The Rogue Parent

Rogue Review: Ultimate Guy Toys, The PlayStation 3

I’m now officially changing the phrase “The best thing since sliced bread” to “The best thing since PS3.”  This thing is awesome.  Aside from the video games, it’s a great BluRay player.

I’m not a big video game guy, though I do definitely enjoy sacking out on the couch for a little bit and playing a shoot-’em-up game.  Once I did start playing, I was blown away by how amazingly crisp and detailed the games were.  I just finished Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and the way the character interacts with the environment is incredible.  If you walk through high grass, it moves around so naturally that at times you think you’re watching TV, not a game…

The multi-player element of the PlayStation3 is also very cool.  Once you finish playing the single player mode of a game, you can go online (the PS3 has wi-fi) and play with people from around the world.  I have found that you’ll get your butt kicked pretty bad by a 12 year old out there… repeatedly.   Aside from the bruised ego, make sure you give the multi-player a try at least a few times.

The PS3 Blu-Ray Player

The games may not always be the most conducive for a family, but when it’s movie night, the PS3 will bring your cinema experience to a whole new level.

Blu-Ray was the winner in the Blu-Ray vs. HD DVD battle and is the first universal format for high def movies, delivering 1080p resolution to your home.  The PlayStation 3 has one of the market’s best Blu-Ray players out there and should be considered a major benefit to going with the PS3 over other gaming systems (a stand-alone Blu-Ray player is $200+).  Even your standard DVDs look better when viewed through the PS3 since it uses an advanced upscale program to make your old fashioned DVD look more like HD.

The Drawback and The Solution

the big drawback of the PS3 is the lack of an Infrared port.  I’m not quite sure why Sony would have made such a silly mistake to leave one off.  What that means to you?  You can’t use a standard remote to control the DVD, you’re stuck with using a game controller.

There is a solution though, the Blu Wave Remote by Nyko.  For $15 you can get a remote and a little plug that goes into one of the PS3’s USB ports to give you easy control from the couch.  The best thing about the Blu Wave remote is you can use it to program your existing universal remote to control most elements of the DVD controls.

In summary, the PlayStation 3 is a great buy and clearly an ultimate guy toy.  Now, your biggest problem is the battle over the good TV for watching or playing.