PS3: PAL Hardware Specs: Less Backwards Compatibility

Cost reduction means games reduction - but at least the news is out there early!

Posted by Staff
With the official PlayStation 3 launch exactly four weeks away, Sony Entertainment Europe has officially released information about PAL hardware specs, and all the attention is focused on reduced backward compatibility.

Confirmed for the launch is the following:

Cell Broadband Engine
60GB hard drive
Blu-ray Disc player
Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity
SIXAXIS wireless controller

And at the bottom of that list was the following note:

”It also embodies a new combination of hardware and software emulation which will enable PS3 to be compatible with a broad range of original PlayStation (PS) titles and a limited range of PlayStation2 (PS2) titles.”


Although we have not had this confirmed as yet, it suggests Emotion Engine (or the graphics synthesizer) is now being emulated in software. This would ring true with Nobuyuki Oneda’s (Sony's chief financial officer) statement in January in which he stated that PS3 production costs would be reduced by component cost savings on the chips.

SCEE’s president, David Reeves, commenting on the officially released PS3 specs told the press, “PS3 is first and foremost a system that excels in playing games specifically designed to exploit the power and potential of the PS3 system. Games designed for PS3 offer incredible graphics quality, stunning gameplay and massively improved audio and video fidelity that is simply not achievable with PS and PS2 games."

The PS2 compatibility issue was further addressed in the official statement from the company, which reads, "Rather than concentrate on PS2 backwards compatibility, in the future, company resources will be increasingly focused on developing new games and entertainment features exclusively for PS3.

“Some additional PS2 titles will become compatible on the PS3 system through regular downloadable firmware updates, which will be made available through the PlayStation Network, from www.playstation.com or via PS3 game discs, with the first update planned for the launch date of the 23rd March 2007.

Users will be able to check whether their titles are compatible with PS3 at http://faq.eu.playstation.com/bc. This site will be available on 23rd March to meet launch day.”

Other news included in the specs regards the compatibility of storage media, “Usability of all storage media types is not guaranteed”, which we take to mean that not everything you burn to DVD can be expected to play!

Audio output is also addressed as follows: "A device compatible with Linear PCM 7.1 Ch is required to output 7.1 ch audio, supported by Dolby TrueHD or a similar format, from the HDMI OUT connector.

“This system does not support output from the DTS-HD 7.1 Ch. DTS-HD 7.1 Ch audio is output from a 5.1 or lower channel.”

So, basically, you're going to have to have an output system armed with full Dolby TrueHD in order to get the most out of your PS3.

The upshot to all this? Well, the backwards compatibility issues which, according to a Sony executive, will mean that "far fewer" PS2 games will be playable in Europe than the 98% target for the US and Japan - are obviously going to be first in the firing line. However, the possible cost reductions, ongoing upgrades and fixes could provide some balance. Certainly getting the news out early indicates that Sony has learnt some lessons from its US and Japanese launches.

The main question remains, however, and it is, "Will you by buying a PS3 on March 23rd?" Tell us in the Forum below.


Full Official Specs
Product Name PLAYSTATION®3 Computer Entertainment System
Product Codes Europe, Middle East and Africa: CECHC04
UK and Ireland: CECHC03
Australia/New Zealand: CECHC02
Russia/India: CECHC08

CPU Cell Broadband Engine™
GPU RSX™
Audio Dolby Digital 5.1 ch, DTS 5.1 ch, LPCM 7.1 ch, AAC, others1,2
AAC Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell-base processing)
Memory 256 MB XDR Main RAM, 256 MB GDDR3 VRAM
Hard Disk HDD 2.5” Serial ATA – 60GB
Inputs/Outputs3 USB 4 x Hi-speed USB2.0
Memory Stick™ slot Supports standard/Duo size, MagicGate™, Memory Stick PRO™ and high speed data transmission
SD Memory Card slot Copyright-protection function is not supported
CF slot (Type I, II), Microdrive
Networking Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T) x 1

Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)
Wireless Controller (Bluetooth) SIXAXIS™ Wireless Controller
Built-in rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery
Voltage - DC 3.7V
Battery capacity – 610 m/Ah
Weight – Approx 136g

AV Output Resolution 576i, 576p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
HDMI HDMI (supports Deeep Color / Ver 1.3a) x1
Analog AV MULTI Out connector x 1
Digital audio Digital out (optical) connector x 1
Disc media
* read only CD PlayStation® CD-ROM
PlayStation®2 CD-ROM4
CD-DA (audio CD) CD-DA (ROM), CD-R, CD-RW
Super Audio CD
DVD PlayStation®2 DVD-ROM4

DVD-Video DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, AVCHD
Blu-ray Disc PLAYSTATION®3 BD-ROM
BD-Video BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-RE*
*BD-RE version 1.0 is not supported


BD/DVD/CD drive maximum read rates BD x 2 (BD-ROM), DVD x 8 (DVD-ROM), CD x 24 (CD-ROM)
Dimensions
(excluding maximum projecting part) Approximately 325mm (W) x 98mm (H) x 274mm (D)
Weight Approximately 5Kg


Companies:

Comments

Alvis 23 Feb 2007 11:55
1/13
In a word. No.
Why bother when you can get one from America for £300?
Personally i'm in no rush, i'll probably just wait till they come down in price over here. I imagine xmas will be the time they start cutting prices.
RiseFromYourGrave 23 Feb 2007 12:09
2/13
for me to part with 425 quid theyd better have at least one must-have game, and thinking about it, id still wait for a price drop

by the time there are some fantastic games for it, the price will have dropped ill wager, so i dont see the point in being an early adopter

"SPOnG" wrote:

Confirmed for the launch is the following:

Cell Broadband Engine
60GB hard drive
Blu-ray Disc player
Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity
SIXAXIS wireless controller


i think thats all been 'confirmed' for quite some time now.. :S

more comments below our sponsor's message
rogueleader 23 Feb 2007 12:20
3/13
The title says PS23...thats wrong.
Ive played a PS3 at 3speach in London and it's pretty good. But I wouldn't fork out £450
ghoti 23 Feb 2007 12:43
4/13
I'd love to see some figures on how many people care about backwards compatability. I can't see myself ever using it, but maybe some people do.

Either way, I can't see any point in paying more than £300 for a PS3. I guess it'll come down to that level around a year after UK launch or maybe by xmas 2008.
TimSpong 23 Feb 2007 12:43
5/13
rogueleader wrote:
The title says PS23...thats wrong.


Amended - person responsible slowly boiling in Omega-3 heavy oil

rogueleader wrote:
Ive played a PS3 at 3speach in London and it's pretty good. But I wouldn't fork out £450


Seeing as you've played it, what would you feel acceptable to pay for it?
LUPOS 23 Feb 2007 16:12
6/13
Seeing as UK:R doesn't seem to have a "search sonys stupid quotes" tool on their site I am unable to find any evidence but I do recal MS being given a lot of s**t for using software emulation that doesnt alow full compatability. Now I know the fanboys must have gone on about it but I am relatively sure someone from sony made a backhanded comment about it some time ago.

Or I'm jsut imagineing sony saying stupid things that they would later regret. Boy who cried wolf and all :/
________
rogueleader 23 Feb 2007 21:46
7/13
£300 max. i mean its graphics are good but not stop and go 'wow' good. Its just all the extra stuff that some people may not really need that comes with the console that puts the price up. I mean by putting the price at £450 means that they cut out the largest group of gamers. The lazy teenager. I myself am of that group and I would not be willing to save yp £450 for a games console. I mean most of the games arent that unique anyway, resistance fall of man just feels like a cross between call of duty 2, metroid prime 1 and Halo.
OptimusP 26 Feb 2007 08:27
8/13
Lupos, read the comments on UK:R's latest newpost on the PS3 backward compatibility. It has the link to Sony's Phil Harrison saying, when asked about the BC of the X360, "that's not BC at all". Whooptie!

Someone should make a Daily show version for the gaming industry...sure it would be 90% about Sony being word-twisting hypocrits...it's the fun-value that's important.
TimSpong 26 Feb 2007 08:36
9/13
OptimusP wrote:
Someone should make a Daily show version for the gaming industry...sure it would be 90% about Sony being word-twisting hypocrits...it's the fun-value that's important.


You also need to find a games journo with the charisma, insight and looks of Jon Stewart....
ozfunghi 26 Feb 2007 12:16
10/13
How time flies. PS23 Already, and i remember the PS3 launch like it was yesterday :-)

Bad joke, couldn't resist. Sue me.
TimSpong 26 Feb 2007 12:25
11/13
ozfunghi wrote:
How time flies. PS23 Already, and i remember the PS3 launch like it was yesterday :-)

Bad joke, couldn't resist. Sue me.


Nah, ya got me... but I've already boiled the person responsible in organic, non-virgin, olive oil. ;-)
booka34 2 May 2007 11:07
12/13
is the pal ps3 is 65 nm or not ???
babz 7 Mar 2008 20:32
13/13
is the middle east ps3 and the uk ps3 the same since their both pal systems i'm thinking of buying a ps3 from dubai, will uk games and dvd's an blue-ray dvd's work with the ps3 from dubai
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