Playstation 3: Hardware Info and Price

[Shifty Geezer]

Eurogamer have confirmed (as much as these things are ever confirmed, in that a Sony spokesperson has said so, but another probably says something different ) that the entry level PS3 will be upgradeable wth WiFi and card readin, and the only thing that can't be upgraded is HDMI out.

"Both configurations will support Bluetooth PS3 controllers. The only non-upgradeable feature of the 20GB configuration will be the HDMI output."
...
According to the spokesperson, Sony plans to release a Wi-Fi adaptor for the 20GB PS3. They're also planning on a separate adaptor that will let you use memory sticks, SD cards and compact flash cards with the machine.

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=64766

So we were right in our estimations there.

 

[rabidrabbit]

Well, the fact that those would be upgradeable was clear as a day to anyone knowing even a little for computers and home electronics from the moment they announced the two SKU's at E3.
You don't even need a Sony make devices to extend the $499 SKU to Wi-Fi and card reading, most existing devices from other makers should work 100%.

 

[hey69]

well that depends on the OS inside PS3 dont you think?

you cant just plug in a wifi usb dongle on the xbox360 or a webcam on a ps2 and expect it to work.
well I HOPE it will with the ps3 thats another point ...
the expense of the xbox wifi dongle is the only holdback for me to buy it... i need it damnit but not for 80euro

 

[rabidrabbit]

well that depends on the OS inside PS3 dont you think?

you cant just plug in a wifi usb dongle on the xbox360 or a webcam on a ps2 and expect it to work.
well I HOPE it will with the ps3 thats another point ...
the expense of the xbox wifi dongle is the only holdback for me to buy it... i need it damnit but not for 80euro

No, not a WiFi USB dongle, but any wireless Ethernet converter surely.
The USB devices are more unsure in PS3 too, but like the xbox360 it's pretty much given the usb ports in PS3 can at least read any USB mass memory device including card readers.

 

[hey69]

well yeah, true, if you have an wifi accespoint on your ethernet port ..
november cant come soon enough

 

[Black Dragon37]

So what about the PS1 and 2 memory cards? Will they be compatible for the PS3?

Essential if Sony want their 100% Backward compatibiity announcement last year confirmed.

 

[Npl]

So what about the PS1 and 2 memory cards? Will they be compatible for the PS3?

Essential if Sony want their 100% Backward compatibiity announcement last year confirmed.

I hope you`re beeing sarcastic.

I bet there will be ways to get your saves to HDD, but not much more than that (What for anyway?). Supporting Dualshocks via an USB-Adapter would be nice though.

 

[Guden Oden]

So what about the PS1 and 2 memory cards? Will they be compatible for the PS3?

No. This was announced last E3 in fact that there are no memcard slots on the PS3. In fact, there's enough interfaces as it is on that thing.

Essential if Sony want their 100% Backward compatibiity announcement last year confirmed.

It's not essential for BC. It's enough if it'll run the games.
*Edit: Compare current PCs. Just because they'll run 8086 software just like back in the early 1980s doesn't mean all PCs also come with 360kb 5.25" floppydrives even today.

 

[mckmas8808]

No. This was announced last E3 in fact that there are no memcard slots on the PS3. In fact, there's enough interfaces as it is on that thing.
.

I hope Sony gives us a way to transfer the files easily. Even though I don't see this happening.

 

[Sis]

I hope Sony gives us a way to transfer the files easily. Even though I don't see this happening.

No, but unlike Microsoft, Sony seems to have a much more open storage system, so I would expect a 3rd party adapter that you could plug into the USB slot...in fact, isn't this how those Action Replay devices work?

 

[mckmas8808]

No, but unlike Microsoft, Sony seems to have a much more open storage system, so I would expect a 3rd party adapter that you could plug into the USB slot...in fact, isn't this how those Action Replay devices work?

I hope you are right. I would hate to buy a PS2 game this fall and not be able to push my saves onto the PS3.

 

[Sis]

I hope you are right. I would hate to buy a PS2 game this fall and not be able to push my saves onto the PS3.

Same here, except change "this fall" to "after first price drop."

But seriously, I'm not worried about it. Sony's system seems much more consumer friendly in this regard, though I do wonder how they plan on guarding against online cheating.

 

[Arwin]

I hope you are right. I would hate to buy a PS2 game this fall and not be able to push my saves onto the PS3.

He is right. In fact, Action Replay gives you several options - you can upload your games to your space at the codejunkies site and share them with other gamers, or you can copy them from your PS2 to practically any USB device you like. The only thing is that when they're not stored on a memory card, Action Replay compresses these files, so you need to get them uncompressed on the PS3 somehow. Perhaps Action Replay will come out with a version that gives you an option to leave them uncompressed.

I'm sure though that they'll come up with an elegant solution - if they take backward compatibility seriously, they'll have to.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

I guess Sony either need software on PS2 that'll allow transfer of save to USB device, or a USB network between PS2 and PS3 that'll allow PS3 to read the MemCards. Or a USB MemCard reader for PS3, which had better be cheap as it'll only be used a few times!

 

[wco81]

I guess Sony either need software on PS2 that'll allow transfer of save to USB device, or a USB network between PS2 and PS3 that'll allow PS3 to read the MemCards. Or a USB MemCard reader for PS3, which had better be cheap as it'll only be used a few times!

Transfer saves from PS2 Memory Card to PS3? Yeah how will they do that?

I have a Max Drive so I could transfer on a computer and put it on an SD card. But MaxDrive uses some proprietary encyption and compression so you would need their software to decrypt/decompress.

The more interesting thing is whether their chat software will let you send game saves to other users. Then you wouldn't need things like MaxDrive or Action Replay.

 

[PeterT]

I have a Max Drive so I could transfer on a computer and put it on an SD card. But MaxDrive uses some proprietary encyption and compression so you would need their software to decrypt/decompress.

You can get the PS2 Save Builder to convert your saves to/from other formats. (I also have a MaxDrive)

Anyway, as I said before, if I can't take my 1200+ saved gaming hours on PS2 to PS3 then I wouldn't call that full backwards compatibility at all - even if it does run all games.

 

[Npl]

You can get the PS2 Save Builder to convert your saves to/from other formats. (I also have a MaxDrive)

Anyway, as I said before, if I can't take my 1200+ saved gaming hours on PS2 to PS3 then I wouldn't call that full backwards compatibility at all - even if it does run all games.

I deleted all my PS2-Saves accidently some time ago (had them on my PC), so thats not a prob for me

Seriously though I would rather have to to a complicated procedure to get all my saves on PS3 once, than the "full hardware BC" ala PS2 where you need a PS1-Memcard to be able to save.

 

[Shifty Geezer]

Transfer saves from PS2 Memory Card to PS3? Yeah how will they do that?

A possible solution is provide a disc that runs an app on PS2 that reads the Memory Card and sends the data across a USB cable to PS3, where it reads the data and saves it to HDD. You'd only need to do this once and go through all your Memory Cards, so the faff os setting it up wouldn't be too much bother. This would of course necessitate a disc. Perhaps a card transfer programme could be sold for a couple o' bucks for those that care for this, covering the cost of printing discs?

 

[patsu]

Another non-technical solution would be for EB, GameCrazy, or even GameInformer (with or without Sony's help) set up cheap DIY kiosk to do the transfer to memory sticks. It can be free, for a low fee or members only. Since I only do it one time, I'd hate to buy. The good will and increased foot traffic should convert to other sales if the kiosk is well-placed (I don't mind paying for other more worthwhile stuff at all).

The biggest winner this E3 is probably the 3rd party vendors and retailers (Officially higher margin, more 3rd party peripheral opportunities, rejuvenation of gaming thanks to next-gen)

 

[Npl]

...Or you could have some Stations in VG-Stores where could transfer Saves to Memstick/USBstick/burn CDRom/send then over the net to your PS3.