (camera), a second has a wireless keyboard dongle, the third is where the racing wheel plugs in and the last one I use to charge controllers. Of course, you can and you WILL be able to live with 2 slots but it is likely that you will be doing some plugging/unplugging if you begin adding peripherals. One way around it is to get a USB port multiplexer. Another solution is seek Bluetooth peripherals (wireless) if you can find them. Bluetooth keyboards, for example, are available.


PS2 COMPATIBILITY:
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This model does not support PS2 software. Since the original PS2-compatible PS3's are hard to get, this has to be accepted as reality. I assume that Sony, after polling existing and future PS3 users, found that most users don't need PS2 compatibility. Soon after we upgraded to a PS3 my kids were playing Kingdom Hearts and Destroy All Humans but I haven't seen them doing so in quite a while. It is nice to have PS2 compatibility but its lacking would not stop me from buying a PS3.

PSOne GAMES:
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The PS3 has full PSOne compatilibity. Lots of them are available for download at the PSN store. They are quite inexpensive and some of them are still fun to play.


SUMMARY:
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- If you like Drake's and you do not consider upgrading, buy THIS model. In fact, you should buy this model regardless of Drake's because you are likely to be unhappy with an unupgraded 80GB model - like I mentioned above, I am already using over 120GB and this is BEFORE Home.
- If you are planning to upgrade, you're better off with an 80GB model selling for $100 less because you can use the $100 you save to buy yourself Drake's for about $40 and use the balance to help pay for your disk upgrade.
- Get yourself a USB port multiplexer if you need more than 2 ports
- Transfer your photos to flash drives to get around the missing memory card interfaces
- Or or, even better, get the Playstation 3 Media Hub+ for 2 extra USB ports AND a card reader
- Keep your PS2 if you have one and still wish to play PS2 games in the future.
- Enjoy your new PS3.

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Note: I am not taking off one star for the lack of PS2 compatibility. I understand that Sony must compete on price and make a profit and times are tough. However, I simply can't see why Sony cut the number of USB ports from 4 down to 2 and this explains why this unit gets 4 stars instead of 5. This is a relatively significant inconvenience and I can't see how it would cost Sony more than a dollar or 2 if it provided 4 ports instead of 2.

When I was looking for Blu Ray DVD players, the PlayStation came out on top of every review I read. So I started looking at games available for the system and saw the review for the Uncharted game over on Gamespot. Uncharted looked like the best game for me, and considering the other bundles available, this seemed like a good deal, with a larger hard drive, (we all need more space) Uncharted, and PAIN all included.

First of all the SIXAXIS controller is fantastic. Easy to hold, easy to use, bluetooth wireless, and it has motion sensing capabilities like the Wii. In Uncharted you have to use that feature to toss grenades and balance as you cross some objects.

Second, the DVD player is wonderful. Since the wireless features are bluetooth there is another remote available to play DVDs. But, I don't think you need it. You can use the game controller easy enough. Anyone familiar with the interface on a PC or MAC DVD player will instantly get it.

The menu system on the PlayStation has been criticized in some reviews, but I don't get that at all. It is very easy, and the same interface is used on their Bravia TVs. I wish more electronics had menus like this. I have used FrontRow on the Macs, and I like this better.

The wireless feature configured on the first try with my network, which has two layers of security. I have more trouble getting some of my Macs on my network, than the PlayStation.

Finally, Uncharted is nothing short of amazing. Imagine you are part of an Indy Jones or National Treasure movie. That is the experience. Period. The music track gives clues to when you are heading in the right direction, and Nate Drake has awesome moves once you get used to the controller.

PAIN is ok, more funny than a real challenge. I suppose you could take it seriously, but it is best to just fling the character at everything in site and then use the controls to bounce and hit as much as possible. The physics is very realistic, and there is no blood. Great game when you just relieve some stress by smashing something.

If you are looking for a BluRay player or a game system, this is really the best value. I compared to the Xbox and with that system you have to keep buying extras to build up to the capabilities of this single purchase. In other words, don't just focus on the lowest price, consider the total value. For example, many of the games you can download from the PlayStation store are about $10, and the PlayStation network is free. Not to mention all the free demo games, movie trailers, movie and tv show downloads that are free or just a few bucks.

I could probably find enough free demos to play all year, but I made the mistake of visiting the Prince of Persia web site and now I can't wait to get my hands on it.

Uncharted alone would make this a deal, but add 160GB hard drive, and a BluRay player--don't think, do. Get this system.

I have never really been a PlayStation fan since purchasing the very first PlayStation nearly 10 years ago. As a result most of my console gaming was on Nintendo's and Microsoft's consoles. However, between my XBOX Pro and Elite consoles, I have had to send them back them to Microsoft seven times in less than two years. Even the "more reliable" Elite console had to be returned twice last year. I decided that I spent too much money for that kind of unreliability so I reluctantly contemplated a PS3 purchase. Now before all of you Microsoft fan boys start calling this a fan boy review, think again; I call them as I see them and I never really understood why someone just can't have two or all three of the gaming systems anyway. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy my XBOX 360 console, have around 25 XBOX 360 games, and still play it regularly. However when I spend nearly a grand on two Microsoft consoles, I expect them to last longer than a few months. I don't know about you, but I work hard for my money, paying for all my things out of my own pocket and I refuse to spend another dime on Microsoft's money pit of faulty consoles.

The main reason I purchased a PS3 was because I was in the market for a Blu-Ray player. However during extensive research I discovered that the Blu-Ray player on the PS3 is one of the best on the market, and while I'm not a big fan of multipurpose gaming consoles, I decided on the PS3 opposed to a standalone due to my countless issues with the XBOX 360. I may end up getting a standalone Blu-Ray player eventually, but for now the PS3 will suffice. The Blu-Ray player does not disappoint; however since this is my first experience with a Blu-Ray player, I don't have anything to compare it to other than DVD players. That said I never experienced any issue with the playback on the PS3. The first movie I purchased was The Dark Knight and comparing the video quality to my DVD player I do see a big difference. While DVD's certainly look good, the Blu-Ray does in fact show a noticeable difference. Honestly I don't notice much difference in audio, but this could be because I have a very old A/V receiver. The Blu-Ray player on the PS3 also up converts regular DVD's (with an HDMI cable). To me, the up-converting is ok, but I prefer using my standalone for watching regular DVD's.

One huge advantage the PS3 has over the 360 is that Sony doesn't nickel and dime you on accessories like Microsoft does. An example of this is that the PS3 has built in wireless internet capability instead of making you spend a hundred bucks on an "adapter". Additionally, all A/V connections in the back of the console are spaced out so you can use multiple A/V outputs (i.e. using HDMI video with optical sound) without having to spend an additional fifty bucks on yet ANOTHER adapter. Also, the PS3 controller can be charged with the included USB cable and you are not forced to purchase a battery pack and a separate charger. Finally, all memberships to the Sony PlayStation network (the equivalent to XBOX Live) are absolutely free. Meaning it's free to play games online without having to pay ANOTHER fifty/year for a "Gold membership"; granted while it is not that much, free is always better. Keep in mind that you still have to pay for some downloads, but you aren't charged just to be member.

One small complaint I had right off the bat is that unlike the 360 I am unable to output optical sound to my receiver and HDMI sound to my television simultaneously. I found the ability to do this on the 360 to be quite convenient since when everyone is in the bed I can play games with the receiver volume turned all the way down and just use the sound on the TV. However with the PS3 you can only choose one or the other at a given time. So before I start playing games, I have to choose in the Audio Settings screen if I want to use HDMI sound through the TV or optical sound through my receiver every time. My receiver does not have HDMI capability so I do not know if this limitation applies if both the TV and Receiver have HDMI capability.


This PS3 package comes bundled with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune which is a very good game to start off with. Once you are done with this game you can easily download demos from the PlayStation network to check out other titles you are curious about.

Keep in mind that to cut costs, Sony decided to do away with backwards compatibility with PS2 games. Neither of the current versions of the PS3 can play PS2 games. Because I have no PS2 games, this is not a concern for me and since I'm one to keep my old consoles, backwards compatibility has NEVER been a concern for me. However, if you are one that wishes to play PS2 games, then I suggest getting one of the older model PS3's or just purchase a PS2 separately since they are inexpensive now.
So far the PS3 seems like a good console. Available titles are limited for me since I have most of the good cross platform games on the 360 already. Drake's Fortune is a good start, but I am hoping for more worthy PS3 titles in the near future. Reliability wise, I have experienced a couple of game freezes, but restarting the system seemed to clear the problem. Only time will tell it it's more reliable than the 360. I could be wrong, but I highly doubt I will go through 3 - 4 per year as I have with the 360.

This is not my first console ever. I switched from Xbox classic and 360 and this was the best decision I've ever made. Free online gaming, much smoother running, hundreds of extra features and utilities, and now also the Playstation Home coming up makes Playstation3 absolutely unmatched by any of the others. This is the ultimate gaming and home entertainment system I'll be sure to stick to for many, many years to come. I highly recommend it to everyone in the whole world. You will know what I'm talking about when you get it. I also want to thank the lousy and completely useless XBox360 technical support who has opened my eyes and made me switch to Playstation3. I hope this inspires lots of other gamers who decided to settle for an OK system to make the same switch I did and treat themselves with the right stuff.

The PS3 was first released in November 2006, just one year after its competition, the XBOX 360. What can be said for the console since its release back on that amazing day in 2006? Well one thing is that it continues to evolve even to this day thanks to new releases with bigger hard drives and numerous software patches to be downloaded for free through the Playstation network (PSN). Sony are a company that listen to their fans and although upon first release the creators think they know what's best, they are more than willing to develop the interface and the experience through feedback from gamers.

The XBOX 360 was released 1 year earlier than the PS3 because Microsoft wanted to get the jump on Sony by releasing their console for Christmas 2005 which presented absolutely no gaming competition. Good move from a business stand point, but this only hindered the XBOX experience with the numerous hardware faults including the dreaded red ring of death. Fans were angry and frustrated and certainly a lot of them felt robbed by Microsoft's shoddy hardware blunders. The PS3 was the saving grace as although we had to wait an additional year for it to be released, the wait was worth it.

The look of the PS3 is something I want to talk about first. The external appearance is something we all notice first and it's definitely something that made me buy it. Next to hardware, the look of a console on the outside and in the interface is definitely something quite important I take into consideration when deciding a purchase. The GUI (Graphical User Interface) is again something that looks very pretty and of course presents an easy to navigate interface. The PS3 GUI is known as the XrossMediaBar or the XMB. It is split into 9 categories. Users, Settings, Photo, Music, Video, Game, PSN, Network and Friends all make up an easy to find system when you're looking to perform a particular task within the operating system.

I don't know much about hardware and the technical stuff, but they've all been touched upon in other reviews so I'm going to just talk about the little add ons that really make it a worthwhile experience to buy this console. The PSN is one of its best selling points for the PS3 as although the 7th generation of gaming has taken a more positive leap to internet gaming, the fact that joining the PSN and being able to play your friends online is free wins it many fans. The wireless controllers are again another fantastic addition. This may be considered reaching for complements but it's the small things that have the biggest impact. Bluetooth and built in wireless internet capability are just immense considering if you want stuff like this, you have to buy the extras for the XBOX 360 to allow for such freedom

My favourite thing to do with the console is to be able to plug in my external hard drive and watch any film I have stored on my PS3. It seems to have the ability to play any video format on the PS3 and although that may not be the case, I'm happy and as a gamer, that's all that matters. Thanks to recent updates, Sony has now introduced the very welcome Trophy system which is a way of matching Microsoft's achievement system. Some would say it's better, others would say it doesn't matter, but to me it makes the gaming experience that bit more worth it.

The whole point of the PS3 is the gaming experience and that is the right approach to take which has worked wonders for Sony. No widespread hardware problems and no noise problems which were two of my main complaints about the PS3. It wasn't a rushed console and you can tell that from the start. It's an immense experience and just over two years on it has an impressive games catalogue that is guaranteed to get better and better. There's no doubting that even though it is just two years on, there's a PS4 at least at the discussion point of development and we probably won't see a finished article for about 4 or even 5 years.

That being said, I hope Sony learn a lot from this console and understand where they went wrong and what they did right. At this point, with all the software updates and other such changes, the PS3 is near enough the perfect console. One thing that does bug me a little is the constant new releases with larger hard drives and better add ons such as PS2 backwards compatibility. When we do see a PS4 we should get a large hard drive to begin with but if upgrades of hard drive space are made available, then we should be given an easy way to upgrade the hard drive without having to be a techno type of guy and having to take apart the console.

Just buy it, you won't regret it, I promise.

It was bad enough when we realized that you CAN'T PLAY PS2 GAMES in it at all, but then 3 months after we purchased it, it stopped working correctly. It was still under warranty, so we called Sony and they told us they would either fix it or replace it with a "new" one. Well, 2 days after we mailed it, they sent us an old, scratched up PS3. We called to complain, and they told us that they only replace it with "factory authorized" units. We demanded our original unit back, and they told us that was impossible, because they don't track them once they get them, and that ours was most likely fixed and sent to someone else. That is their system. They don't fix yours, they just send you some other broken one that they have attempted to fix! This is the most unbelievable thing I have ever heard after spending $500 just three months ago! Save your money--its not worth the aggravation. (We spoke to 3 different people and a supervisor with no success).

I recieved the 160 GB for Christmas and I must say that I was ecstatic from the second I turned it on to the minute I turned it off. The 160 Gigs is more than enough space, and the console supports full internet capabilities.

Packaged with the PS3 is the hit Action/Adventure title "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune." This game is an excellent addition to an already phenomenal deal, and is a great starter game for the PS3, as it really shows the power of Blu-Ray that the machine boasts. The crisp textures, Vibrant colors, and cohesive storyline filled with non-stop thrills will ensure that any fan who has this as their only game, will not be bored.

Registering with Playstation Network is fast and easy. The newest feature to the online is the hit "Home" which has you creating an avatar and doing whatever you please throughout multiple virtual locations.

The asking price may seem a bit steep for some, but you get more than enough content to counter-balance it. You can't go wrong with this package. Whether it be for a loved one, or a child, they will most likely fall in love with the PS3.

I got this system the other day, and absolutely love it. It is worth the extra $50 to get a great game and another 80 gigs will help for gaming and storage. Uncharted is an absolutely beautiful game and alot of fun! It reminds me a better version of tombraider. The game feels like a movie on some parts and the colors just explode from the game and the backgrounds are amazing. Probably one of the better games out there, i can't wait for the 2nd one already. PS3's bluray player is great as well and doesn't take long to load movies at all, and can easily be updated with wifi or a cable wire into the system. I love my new ps3!

Ok, First the admission. I have an 80 Gb model PS3. This is a great bargain as it includes a fantastic game. I did purchase the Sony Remote for the BluRay capabilities, instead of using the controller. As for the lack of backwards compatibility with the PS2, doesn't matter, as I have one anyway. In my Opinion, This is a good value, and with the release of Uncharted 2 pending later this year, would be an excellent time to buy this. AS for Uncharted : Drake's Fortune, I have played through it and it was fantastic. It has a great replay value as you can go back and try and find the things you missed the first time through. Charlie S.

I have a Xbox 360 elite and a PSP 2000. I recently bought the PS3 160Gb about a month ago. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is a great game, I beat it on normal it two days, the only problem I have with the PS3 is that while playing the game, the PS3 froze. Uncharted, has auto save which saves every few minutes, so when I restarted my PS3 I did not have to do a whole lot to get to the point were I was. I have had all three of my systems freeze a least once.

People have said that Xbox live is better than PS online. I only have one game were I can play online, and that's Socom: Confrontation. Online Play seem to be the same, the only con is that you have to push a bottom talk and you can only talk to long, were on Live, you can just talk all you want. I have a sister and when she get on the Vista computer, and when I play on Live, I lag and can't play. But if I'm on my PS3 we both can online, with almost no lag.

Overall the PS3 is better than the Xbox 360, even tho Sony took out the backwards compatibly with PS2 games, 2 USB ports and the memory stick ports. People also say that the PS3 weights a lot, not really, unlike the Xbox 360 that has the power brick, the PS3 has that built in. It also have built in wireless, which was really nice because I did not have to run any wires. The nicest thing about any PS3 is that you can take out the hard drive and put a bigger one on, like 750GB. The Xbox can only have 120GB max.

Just for fun I had to try this, I put a Xbox and Xbox 360 game in my PS3 and it show a little video and then it said to put it in a Xbox/Xbox 360. Now when I put a PS3 game in my Xbox 360, the 360 could not even read the disc.