What's the Deal With the Different PS3 Models?

Buying a PlayStation used to be easy. You went into a store, you said you wanted a PlayStation 2, you paid and walked out. Now, there are several different PlayStation 3 models to choose from and while they all pretty much do the same thing, some offer backwards capability in limited functions.

There are six types of PlayStation 3's on the market. Some of them are no longer available at the retail level and would have to be purchased used on eBay or Amazon.com. At the moment, there are two models being sold on a retail level with a third to come in October 2008. Both retail versions in the market come in 80 GB models and offer various differences. The new retail version, coming in October 2008, will be a 160 GB model and looks to replace the 80 GB model released in August 2007. Only the August 2007 model offers PS2 backwards compatibility, the 80 GB model released in August 2008 does not nor will the 160 GB version.

The different models were released by Sony to try and compete with the various levels of Microsoft Xbox systems a consumer could purchase. However, the biggest issue between PS3 models includes the lack of consistent PS2 backwards compatibility. While Sony has tried to address the issue, currently, there is no proper way to offer the compatibility in up conversion. Thus, it has been left out of current models for Sony to eventually offer PlayStation 2 titles via their PlayStation Network.

If you are looking to invest in a PlayStation 3, the biggest debate is going to come in whether to invest in the 80 GB or 160 GB come this holiday season. Depending on the type of game play you enjoy, the bigger hard drive is going to be the better option. Many PlayStation titles now require large downloads and patches in order to enjoy game play; this means the smaller the hard drive, the less likely you are going to be able to play the games you purchase after the fact. Investing in a PS3 is a worthy investment, just make sure you are truly getting your money's worth.