Customer Reviews

PlayStation 3 40GB Metal Gear Solid 4 Gray Kojima Bundle

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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)
+ Improved power efficiency - 110w vs. 180w for my old 60GB
+ Dual shock controller (rumble)
+ Bundled MGS4 game and extras
+ Amazon Blu-ray movies promotion (buy 4 movies from list and get $100 off through end of 2008)
+ Mate, easier to maintain finish (can't see the fingerprints)

= 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)
= 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
- 50% less storage (not really a problem if you upgrade)
- 2 USB ports vs. 4 USB ports on the 60GB
- No PS2 compatibility
- No chrome trim
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STORAGE and STORAGE UPGRADE:
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This model comes with an 40GB drive. As crazy as this may sound, this is the best machine your money can buy today IF you are planning to upgrade and IF you dig MGS4. On the other hand, DO NOT buy this model if you do not consider upgrading the disk because 40GB won't take you very far.

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, $100 would buy you a 320GB drive. I used the Western Digital WD3200BEVT 320 GB Scorpio Sata 5400 Rpm 8MB 2.5 inch myself. 1TB drives are available these days for a few $$ more and you should try to get one of those if you are planning to store lots of videos. The nice thing about upgrading your disk is that you are also going to be left with a perfectly good 40GB 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 a nice video so you'll decide if you are comfortable with it. If upgrading is the first thing you do, 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 MGS4 and you consider upgrading, buy THIS model.
- If you are planning to upgrade regardless, you're better off with this model because you can use the $100 you save to upgrade, you get the MGS4 and you should be able to get Drake's Fortune (new) for about $40 from Amazon. Not to mention that you don't have to wait for 3 more weeks.
- If you don't care much about MGS4 AND you feel that you can live with 160GB AND you think Drake's Fortune is a cool game, then wait for a few more weeks for the 160GB bundle.
- 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.
- 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.

This model is different from the current 80 gig playstation 3 in the following ways: it has a 40 gig HD, it is gun metal instead of piano black, and it includes a limited edition copy of Metal Gear Solid 4.

If you plan on using this system as a true media center, than the HD is probably too small. This would most likely be the case with an 80 gig HD as well. Fortunately, the PS3 uses laptop HDs which are plentiful and cheap. Another reviewer has already addressed this.

The system itself is beautiful and the production run of this package is supposedly very limited. This means you will have a unique PS3 many will envy. It also means that many accessories (ie: additional control, headset, etc.) will not match the color scheme. If you have never played MGS, the series is very engrossing; this game was created to sell systems. Despite the smaller HD and the lack of matching accessories, I am very pleased with this purchase.

I had a PS3 before but it was too noisy and overheated so I sold it. I read that they had fixed the problem. I wanted this Grey PS3 when it first was offered by Konami. I couldn't pay $600 so I stuck with my PS2 until the right time. I just lately typed in "Playstation Console Metal Gear" in the Amazon search thinking I was going to get the 80gb version and this popped and I couldn't believe that this was still for sale and for $400. I grabbed it as fast as I could. I've heard that this is basically the same as the new 80gb version, I don't care about storage that much and I don't like the Piano Black the only other color for me would be the Ceramic White but they never have sold it in the United States.
The Grey is very nice and I got MGS4 with it. I am very satisfied!

I ordered this through Amazon and they shipped the next business day. Got the item very fast, even when I picked "Free Shipping." Now on to business....my initial impression of the item was just...WOW. The system looked awesome when I took it out of the box (it still does). The gray finish went well with the system. What's best is that you won't have to worry about finger prints showing up all over the system nor about visible dust particles. It came with all the regular wires which it normally comes with (no HDMI cable which you have to buy seperately). The bundle came with Metal Gear Solid 4 and two bonus disks (one BlueRay with the background story of Metal Gear and one music CD). They included a cool case for the DVDs (you can see the picture of the case on the snapshot of the PS3 box). As for performance...it's really quiet when I was playing the BlueRay disk. It didn't make any sound at all. It took pretty long to upgrade the system software though (it was upgrading from 2.30 to 2.52 or something like that). Overall, I am extermely pleased with the purchase of this special edition. Not only it's in different color but also MGS4 and bonus contents are included. It's 40GB and the price is the same for the 80GB system. But the bonus contents and the different color of the system more than makes up for the hard drive space difference. And the PS3 box looks really cool as well. In conclusion...if you're a Metal Gear Solid fan (I wouldn't consider myself as a fan as I've played only a few games of the series, none for the PS2), thinking of buying a new PS3; now's your chance to get the "limited edition" for the fraction of the price for which it was being offered earlier (this is the main reason I bought the system).

I have one of the original 60GB PS3 systems but always wanted the gunmetal gray. Unfortunately the crazy price this was originally selling for through Konami was not justified based on the specs. The amazon price is a great deal - love the gunmetal color. The fact that it doesn't retain fingerprints is a real bonus.

The biggest upgrade in my opinion is that this PS3 system is so much quieter than my old 60GB. The fan is nearly silent whereas my old system would ramp up to a level that was VERY audible in quiet parts of movies.

The 40GB was not a drawback at all in my opinion. Just swap out for a bigger one - its easy to do and the drives are not that expensive. I already had a 160GB 7200rpm drive that was waiting to go.

Since I already had MGS4 game I didn't need the LE version, but since it is going for big $ on auction that will further offset the cost. I don't care about being able to play PS2 games cause they look like bad on the big screen anyway. The memory card slots were used a total of 1 times on my old system so I don't think I'll miss this either.

Personally, I prefer this system over the new 80GB model which is being sold at the same price. Why? Lets see:

1) It's a limited edition console with a superb color (which leaves no finger prints). What I was most impressed with was how well the dualshock 3 controller looked in the gunmental gray. Unbelievable!

2) You get METAL GEAR SOLID 4..PLUS EXTRAS..for the same price as the 80GB WITHOUT a game. If you've never played any of the metal gear solid games, you wouldn't even begin to understand how lucky you would be to be getting this bundle.

3) So it has 40GB..WHO CARES!!!..I honestly don't see why persons are making such a big fuss over this. Do you think you can survive off of 80GBs if you buy the other system? If you're not a true gamer..there is a possibility...If you're a true gamer..80GB??please!!!...if you had 20GB you'd wish you had 40GB, if you had 80GB, you'd wish you had 160GB. With the price of hard drives these days, you can buy a 320GB for less than $100 and insert it into your limited edition console !!..Who has the superior system now??!!!

4)It's not backward compatible with PS2 games. Guess what? Neither is the latest 80GB or 160GB. I must say, this is the only reason why I did not give this particular system 5 stars. I have a nice collection of ps2 games and my ps2 broke. But, with the latest version of the PS2 slim (with built-in adapter) being only $129(PlayStation 2 Limited Edition LEGO Batman Bundle), I'll buy a new one. Even though this console CAN play ps1 games, in my opinion, they look way better on the PS2 still.

5) So they've removed the card readers and limited us to 2 USB slots. We just have to improvise. Once upon a time, laptops came with those specifications, and we got by. Ain't worth crying over spilled milk peoples.

6) Hey guess what, I can download Metal Gear Solid 4 Theme for the ps3 interface for FREE..Now i truly have a unique METAL GEAR Console-inside and out :)

In summary, this system is a great buy and I would recommend it to persons buying a new ps3. Good Looks (unless you really crave the piano-black color), same game play, free game, same functionality as newer models. I only wished they would sell Gunmetal controllers separately so i can have a pair :(

As a preface, I am a lifelong gamer but have not owned a console since my N64 many years ago. I got by in college gaming on my laptop or using the various consoles my roommates had (Xbox, PS2).

Now that I am gainfully employed I have been lusting after a next gen console since their release a couple years ago. I was on the fence for the past year on which console to buy, and from my experiences in college I was partial to the Xbox. Their initial glut of games and lower cost had me leaning toward the 360.

Am I ever glad that I waited and got this bundle. I have been playing Fallout 3, Little Big Planet, Rock Band 2 and the new Need for Speed and all of them are AWESOME.

I bought this bundle more for the gray finish than Metal Gear Solid, and the game was simply a huge bonus. I took the recommendation of A Dent (see his wonderful review of this product) and upgraded my hard drive first thing. Memory is no longer an issue, and the hard drive was now $40 less than I expected to pay for it. Score! Do note that if you upgrade out the box as I did you will need to download the latest system software to get your PS3 up and running. There are very clear instructions in the manual that comes with your PS3, and how to videos give you a good idea of how simple the process is.

I do wish there were more than the 2 USB ports, but simply buy a multi-port adapter and plug it in. I purchased this Belkin USB 2.0 4-Port Hub, White and it works flawlessly - simply connect it to your PS3 and it works. The power comes through the USB so no need to use the AC adapter that comes with it. I suggest buying here at Amazon as I picked one up at the local Best Buy and it cost $10 more.

I have also watched Wall-E, Iron Man and a couple other flicks on the Blu Ray hooked to my 42 inch plasma, and I could not be happier with this purchase. LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!

This PS3 is amazing. The "Hagane" gunmetal finish 40GB PS3 is awsome compared to the greasy fingerprint and fine dust SUPER MAGNET piano black 80GB. I had the black PS3 awhile ago when it first came out and I was so annoyed everytime I looked at it I had to grab the microfiber rag and wipe it clean of the fine dust. After wipping it so much it would leave visible scratches that just diminish the look of the PS3. Now that problem is gone...the grey finish looks so elegant and unique that I had to show it off and place it right next to the lcd in the living room. So in conclusion grab this while its available the game that it comes with is worth more than the measly 40GB that you are giving up compared to the piano black 80GB.

I am very satisfied with this purchase because I think this is a fantastic deal for the following reasons:
1). Price is same as the 80GB but you get MGS4 with this one

2). I want to upgrade the hard drive anyway so even the 80Gb to me is still useless. I would rather get the free game than an extra 40Gb (I plan to put 1TB anyway)

3). The gunmetal finish is very classy and unique no more stains and greasy finger marks

4). SUPER FAST shipping I got it within 2 days using the SUPER SAVER FREE shipping method.

5). Oh did I mention I was NOT charged tax on this either final price I paid was $399.96!!

6). I already have a HDMI cable from my DVD player (which I will not be using now since I got the ps3 looking forward to blu-ray) will just use that HDMI cable so problem solved.

The only thing I need is the remote which I would have to get anyway regardless of 40Gb or 80GB. Unable to play PS2 games is not a concern for me as I never had a PS2. The way I look at it is a win-win situation (at lease for me).

If you have a child who wants a PS3 for christmas, this one is THE one to get. Not only will his/her friends notice that your child's PS3 is different than theirs and looks better, but it includes a good game, all for the same price as the 80GB that's at WalMart.

Sure, the drive is smaller, but 320GB drives are under a hundred now and Sony will NOT void the warranty if you upgrade it! Plus, the color is distinctive and if you ever have to sell it, it WILL bring in more than the other PS3 models.

Here's a summary of all the PS3s available to date:
20GB: Out of production. All black. Has no wifi or card readers but will play just about every PS2 game
60GB: Out of production. The most sought-after. Wifi, card readers, PS2 compatable. The only PS2 games these have problems with are those that need a custom controller.
80G Motorstorm: Out of production. Includes Motorstorm game. Plays *most* PS2 games. Some of the PS2 functionality is emulated in this, so it is not like the 20/60 which have a PS2 inside them. includes card readers.
80G Metal Gear: Includes Metal Gear Solid 4. Otherwise like the 80G Motorstorm except it includes a DualShock3 controller instead.
40G/80G/160G Uncharted: The current models. NO PS2 compatability. No card readers and only 2 USB ports. These are lower-cost (production-wise) PS3s.
This one: Like the 40G but gray. NO PS2 games play on it. Still, it stands out from the others and at this price is the best value.

As a game player, it's great. The games are what makes the system, though...and many do.

As a Blu-Ray player...it's the only one I would recommend to anyone as it plays just about every movie released on day one. Most standalones can't claim that...and in fact many standalones don't play every Blu-Ray release at all!!!