PlayStation 3 - SpeedyLook encyclopedia

The PlayStation 3 (or PS3 ) is the console of seventh generation of Sony. It left on November 11th, 2006 concerned video to the Japan, on November 17th, 2006 concerned video in North America and on March 23rd, 2007 concerned video in Europe. It succeeds the PlayStation 2 and comes to compete with the Xbox 360 and the Wii.

Under consideration like a center of digital entertainment, PlayStation 3 is equipped in series with the support high-definition Blu-ray, of a Hard drive, a Navigateur Internet and a catch HDMI. The new lever, baptized Sixaxis, embarks a system of detection of movement, offering to the player an original type of interaction with the plays. The online service of the console, the PlayStation Network allows to play in network free, to download plays and gives access at various departments of communication.

In September 2007, an about sixty original plays are available in Europe, and more than one hundred are under development (see the list of the plays). PlayStation 3 is partially rétrocompatible with the plays PlayStation and PlayStation 2, at least with the first versions (the new version 40Go sold with 399€ is not it).

History

Launching

The plans of launching were revealed in May 2006 at the time of the living room of the Electronic Entertainment Expo with Los Angeles. Sony envisaged a world exit at a few days of interval: the November 11th 2006 with the Japan and the November 17th 2006 in North America and Europe. However, in September 2006 the European exit is officially deferred to March 2007 following a delay in the production of the blue diodes of the reader Blu-ray. Consequently, the number of consoles proposed for the day of launching is tiny room to 80.000 units for the Japan and to less than 200.000 units for the North America. According to the institute Create Media, 81.639 specimens of PlayStation 3 were sold of 24 hours in Japan.

The limited quantities of consoles generated effects of opportunism. In Japan, observations let predict that business men paid Chinese nationals to buy consoles without plays in order to resell them with the full price. To the United States, isolated acts of violence were deferred while the console was negotiated between 1000 $ and 3000 $ on the site EBay.

PlayStation 3 left in Europe the March 23rd 2007. Only the “model 60GB” was proposed with launching. The manufacturer thus explains to have wanted to answer “waitings of the retailers and the consumers”, suggesting that the first purchasers prefer the “model 60GB”. Contrary to the Japanese and American exit, the distributed quantities were sufficient to answer the request. In France, in spite of one evening launching missed, 78.000 consoles were sold in two days. Best the sales were carried out in Great Britain with 173.000 machines run out, which constitutes a record for a console of living room. The film Casino Royal with the format Blu-ray was offered to the first 500.000 purchasers to have recorded their console on the PlayStation Network.

The day of the launching of the console, 5 plays on support Blu-ray were available to Japan, 12 in the United States and 24 in Europe, to which some downloadable plays are added. The plays more in sight with European launching were Resistance: Fall off Man , MotorStorm , Virtua Fighter 5 , Virtua Tennis 3 , Ridge Racer 7 or Formulated One Championship Edition . Best the sales were carried out by Resistance: Fall off Man .

In October 2007, Sony announced to have sold 5,59 million consoles on a world level.

Models and price

Models with launching

The console was declined in two configurations with the launching of the machine:

the model 60GB is equipped with an hard drive of 60 Go, of slots to receive memory cards of the type Memory Stick, Secure DIGITAL and CompactFlash, of a connectivity wireless networking Wi-Fi and of four ports USB. On the esthetic level, this version presents in more one edging silver plated on the front face of the console.
the model 20GB is a model “line entry” equipped with an hard drive of 20 Go and which does not propose to Wi-Fi connectivity nor card readers. This model was not marketed in Europe and as of April 2007, its sales were stopped in the United States.

Pack choke

Starting from August 2007 in Europe, Sony proposed promotional packs called “Pack Choke”, including/understanding the model 60GB , two Sixaxis and two plays. Sold with the initial price of 599€, the first pack includes/understands the plays Motorstorm and Resistance: Fall off Man . The second, available in September 2007, contains the plays F1 Championship Edition and Heavenly Sword . As from October (and the exit of the model 40GB ), the price of the “Pack Choke” passed to 499€. It is only available until exhaustion of stocks. To date, it is not available any more or then on Ebay.

New models

New models were proposed thereafter:

the model 80GB is different from the model 60GB by the size of its hard drive: 80 Go and of the retro-compatibility of the plays PS2 which is done henceforth by emulation as on the European models. It was marketed in South Korea, in June 2007. It is available since August 2007 in North America where it must in the long term come to replace the model 60GB . An exit of the model this model in Europe is not excluded in the months which come.
the model 40GB is equipped with an hard drive of 40 Go, with integrated connectivity Wi-Fi, two ports USB (instead of 4) and without reader of memory cards nor retrocompatibility with the plays PS2, and without the reading of SACD. This model moreover is equipped with a processor CONCEALMENT engraved in 65 Nm. This larger intricacy of engraving is one of the reasons explaining less low price of this model. It left in October 2007 to Europe, at the price of 399€. On the esthetic level, this version henceforth presents nothing any more but one silver plated edging which is now matt on the front face of the console.

Material architecture

Comfort

Processor CONCEALMENT

Graphics processor RSX

The graphics processor, baptized RSX (Real Synthesizer), was designed by nVidia in collaboration with Sony. Based on architecture NV40, the processor borrows technologies of generation NV50. The chip is produced by the factory Sony of Nagasaki with an intricacy of engraving of 65 nanometers. The RSX is equivalent to the power of two Ultra GeForce 6800. Architecture and the specifications are in fact very close to the high-end of GeForce 7. The graphic application program interface is owner, but approaches the specifications of OpenGL-ES. The language of Shader used is as for him the CG, developed by NVidia. RAM video uses technology GDDR3.

Blu-Ray and connector industry HDMI

Hard drive

PlayStation 3 has a Hard drive in series. It makes it possible to store its safeguards of plays like various types of contents Multimédia (music, video, image). Sometimes the installation of the plays on the hard drive makes it possible to reduce times of loading appreciably. The hard drive meets the standard S-ATA and its capacity is of 20,40,60 or 80 Go according to the model. It can be replaced by any hard drive for PC meeting the same standard. It is also possible to connect an external hard drive via the catches USB 2.0.

Lever

Sixaxis

The lever delivered with PlayStation 3 names “SIXAXIS”, a Palindrome in reference to the sensor of movements to 6 degrees of freedom which it integrates. This device makes it possible the console to detect the orientation of rotation and the acceleration of translation of the lever on the three three-dimensional axes. Sixaxis thus offers to the player a novel mode of interaction with the plays based on the movement.

Thanks to the implementation of technology Bluetooth and an integrated battery, the lever becomes without wire. The announced autonomy of the battery is 30 hours. It is reloaded by connecting the lever to the console with a cable USB (provided). Four LED located on the section make it possible to distinguish the levers between them. To 7 controllers can be managed simultaneously by the console.

The Sixaxis takes again the design of the DualShock 2. The ergonomics of the lever has however sudden some evolutions:

a button with the logo “PlayStation” is placed in the center of the controller gives access the interface Cross Media Bar or to engage/extinguish the console.
the buttons L2 and R2 located on the section were replaced by analogical triggers whose amplitude allows a more precise control.
the angle of inclination of the analogical joystick S was slightly increased in order to increase the sensitivity of the orders and to instigate handling.
Lastly, for these the last two elements (analogical keys L2/R2 and joystick), the precision of answer was improved with a quantity of information passing from 8 to 10 bits.

Sixaxis however is stripped of engines Solénoïde S, which allow the vibrations. To justify this disappearance, Sony put in front of the technical reasons and of cost to regulate them. The observers have however advanced the legal disagreement opposing Sony to the american company Immersion, holder of patents related to the technology of vibration of the DualShock. In March 2007, Sony and Immersion announced to have put an end to their litigation and to have undertaken a new partnership.

DualShock 3

In September 2007, at the time of the Tokyo Range Show, Sony announced the output of a new model of lever, the DualShock 3. This one takes again all the characteristics of Sixaxis with moreover, the vibratory function. It was marketed in November 2007 in Japan and is planned for spring 2008 in Europe and North America.

System and services

Operating system

The console uses a Operating system developed especially for the machine and whose graphical interface is the Cross Media Bar (XMB), already used on PSP. The PS3 permanently reserves 72 Mo of RAM for its operation. The XMB proposes eight sub-menus: User, Configuration, Photograph, Music, Video, Play, Network and Friends.

Multi-media

The system makes it possible to visualize photographs, to listen to music and to view the vidéos stored on the hard drive. It is compatible with the formats of files according to:

VIDEO: MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (PS, TS), H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, MPEG-4 SP and soon of the DivX

MUSIQUE: ATRAC (.OMA .MSA .AA3), AAC (.3GP .MP4), MP3 (.MP3), WAV (.WAV), WMA (.WMA)

IMAGE: JPEG , TIFF , GIF , PNG , BMP

The operating system is Multitâche, making it possible for example to listen to music while surfant on the Web or by looking at a diaporama photographs.

Navigator Internet

The PS3 uses by defect an advanced version of the mini-navigator NetFront, also used on PSP. The navigator proposes the majority of the functions or attributes traditional (page of starting, bookmarks, history, size of the characters, cookies, mask, Java Script). To six pages Internet can be simultaneously open. The interface was adapted to the lever Sixaxis but it is also possible to connect a keyboard USB and a Souris USB to the console to facilitate navigation.

Media Center

Since May 2007, PlayStation 3 can connect on data-processing waiters of type DLNA3 like Windows Media Player 11 or Nero MediaHome. The user can thus reach the multimedia contents of a computer since the console.

Raising of resolution

The console raises the resolution of the plays PlayStation and PlayStation 2 as well as video DVD until the 1080p, improving returned to them on the television sets HD Ready and Full HD via the distribution Yellow Dog Linux which makes it possible to carry out applications developed by the users (for example of the emulators of plays). Sony carries out its objective thus to make PS3 a center of digital entertainment to the image of PC. Other Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Fedora, Debian or Gentoo are available in compatible version PS3, like all the distributions planned for architecture PC.

PlayStation Network

PlayStation Blind

PlayStation Store is an online shop which makes it possible to download various free or paying contents. PlayStation Store is divided into several areas of which the Japan, the North America, the Europe and the Asia. The contents can vary according to these areas. One finds there:

Of the original plays with small budget, specifically developed for the service. This initiative, called E-Distribution (EDI), aims at making it possible independent developers to distribute their plays without having to pass by the circuit of traditional sale. Sony announced to want to privilege quality rather than the quantity.
Of conversions of recent plays, adapted PSP or of Plays of arcade.
Of the playable plays PSone on PlayStation 3 and PSP.
Of traditional of the Play of arcade with new functionalities on line.
Of the additional contents for the plays: updated and extension S.
Of the playable demos, Trailer card S of plays, Fund of screen S, Documentary S, Trailer S of films to come to the Cinema or in format Blu-ray.

To buy paying contents on PlayStation Blind, the user must feed a virtual bank account with a Bank card or a prepaid card. A Parental control can be exerted on this account: limitation of the maximum expenditure, restriction according to the contents,… All the prices of PlayStation Store are posted in the real currency.

PlayStation Home

Distributed calculation

The computing power and the access to the networks of PlayStation 3 serve as the programs of Calcul distributed. Sony last an agreement with the University Stanford so that the machine takes part in the project Folding@Home, under the name of cure@PS3.

Since April 2007, there exists also a customer BOINC. PS3Grid, the first application optimized for the processor CONCEALMENT and Yellow Dog Linux, will carry out simulations of Molecular biology. PS3GRID is a project of the university Pompeu Fabra of Barcelona (Spain).

Blu-ray Disc and high-definition

PlayStation 3 reads films with the format Blu-ray. To profit from optimal quality on a television set HD Ready or better, Full HD, it is recommended to use a cable HDMI, sold separately. A television set or compatible monitor HDCP is necessary. A remote control is also proposed separately to facilitate navigation.

The Blu-ray films are zones according to following geographical cutting:

Area a: the United States, Canada, Japan and East Asia;

Area b: Europe, Africa and all the other territories STAKE;

Area C: China, Russia and the rest of the world.

The reader Blu-ray can read the various formats of DVD. This aspect returns more the migration attracting for the users, because they are not obliged to replace their collection of DVD. PlayStation 3 raises in high-definition the resolution of the DVD making it possible to improve returned to them on the televisions HD realized by a software conversion of 50i (in entry) with 60i (at exit), which causes a loss of resolution and, in the extreme cases, certain jerks in returned vidéos.

PlayTV

Revealed in August 2007 at the time of the Ranges Convention of Leipzig, PlayTV is a Tuner/Digital recorder for Playstation 3. The peripheral external, in the shape of a case which connects with the console via a port USB, makes it possible to look at, pause, like storing on the Hard drive of the machine the emissions of Digital terrestrial television diffused with the European standard DVB-T (TNT in France). Equipped with a double tuner SD and HD, it in particular makes it possible to record a program all while looking at some another. The recording can be programmed thanks to the guide of the programs included with the adapter. Lastly, it will be also possible to remotely diffuse on PSP the recorded contents and to even transfer the vidéos recorded PS3 towards the PSP after D-encoding to the specific format from the PSP. The accessory is planned for 2008, only in Europe. Its price was not indicated yet.

Connectivity PSP

Connectivity between the PS3 and the PlayStation Portable makes it possible to transfer the files multi-media (vidéos, musics, images) from the one the other by using a cable USB, a Memory Stick or by Wifi. It is also possible to download plays PSone on the PS3 (via the PlayStation Network) and to then transfer them on PSP (see the list of downloadable PSone plays).

The function of remote reading “Remote Play”.

In the future, PlayStation Portable could also be used like an additional peripheral in certain plays PS3. During a demonstration in E3 2006, the PSP for example was used as rear view mirror for the play Formula One Championship Edition (planned for current November 2007).

The SACD (Super-Audio CD)

History of the support

Developed by Sony in 1999, the SACD is the format which aimed at replacing audio CD such as we know it while bringing the multichannel one to him popularized by the DVD with the Dolby DIGITAL 5.1 or SDR.
Other favors semi-official is impossibility of duplicating these new CD. In the fight against the hacking, this argument would have to be enough to impose the format.
Unfortunately for Sony, 2 elements countered this innovation:
- first of all the competition of the DVD-audio which brought the same evolutions appreciably as the SACD,
- then the technical elements which the format imposed: to have a multichannel amplifier with analogical entries 5.1 because Sony explained that the flow of the signal DSD of a SACD required for transport a flow that the numerical cord (on coaxial catch 75 ohms or optical Toslink) did not offer.

To see SACD with a multichannel amplifier

On almost all the readers of DVD is present a digital display of coaxial type (round, generally black, resembles a cord RCA being used to connect an audio apparatus into analogical) and/or a digital display of optical type (protected by a black cap, allowing to convey the audio stream via a red laser).
Reader DVD allows to transmit the multichannel sound present on the disc (VO or VF in Dolby DIGITAL 5.1 or SDR for example) but does not allow safe on the top-of-the-range models of " décoder" this flow, it must pass by an amplifier which integrates the décodeurs.
Again, according to the quality of the amplifier, it will integrate Dolby DIGITAL, the SDR, the multichannel PCM… without speaking about the new formats born with HD (SDR HD Master Audio, Dolby TrueHD).

Sony defends the idea that flow DSD (a new format of multichannel coding) could not be transmitted to the amplifier by the numerical cord being used for decoding of the DVD. It thus forces to integrate the decoder in reader SACD and to use 5+1 cords analogical RCA to forward the sound flow of the reader towards the amplifier. It is necessary then that the amplifier have these " entries 5.1" in order to allow the connection. Small precision: this complicated, heavy and expensive solution prevents any copy of the audio stream going of turntable SACD towards the multichannel amplifier. Indeed, to be able to restore sound flow towards the 5+1 enclosures of the equipment, the amplifier will leave reader SACD " piloter" the sending of the channels Before " Droit" , " Center" , " Gauche" , Back " Droit" and " Gauche" and Low (box) towards the enclosures making impossible of any adjustment since the amplifier if not the sound volume…

To see SACD with a PS3

The PS3 does not propose analogical connector industry 5.1 making it possible to connect it with a multichannel amplifier. She proposes only stereo audio on 2 analogical channels (RCA red and white) via the adapter Mutli Audio/Vidéo sold with the console or to use connector HDMI 1.3.

Catch HDMI is often presented like the catch Péritel (or SCART) of the future because as this European catch allows it, the sound and the image are conveyed via only one catch (with much of connectors, 21 pins for the péritel).
Does everyone know certification HDMI 1.3 but which differences with the 1.0, the 1.1 or the 1.2?
In the absolute, we return you towards the article on Wikipédia. Will know simply that the advantage of the HDMI 1.2 is to be able to convey flow DSD of the SACD with only one HDMI.
cord Several amplifier of the market, not the last, not most expensive, those which integrate an entry HDMI, can recover flow DSD of a reader SACD and decode it themselves to return it towards the 5+1 enceintes.
In parallel, for those which are always interested by the history of the SACD, will know that Denon had created a connector owner named Denon Link taking again the functionalities of the catch Toslink and by adding to it the flow necessary and the protections imposed by Sony. Denon Link even became a standard which one can find on amplifiers of others constructeurs.

The PS3 in spite of its connector HDMI 1.3 does not make it possible to convey signal DSD of a SACD towards an amplifier with entries HDMI. These signals are reconverted in flow PCM and forwarded by exit HDMI or SDR and conveyed by the optical exit (firmware necessary v.2)

Limitations of the PS3 today

The PS3 makes it possible to use its connector HDMI to convey the signal of a SACD but not flow DSD present on the disc: it converts it into multichannel PCM, new standard born with the HD and made public with the PS3 justement.
For example, on Blu-Ray, among the sound formats suggested, you find PCM multichannel not compressed. In the opinion of expert, undoubtedly the best format now available. Disadvantage: very few amplifiers today can recover it via the HDMI 1.3 and treat it. The few models available still exceed the 1500 €.

The few holders of SACD believed when Sony announced that the PS3 read the SACD which they could throw their turntable dedicated. Today they await only one thing: that the next evolution of the firmware of the console of Sony makes it possible to make forward via the HDMI flow DSD such as it is engraved on the SACD. Or that Sony proposes a cord Multi Audio/Vidéo proposing 5+1 analogical exits to connect the PS3 like a turntable SACD classique.

It seems that Sony had another idée.
According to the ps3SACD.com site firmware 2.0 updating the PS3 since the beginning of less November 2007 would make it possible to recover the multichannel flow of the SACD read by the PS3 via the optical numerical cord but once this signal converted into SDR. Information is not officially mentioned on the site playstation where figure last firmware in date.

Recall: the problems of reading of the SACD arise only for the holders of a PS3 " first génération" i.e. those which bought it before the exit of the PS3 40 Go because since, reading SACD was withdrawn from the functionalities offered by the console.

Plays

See also: List of plays PlayStation 3, List of downloadable PlayStation plays

In September 2007, approximately 70 plays on support Blu-ray are available on the console as well as a score of original titles in remote loading. According to Range Rankings, the three plays best noted by the specialized press American E are The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion , Resistance: Fall off Man , Virtua Fighter 5 .

The price of the plays is between 59.99€ and 69.99€ Sony Computer Entertainment, principal provider of titles on the system.

Compared with the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 marks the generalization of the Online game, entirely free, and the handing-over in question of the physical support with the massive arrival of plays and downloadable contents. This generation presents also more difficulties to arrive to a retrocompatibility with the plays of the old models. In addition, Sony put an end to the Zonage plays: a Japanese play PS3 or North-American can thus function on PlayStation 3 European, and conversely.

Online game

Many titles present modes of online games and/or functionalities network. Resistance: Fall off Man was particularly appreciated for the depth of its network mode, experiment to which 40 players can take share simultaneously. With MotorStorm , it is one of most popular on PlayStation Network.

Certain titles, like the war game Warhawk , are only playable on line and does not propose any mode solo. Connectivity with the network also opens new prospects in the development and the division of contents. In this respect, the project Little Big Planet is one of most promising.

Plays to be downloaded

In September 2007, the PlayStation Store European proposes more than one score of plays to be downloaded of which ten new titles and ten republication of plays of arcade. Sony had announced to want to privilege quality with the quantity.

new Plays

The original productions consist of plays of reflection like Lemmings , of directed plays Multijoueur like Calling All Cars! , of Shot them up like Super Stardust HD , of plays of address based on the recognition of movement of the lever Sixaxis as Super Rub “has” Dub , or of the plays to the atypical profile like FlOw . Essentially, they are plays with small budget (sold between 5 and 8€), but the service accommodates also more important projects like Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Online , Warhawk or the futures Gran Turismo 5 Prolog and SOCOM Confrontation .

Traditional arcade

Seven traditional of the Jeu of arcade is proposed in remote loading. They are for the majority resulting from the catalog of Midway Games (Williams Electronics, Atari Games): Mortal Kombat II , Championship Sprint , Joust , Q*Bert . Sold 3€, they are faithful to the originals but implement functionalities network (online game Multijoueur, classification on line).

Traditional PSone

In Europe, the first republications of plays PSone began in June 2007. Compatible with the PS3 and the PSP, the catalog of plays includes/understands titles like WipEout , Crash Bandicoot , Jumping Flash! , MediEvil , Syphon Filter or Kula World . In Japan, nearly a hundred titles were republished, including one most of the catalog SNK Playmore.

Plays under development

More than 150 plays are under development of which Uncharted: Drake' S Fortune , The Getaway 3 , Unreal Tournament 3 , Tekken 6 , Metal GEAR Solid 4: Guns off Patriots , GTA4 , Little Big Planet , Metal GEAR Online , Killzone 2 , Yakuza 3 , Gran Turismo 5 , Drunk Calibur 4 or Final Fantasy XIII .

Retrocompatibility

Plays

PlayStation 3 is partially rétrocompatible with the catalog of plays PlayStation and PlayStation 2. In order to facilitate the retrocompatibility, Sony initially chose a material retrocompatibility. The first generation of PlayStation 3 sold in Japan and in North America thus presents component of PlayStation 2, in particular the Emotion Engine and Graphics Synthesizer. In November 2006, a certain number of plays presented various dysfunctions, for the majority corrected in January with the exit of the software system 1.5.

For the European launching of the console, certain material components one replaced by a software emulation. The Emotion Engine is not present any more in the machine, which falls under a logic of reduction of the production costs. Consequently, plays PS2 are announced more difficult to emulate. In March 2007, more than 1700 plays PlayStation 2 are compatible, which accounts for 73% of the European game library. Sony put on line a site which makes it possible to check the retrocompatibility of each title. The site records four levels of compatibility - perfect, problems minor, notable problems, not-compatible - but there do not exist official figures. One of the difficulties of establishing precise data is that the same play can, according to its produced codes, sometimes to be perfectly compatible, sometimes to present problems. The regular updates of the software system however continue to improve the retrocompatibility.

In addition, the zoning of the PSone plays and PS2 remain effective.

Since the last version of the PS3 left to Europe in November 2007, the retrocompatibility of plays PS2 is not assured any more in order to " to direct itself towards technologies nouvelles" according to the chairman from Sony.

Additional

To recover the data of memory cards PS1 and PS2, an adapter is available to the sale. It makes it possible to transfer its old safeguards on the hard drive from the PS3, which follower original memory cards. In addition, the majority of the accessories Playstation 2 having a catch USB are compatible with the console. It is the case of the Microphone-helmet HeadSet, of the EyeToy, the flying on return of force of the type Driving Force, WP Forces or microphones Singstar .

Detailed characteristics

Anecdotes

the Cast iron of characters, or organizes, used for the final logotype of Playstation 3 is that of the films Spiderman, whose license belongs at Sony. Teiyu Goto, the designer of the console, explains why the preceding logo of Playstation did not marry any more with the round forms of the new model. Moreover, to create a specific police force involved risks at the qualitative level as well as a overcost. Teiyu Goto finally specifies that to use the same cast iron was also the wish of the president of Sony Computer Entertainment, Ken Kutaragi.

See too

PlayStation Network
List of plays PlayStation 3
List of downloadable PlayStation plays
List of plays to the launching of video game consoles
consoles of seventh generation
Technologies: Processor CONCEALMENT | Blu-ray
preceding Consoles: PlayStation | PlayStation 2 | Portable PlayStation | PSone
Other Next-gen consoles: Wii | Xbox 360

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