My first 2 weeks with a PS3

[Rage187]

I've had nothing but Xboxs for the last 12 years. I just stayed away from PS2 and 3. I'm kind of bummed I have waited this long but, I'm here now and happy.

Why I bought. I wanted GTA5 but was waiting on the PS4. It will eventually rerelease with all the addons up to that point.

I was also on the look out for a used PS3 because I was getting back into JPRGs after some recent, lengthy sessions of Tales of the avoid and. Dragon Quest 9 on the 3DS. I forgot Sony is the king of JPRGs.

I then got on the 500gb slim + GTA5 for $229 deal from EBay.

So, first impressions:

Cons:
The console hardware feel cheap. Like going to target and buying a stereo, cheap, the slide door feels flimsy.

WTF controller? Such cheap plastic, doesn't weigh anything and it just feels wrong. I stand by my opinion that the 360 controller is the best console controller ever created.

Loud. Even after rocked installs, this thing is loud as hell. My 2nd to last gen 360 is damn near quiet.

Oh, and those forced downloads? They take forever. It must have been 30 mins to start playing gta5 from when I inserted the disc.

And it is constantly switching resolutions. I think I can fix this by removing everything but 1080P but it is annoying.

I wanted to buy a Vita because I heard both te PS3 and 4 supported remote play. I was about to grab one off CL but had the foresight to check compatible games. Glad I did that, only 13 games are supported on the PS3 out of thousands, can't believe that. Shameful. At least with the PS4, remote play is required.

Pros:

HOLY CRAP. The amount of quality free games is amazing and will keep me renewing each year.

Graphics, I can't compare because I don't own a game on both consoles. However, Dragons Crown and ni no kuni are the best looking graphics I have ever seen. So crisp. Look hand painted.

Dashboard, I like it better than the XBL dashboard which is nothing but ads for Doritos and movies. I don't think I have seen one ad in the PS3 dashboard.


I'm just getting some gaming in before the PS4 drops. Hoping to get through Ni No Kuni and mid way through GTA5. Then, I've heard rumors of a PS3 collection being available day one which I will pick up. Also, hoping Gakai or whatever they have for streaming old games has a ton of ps3 JPRGs.

 

[purbeast0]

tons of good games on ps3.

god of war, ratchet and clank, uncharted, last of us, resistance. all great series.

i agree about the controller too that it's too light and feels extremely cheap.

i can't wait for ps5 to come out so you can then tell us how awesome the ps4 is!

 

[Aikouka]

Loud. Even after rocked installs, this thing is loud as hell. My 2nd to last gen 360 is damn near quiet.

Something must be wrong with your used PS3, because I don't recall the slim ones being noisy. Although, it sounds like you got one of the latest ones with the weird new door thing.

Oh, and those forced downloads? They take forever. It must have been 30 mins to start playing gta5 from when I inserted the disc.

The 360 also asks you to update the games when you start them as well. They don't normally take long, but I guess that's dependent on the game itself.

And it is constantly switching resolutions. I think I can fix this by removing everything but 1080P but it is annoying.

I have noticed that it swaps resolutions, but that usually stops once you're actually playing the game.

At least with the PS4, remote play is required.

To my knowledge, it is not required, but it is still relatively simple to do. From what Mark Cerny said in an interview, the developer simply has to specify how the Vita controls will map to the DualShock 4, and that's it.

Dashboard, I like it better than the XBL dashboard which is nothing but ads for Doritos and movies. I don't think I have seen one ad in the PS3 dashboard.

To note, the interface on the PS3 is called the XMB. I actually prefer the 360's Dashboard over it, but I can understand your dislike for the ads. Oddly enough though, I've actually looked at the ads before because they tend to be related to gaming more often than not.

Then, I've heard rumors of a PS3 collection being available day one which I will pick up.

I believe that rumor has been debunked.

Also, hoping Gakai or whatever they have for streaming old games has a ton of ps3 JPRGs.

I doubt the Gaikai service will be available until next year. You might as well just consider to keep buying games used. Frankly, I'm far more willing to buy a PS3 game used than I will a 360 game. PS3 games are all sold on Blu-Rays, which are considerably harder to scratch. That alone instills quite a bit of faith in me as just because someone loaded up a 360 game DVD for a few minutes doesn't mean some random part on the disc isn't inoperable.

EDIT:

...and if I knew you were looking for a PS3, I would have sold you my other one. Since I'll be getting a PS4 in a month, I figured that there's no reason to own two PS3s anymore. Might as well sell it!

 

[zerocool84]

I have a slim PS3 and a slim 360 and the Xbox is always louder all the time no matter what it's doing. Also I prefer the lightness of the Dualshock and the built-in battery. I hate having to purchase batteries or battery packs for my Xbox controller but the triggers of course are much better on the Xbox controller.

 

[futurefields]

Xbox all day son.

 

[Demoralized]

You can buy trigger attachments to make them curved out like the 360 controller. I have them on mine. Did wonders for playing shooters on PS3 when I switched from my 360.

 

[JeffMD]

Cons:
The console hardware feel cheap. Like going to target and buying a stereo, cheap, the slide door feels flimsy.

Well plastic is a bit lighter then sheet metal, so I am actually glad they didn't package it like my receiver or pc case. It pretty much looks like any quality dvd player. The sloped top is a love hate thing, impossible to stack so you either set it on its side (I do) or let it become a dust collector. Not sure what slide door you are talking about though.. my slim has no doors. Disc are slot loaded.

WTF controller? Such cheap plastic, doesn't weigh anything and it just feels wrong. I stand by my opinion that the 360 controller is the best console controller ever created.

I do like my xbox (for windows) controller better, it does feel a bit more solid and better triggers. I am sure there are some people who prefer the dualshock style though.

Loud. Even after rocked installs, this thing is loud as hell. My 2nd to last gen 360 is damn near quiet.

Never heard anyone refer to the 360 as quiet..ever. PS3 slim was and is my only current gen system (I'm a pc gamer). I admit I dislike the amount of noise it makes compared to the ps2 days, but with the sound running you tend not to notice it until loading time.

Oh, and those forced downloads? They take forever. It must have been 30 mins to start playing gta5 from when I inserted the disc.

Xbox requires you to install the first disc as well. The game Loads 8 gigs of data onto the HD and then uses a dual loading system where it loads data from both the disc and the HD in parallel. AFAIK no other games have had an install screen? Maybe FPS shooters did to load the multiplayer data faster? I don't have any FPS games on ps3. Games do use the HD but its hidden load times.

And it is constantly switching resolutions. I think I can fix this by removing everything but 1080P but it is annoying.

I would chalk this up to your tv just sucking at handling video mode changes. It happens between dashboard and programs.. never seen it in games though.

vita sucks

yes yes it does

Dashboard, I like it better than the XBL dashboard which is nothing but ads for Doritos and movies. I don't think I have seen one ad in the PS3 dashboard.

really? ads? wow that is so sad. I know they changed it over to metro, but that is sad. I am surprised xbox users aren't more vocal about that.

 

[hans030390]

Cons:
The console hardware feel cheap. Like going to target and buying a stereo, cheap, the slide door feels flimsy.

WTF controller? Such cheap plastic, doesn't weigh anything and it just feels wrong. I stand by my opinion that the 360 controller is the best console controller ever created.

Loud. Even after rocked installs, this thing is loud as hell. My 2nd to last gen 360 is damn near quiet.

And it is constantly switching resolutions. I think I can fix this by removing everything but 1080P but it is annoying.

- The latest PS3 does indeed feel somewhat cheap and flimsy compared to the previous 2 models. Realistically, though, it'll probably give you years of trouble free performance...unless you're the type that regularly throws your consoles around. (I could see travel without a case or protection being worrisome)

- I read complaints about loudness issues before I got the latest slim model. The model I got is whisper quiet, even when reading from the disc or reading from/writing to the HDD. I believe the only "fix" is to get a replacement or have Sony look at it under warranty. Not sure why some of the units are loud...they should not be. My 360 (1st slim model) is noticeably louder, but still quiet.

- I always liked that the DS3 controllers were so light. Fits my super large hands just fine as well. I'll take the built-in rechargeable battery any day over the 360 controller (though the 360 controller is arguably more comfortable, I agree). Even then, the controllers have been rock solid for me. I still have a couple launch controllers that have been through a lot.

 

[Bman123]

So many things talked about in this thread. I have owned both for years so I will chime in.

Noise- The PS3 slim is by far the quietest of the two
Controller- The 360 controller shape is better but that's it. The DS3 is way lighter and has a very good battery built into it. The 360 controller hurts my wrist after a while.
Games- PS3 wins that hands down. The titles were already listed above
UI- I love the PS3 UI, Xbox with all the tiles is not atractive and ads get shoved at you left and right.
Network- PS3 wifi connection is a lot better then the xbox.
Online and Updates- Ps3 is free but you get what you pay for, there is more lag and the software or firmware updates on PS3 are slow. The 360 version is a lot faster and you have a better online experience and granted you should considering you are paying for it.

I like both systems honestly, they have their pro's and con's but if I had to pick only one, hands down the PS3 would be my choice. You got one at a good time I think. There are so many good games for you to play and now they should be pretty much bargain bin priced except for The Last Of Us that game was epic...

 

[Tweak155]

I've had no real complaints about my PS3. It's one of the shiny versions, 60gb and can play PS1 games.

I think the reason I have no real complaints is because I barely use it for gaming. I've only played one game all the way through (Uncharted 2) and mainly use it for blurays / netflix.

I've played my 360 way more (my Elite edition finally died a few months back) and beat way more games on it, but dang was that thing loud. The new slim I have is much better, but now I rarely play... mostly doing PC gaming.

Overall if I could only keep one, obviously at this point it would be the 360. The controller and online experience were just far more superior. I hope when we need to start paying for PS online it gets better. I have 0 issues that they are charging now, but have the expectation it will vastly improve.

 

[exdeath]

I got a PS3 late in the game as well. With the PS3 launch being a failure and overhyped, and lots of good games at first on 360, it was a no brainer.

Now my shooterdudebrobox 360 collects dust and I'm catching up on all the RPGs I missed as PS3 got its act together. Sigh.

Ni no Kuni is amazing. Warning however, it will become your current gen gold standard as to what a modern JRPG should be, and there isn't much else in the same league.

Most JRPGs left now are irritating spastic ADHD anime disasters that try to be like Dragonball or Naruto when, if they have to be anime inspired at all, they SHOULD be like Escaflowne or Giant Robo. Eg serious and tragic and not all goofy and spastic.

 

[mmntech]

The biggest complaint about the top loader PS3 is how cheap it feels. It's butt ugly too.

For noise, I've always found the Bluray drives kind of loud. When it spins up to full speed anyway. This can be mitigated by putting thicker rubber or cloth pads under the console's feet to dampen the vibration. When there's no disc in there or it's just playing a BD movie, my Slim (front loader) is dead quiet.

The forced downloads are a pain. This can be aliviated if you get Playstation Plus and use the auto update feature. In fact, I think a new firmware just opened this up to non-PS+ users too. What it does is allow you to set a specific time of day to automatically download and install any patches and updates. I have mine set to do this while I'm at work.

For switching resolutions, most games are at 720p. It's probably trying to run the game at its native res. Try taking that option out and it should just upscale them.

As for Remote Play, it's always been an underutilized feature in the PS3. I think a big part of the problem is the PS3 can't handle on-the-fly video transcoding all that well. There's too much lag to make it really usable. The PS4 has a dedicated chip that handles that, and Remote Play is mandatory for most games. Which will be really cool. My Vita is going to get a workout after November.

Lastly, the controller is one you either love or you hate. I like a lighter joypad myself. The 360 one is a very good design, though I'm not a fan of the triggers.



The PS3 does have a lot of very good games definitely worth playing. God of War and Uncharted are the ones everyone picks up. There are quite a few hidden gems worth playing.
-3D Dot Game Heroes is an homage/pardody to the original Legend of Zelda and Link to the Past.
-Valkerya Chronicles, a tactical JRPG which is widely considered to be one of the best on the platform. It's getting hard to find though. Sony needs to give this a proper digital release.
-Ico Collection, which included both Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. Gorgeous games highly worth playing.
-Okami HD, which in my opinion is the definitive version of this PS2 game. This game is as good as Ocarina of Time in my opinion, which it is somewhat similar to.
-Ni no Kuni, which exdeath already mentioned
-Disgaea series. A tactical RPG done in PS1/early PS2 style. Hasn't really changed much over the years. It's tedious and involves a lot of griding but its humour and characters makes up for it. It's done in an anime style but mocks a lot of cliches in the genre.
-Motorstorm. Everybody seems to have forgotten about this game. Guess because the last couple weren't that great. The original is a lot of fun.

Of course there's the usuals. I highly recommend you pick up all three Ratchet & Clank Future games: Tools of Destruction, Quest for Booty, and Crack in Time. Infamous series is pretty decent as well. Also LittleBigPlanet. Love me some LBP. Get the second one instead of the first. Not that the first one is bad but the second one is a lot more fleshed out.

 

[clok1966]

I must also agree, slims (own 3) are much more quite then my 360's.. (own 3 also, Still have my WORKING launch console, and 2 new 360 slims). If yours is noisy i think you got a bad one, or you have it in a spot it gets no air.

Owning them all for so long, here is what i find. (yes i do have several games on both, why? I'm and addict, i see a good game deal I buy, and often i find i already had it)

early games (on both systems) are generally better on 360, but only enough that side by side you would notice. There are about 3-5 notable exceptions (Bayonetta is one). Anything in the last 2-3 years is pretty much the same.

Controllers, I like the PS3, but understand the love for the 360, i just simply have used the PS controllers from PSONE days, its more comfortable for me simply as i have used it for 15 years. I will give this one up to the 360 for any of the newer gamer.. but not quite sure why they like the heavier one.. i far prefer light, but would like swap-able batteries.. SONY's 6 foot charge cord BLOWS !!!!!! and I cant find a longer one that WILL charge it.

In the end my PS3 is used more, it has more games that I like , it has the better exclusives IMHO.. its not 95% FPS like the 360 is.. its only 85%

But on duel platform games I use the 360 every time.. the console is way cheaper to replace, the games are cheaper (ebay, used, amazon) then the PS3 counterparts.. Hence i have way more 360 games then PS3 games.. 3-400 360 games, and only 100 games for the PS3 (but most are PS3 only).

In the end.. If i was to recommend a system.. it would be hard to not say 360.. its cheap, has the most games at the cheapest prices. But I factor the actual games "I LIKE" (drakes fortune, Folktale, Last of us, etc) and enjoy the slight, but more variety the PS3 has.. cant go wrong with either.. but go listen to some more slims.. i think yours is broke.

 

[exdeath]

Xbox all day son.

"Son"? Spoken like a true dudebro.



Go play some more Madden/Call of Doodoo.

 

[JeffMD]

Wow I didn't know the ps3 had a new super slim model.. it looks like crap too! WTH is with the top loading door? glossy? Yea the new ps3 is everything awful, although apparently its fan does not even need to turn on until under load. So glad I got the last cool looking version.

And Ni no Kuni? A benchmark for jrpg? seriously? I rated ff13 better than this. The anime cut scenes were way too much of an art style change from the 3d gameplay that it separated itself from the game.

 

[exdeath]

And Ni no Kuni? A benchmark for jrpg? seriously? I rated ff13 better than this. The anime cut scenes were way too much of an art style change from the 3d gameplay that it separated itself from the game.

Its the closest thing to the golden era of RPGs since the SNES and PS1 were discontinued.

The FMV seldom matches the in game graphics. How is this suddenly a big deal?

 

[JeffMD]

ex, well mainly because back then the ingame graphics were neither detailed nore capable of portraying action scenes. Now that the consoles are capable of pre render quality cinematics, there shouldn't be a reason to utilise different styles for pre-recorded movies.

Kuni def fits the fantasy profile.. but I never thought of it to be nearly as epic, especially in the life and death struggle that golden era of RPGs conveyed so well.

 

[Rage187]

I think the draw of ni no kuni is that it is freaking cute. I can play it in front of my kids and my wife doesn't bitch about the graphic violence.

PLUS, my 6 year old daughter wants to play it with me... It damn near brought a tear to my eye. She even says "if I eat my dinner quick, can we play that game before bedtime?" muahahaha. I want to play anyways, I now have my minion doing my bidding.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

WTF controller? Such cheap plastic, doesn't weigh anything and it just feels wrong. I stand by my opinion that the 360 controller is the best console controller ever created.

Have to disagree with you here. I'm not going to defend the DualShock3, and the 360 controller is pretty awesome as far as the general layout, thumbsticks and buttons go. But it has, bar none, the worst d-pad in controller history, and it isn't even close. Granted, most people don't care about the d-pad nowadays, but I still prefer using it for fighting games, and the 360 controller is almost unplayable in that regard. I mean, OK, even with that issue I guess the 360 controller might be the best controller ever, but damn, that seems like it should be an easy fix, considering consoles nailed that down 30 years ago.

 

[Qbah]

I bought mine (used slim) so I can catch up on the exclusive games. Finished Uncharted and Uncharted 2. Now going through Uncharted 3 - amazing series! And it does look really good too (PC Master Race here ). Next on my list is The Last Of Us and Beyond: Two Souls. Then Enslaved: Journey to the West (never came out for PC). Heavy Rain at some point too.

I had a Falcon Elite some years ago and that thing was a jet engine (enough to make me sick even thinking about turning it on...). The PS3 slim is really quiet (that's why I got this one and not the super slim - the latest one is rather loud...). It's still louder than my PC, but then again, most things are... But it's not really bothering me, like in the Xbox. The drive can make funny sounds (in Uncharted 1 it was spinning up and down - kinda annoying... but it stopped after a while).

The controller (DS3) - not a fan, at all. It's not comfortable to hold at all. My hands sometimes go numb from holing it and playing... It's rather small and hard to hold comfortably. I love the Xbox 360 wireless controller on the other hand - best controller ever made, period. I use it with my PC whenever I can. I use the DS3 because there's nothing else to use... Wish I could just plug in the Xbox controller and use it instead.

 

[Arkaign]

Have to disagree with you here. I'm not going to defend the DualShock3, and the 360 controller is pretty awesome as far as the general layout, thumbsticks and buttons go. But it has, bar none, the worst d-pad in controller history, and it isn't even close. Granted, most people don't care about the d-pad nowadays, but I still prefer using it for fighting games, and the 360 controller is almost unplayable in that regard. I mean, OK, even with that issue I guess the 360 controller might be the best controller ever, but damn, that seems like it should be an easy fix, considering consoles nailed that down 30 years ago.

I found that a certain model of Gamestop wired 360 pads have an AMAZING gamepad. Fully agree about the trash stock 360 d-pad. Exposed corners = sloppy bullcrap.

The best d-pads in the world are made by Hori, but surprisingly enough that one Gamestop pad is 95% as good. Of course, Gamestop didn't make it, they just stuck their brand on it over a 3rd party.

Ah, here we go :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mad-Catz-MC...838?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item58a5c11a2e

Madcatz. They are available in a few configs, but you can tell the good ones from the proper plus-shaped D-pad.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Madcatz. They are available in a few configs, but you can tell the good ones from the proper plus-shaped D-pad.

Is that compatible with the 360 wireless adapter from MS, or are they wired only? I need wireless to run games off my PC to my TV in a different room.

 

[Arkaign]

Is that compatible with the 360 wireless adapter from MS, or are they wired only? I need wireless to run games off my PC to my TV in a different room.

Unfortunately I don't think that would work for you unless you used a wireless USB extender. I do know they work natively on PC incredibly well (most all games I've tried see them natively). But by themselves, I don't see any Mad Catz models that have the built-in wireless that matches the original MS design.

If your house is wired for CAT5, or you don't mind pulling a drop, you could run USB over the USB to CAT5 adapter cable, those work really well. I've never run across an affordable USB wireless extension setup. I did one for a conference room for a local oil and gas company, and it was something like $300. All because they wanted to plug some funky USB device into the center area of the meeting table, and have it connect wirelessly from there to their meeting room PC setup which was about 80' away. It worked really well, but that's too much money to justify with what you're describing.

 

[Bman123]

I wouldn't pay $51 for a madcats controller. I dont know if the newer stuff is good but the older stuff wasn't

 

[Arkaign]

I paid 15 for the lower end model at a game show. I bought it for the d pad but surprisingly it's as good as the ms controller just with far improved d pad and no wireless. I think I also had some older madcatz stuff for og Xbox and yes it did suck lol.