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PlayStation 3

Video games and Blu-ray all in one

A member of the so-called "seventh generation" of home video game consoles, the PlayStation 3 is manufactured by Sony and is comparable to Microsoft's popular XBOX 360 and the Nintendo Wii. In North America, the console has been available since November of 2006.

With advanced multimedia capabilities, the PlayStation 3 was one of the most versatile and complete home entertainment systems on the market when it made its debut. Unlike the two previous versions of the PlayStation, this model is able to access the online PlayStation Network, allowing users to play in real time with other players in remote locations as well as download game content and plug-ins.

PlayStation 3 Specifications

The PlayStation 3 has sold over 40 million units since it was introduced, and part of the reason for its popularity is its multimedia capabilities. It offers a built-in Blu-ray and DVD player, compact disc player and digital media distribution platform in addition to operating PlayStation 3 games. Older models of the system are also capable of playing games that were designed for the two previous PlayStation models.

Here are the console specifications for the PlayStation 3 system:

Operating system: XrossMediaBar System Software v3.50
Central processing unit (CPU): 3.2 gigahertz Cell Broadband Engine
Storage: 2.5-inch SATA hard drive; capacity is customizable at time of purchase (options range from 20 gigabytes to 320 gigabytes) and can be upgraded
Memory: 256 MB each for the system and video
Sound: The PlayStation 3 is capable of playing back sound in analog stereo, TOSLINK and HDMI formats
Graphics: NVIDIA/SCEI RSX Reality Synthesizer (550 megahertz)
Display: The system is capable of outputting composite video, S-video, RGB SCART, component video, D-Terminal and HDMI video formats

The PlayStation 3 also offers flash memory input and various audio/video input formats in addition to the preceding functions.