PlayStation 3

At first glance, you will be taken aback by its sleek and shiny exterior that exudes a very futuristic look. The console is jet black, with PlayStation 3 embossed on the front, in a font that strangely reminded me of Spiderman, the movie. The 60 GB version is highlighted along the borders by a thin Silvery chrome line that adds to the overall sexiness. The Power and Eject buttons on the front are touch sensitive, which means all you have to do is gently glide your finger over the desired button for the desired effect. In the front, you’ll find four USB slots to connect a plethora of devices ranging from controllers (and charging your USB controllers) to digital cameras to USB keyboards to Sony’s very own PlayStation Portable (PSP), which by the way can be used as a rear view mirror in certain games. In addition to the four USB slots in the front you also have a Memory Card Reader (only for the 60 GB version) that’s compatible with Sony Memory Sticks as well as Compact Flash and SD/MMC cards.

At the back, you have a LAN/Ethernet port and slots for HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) output, optical digital audio output (SPDIF), and PlayStation A/V output for analog audio and video. Speaking of HDMI, the PS3 comes bundled with a standard composite cable that allows you to hook it up to your HDTV, but unfortunately, by using this cable you’ll be limiting yourself to a resolution of 480i. If its true high definition (720p, 1080i and 1080p) you crave, you’re going to have to buy a separate HDMI cable that’ll set you back by nearly Rs. 2500 ($50 approx). This (dumb) move has angered a lot of people as not only do they have to shell out oodles of dough on an HDTV and the PS3, but they’ll also have to cough up another hefty sum for that HDMI cable ( but hey, no one said the true next-gen experience was cheap right?)