He said...Playstation 3: 20gb, 40gb, 60gb, 80gb, 160gb PS3 differences/comparison

Hey everyone!

I trust everyone had a great holiday and is ready for the new year! While most of us are tweaking 2009 New Year's Resolutions, Sony has been at work to cut costs on its next-gen gaming console, the Playstation 3. As those of you who are familiar with the console world may know, the PS3 was a whopping $599 for its premium model at product launch. It has since then come a long way on a very rough road.

So far, there have been four models: 20gb, 40gb, 60gb and 80gb models. Now there is a 160gb. Curse Sony and their many models! The crazy thing is, each of them is/were slightly different at different price points. I'll definitively break down what is what, so all you people out there can finally know. I'll outline some info on outdated models, then clarify what PS3 versions have what features and their respective retail prices.

Here is a rundown on the models no longer in production:

Outdated models/out of production: 20gb, 40gb, 60gb

20gb - If you have the opportunity to purchase the 20gb, I recommend to stay away, but I doubt there are any left out there.

40gb - Soon to be/currently being phased out of production

60gb - this model was the first generation "premium" model - Can find the same features at the same price with a larger hard drive - e.g. 80gb bundle pack.

ALL PS3 models (40gb, 60gb, 80gb, 160gb) feature the following: 

-plays HD Blu-ray discs in full 1080p High Definition - all Blu-ray movies are 1080p, games are either 720p, or 1080p

-play DVDs and upscales to HD

-Plays CDs

-built in Wi-fi (for wireless internet connections)

-Comes with one (1) Wireless controller (May or may not have DUALSHOCK® vibration function)

-All necessary wires included except HDMI cable for HD output (should be less than $20 online)

-Bluetooth capability

-2 USB ports (60gb has 4 ports)

-Free Playstation Network membership

-Supports up to 7 wireless controllers

-Backwards compatible with some Playstation 1 ONLY!

Now, onto features specific to 40gb, 60gb, 80gb, and 160gb models:

40gb - $399: Soon to be discontinued. Will not play PS2 or PS1 games. No chrome accents.

60gb - $ N/A: Already discontinued. First generation PS3, has 4 USB ports, and media card slots for SD, Compactflash and Sony memory sticks. Plays most PS2 and PS1 games.

80gb - $399-499: 

-First Gen ($499) is the same as 60gb model, but with an 80gb hard drive. PS3s that came bundled with Motorstorm or Metal Gear Solid 4 game are first generation models that have features listed under 60gb above.

-Second generation core system ($399 - does not include any games) - No media card  slots (SD, Compactflash, Sony memory stick)

160gb - $499: "Limited Edition" bundle includes "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune" game; voucher for free downloadable "PAIN" game (value $9.99, expires 3/30/09)

There. I've laid it all out for you and I hope it was helpful. In my opinion, either the 60gb or 80gb bundle that includes either of the games are the best value out there, since they are the only PS3s that play PS2 games, and for the vast majority, 60-80gb is way more than enough space. For those of you that do not know, it is possible to upgrade the hard disk with a standard 2.5" hard drive.

Im guessing Sony has some tricks up its sleeve this year in order to compete with Microsoft dropping prices on the very popular Xbox 360, and of course the Nintendo Wii. The next-gen console war is far from over.

-Chris