Which ps3?

[taximomfor4]

Trying to find a good deal on a ps3 for dh and ds combined birthdays. Which one is "enough"? There are several different ones, I'm finding... But have no idea which to buy, which to avoid. And what a good deal is!

Anyone??

If it helps, ds has quite a few ps2 games that he likes. And already has a ps 2 . Once it goes, I'd prefer not to have another ps2, just would use ps2 games in the ps3 (are they backwards compatible?)

 

[daraddg]

No the newer ones cant play ps2 games,I think the 60g models can but they would be used somewhere.I recently bought a ps3 320g at the recommendation of my gamer friend,he has all the systems and is VERY into gaming, he said you cant go wrong with that one because it will be almost impossible to use up all the space.

 

[thomas998]

Only the very early PS3 systems were backwards compatible. The only way to really find one that is will be to use craigslist or ebay and get an older one, but frankly I would suggest you just let him keep two systems and not try to find an older backwards compatible model... you would have no idea how rough the older version was used and abused and it could very well die in a couple of months and you would be out of luck.

Just get the cheapest one you can find. The odds of him running out of space on even a 60gb version is pretty low unless he is a very heavy gamer and if that is the case he can still replace the hard drive with a larger one later if he needs to.

 

[taximomfor4]

Thanks for the info so far. I will start checking out bundles, and see what I can find. Its hard shopping for something I have no interest in, because that means I'm uninformed about it as well.

 

[Brocktoon]

As others have mentioned, only the orginal PS3 units were PS2 compatible, and even if you find one used, the older models were known to run into overheating issues, commonly known as the yellow light of death.

The current models being sold are 160 GB and 320 GB models. Alot of the newer games are requiring huge hard drive installs upwards of 8GB+, so I'd recommend getting atleast the 160 GB model.

I'd say go with one of the following options:

1) PS3 Stand Alone 160 GB - This is priced around $250, but you may find a better deal as the holidays near

2) PS3 320 GB Uncharted 3 Bundle - This bundle is getting released next week, and should be ~ $300. For $50 more you get double the HD space, and a copy of Uncharted 3 which is $60 on it's own. Uncharted 2 is probably one of the greatest games ever, and Uncharted 3 has been getting near perfect to perfect review scores. If you want to get the system with a game, this is the way to go.

 

[birdiegirl9800]

My boys both have their own PS3's; both are 160GB, which are the most widely available model. They spend ridiculous amounts of time playing, and neither have had any issues with running out of storage space.

And to reiterate what others are saying, the original 80GB models were backward compatible; however, the current models are not. We had an 80GB originally, as an upgrade from a PS2 so that the boys could play their old PS2 games on the new system; however, they had many glitches during gameplay and the boys quickly forgot about the old games. The PS3 has way, way, way better graphics, so it kind of makes the PS2 seem archaic.

I'd keep the PS2 to play the old games. Doesn't take too much space, and will serve the purpose of compatibility best.

 

[cats mom]

Thanks for the info so far. I will start checking out bundles, and see what I can find. Its hard shopping for something I have no interest in, because that means I'm uninformed about it as well.

So true!

When my DS's old system died he tried to steer me toward the expensive 320 GB bundles, until I told him he would be paying 1/2 the cost of whatever we got, then all of a sudden a basic 160 GB system was just fine.

If you use the PS3 to store a lot of content: games, movies, TV shows, personal photos, videos, etc it might make sense to get one with more capacity built in, especially if price is comparable (like the deal Bocktoon mentioned)

But PS3 is compatible with just about any 2.5-inch SATA hard drive, it's easy to upgrade later if needed, and doing so doesn't void the warranty. So if you happen to find a great deal on a basic model, getting the larger storage capacity up front is not a huge deal, at least IMO.

DS uses his PS3 mostly for gaming, and he has barely made a dent in the 160 GB.

 

[taximomfor4]

Thanks, everyone. Now does anyone know if I can get the bundle mentioned above in stored after 11/1, or will it be mail order only?

 

[Brocktoon]

Thanks, everyone. Now does anyone know if I can get the bundle mentioned above in stored after 11/1, or will it be mail order only?

You should be able to get the Uncharted 3 bundle in store at most places. They probably already have some in stock, but aren't supposed to put them on the shelves until 11/1, as that's the Uncharted 3 release date.

Target seems to be one of the only stores though that doesn't carry many, if any of the bundles

 

[taximomfor4]

thanks. I might check out Costco on 11/1. They have them for order online, and I have my annual certificate. Is Uncharted 3 bundle stupid to buy if you've never played 1 or 2?

 

[Brocktoon]

thanks. I might check out Costco on 11/1. They have them for order online, and I have my annual certificate. Is Uncharted 3 bundle stupid to buy if you've never played 1 or 2?

You should be OK playing 3 without playing 1 or 2. Uncharted is pretty close to a modern version of Indiana Jones. Each game is a stand alone story. You'll understand more about the characters by playing all the games, but the game stories don't directly follow from one to the other.

Uncharted 1 was a fun game with a great story, but Uncharted 2 is still considered one of the greatest games of all time. The game and story are amazing, and it's almost like playing an interactive action movie. My GF wouldn't let me play unless she was around just to watch and follow along with the story.

I think Uncharted 2 is available as a budget 'greatest hits' game ... so if you were going to get any other Uncharted game, I'd highly recommend Uncharted 2 if you can get it at a decent price.

I should mention that the Uncharted games have a teen rating. Since the story and character acting is such a big part of the game, there is some minor language and violence, but it's nothing worse than any PG-13 movie out now. It's nothing worse than what would be seen in any of the Indiana Jones or National Treasure movies, and it all fits in once you seen how cinematic the games are.