Planet Gadgets Gadget Blog

PlayStation 3 high-definition cable not included with console

by Administrator

Although the PlayStation 3 is often spoken of favourably as a powerful piece of high-definition kit, a bit of small print concerning the High-Definition Multimedia Interface cable (Wikipedia description) that’s tucked away on the official PlayStation 3 site may change a few people’s minds:

Video output in HD requires cables and an HD-compatible display, both sold separately. Copy-protected Blu-ray video discs can only output at 1080p using an HDMI cable connected to a device that is compatible with the HDCP standard. HDMI cable not included.

And that’s only if you purchase the $600 configuration. Should you opt for the cheaper $500 PlayStation 3, you won’t have a HDMI port at all and will be unable to play games in their full glory. This is a very surprising turn of events considering that Sony themselves said the high-definition era “really only starts when we are on the market”, as a jab at Microsoft whose $400 Xbox 360 has slightly lesser high-definition output out of the box.

Overall, the PlayStation 3 is looking like it’s going to be one of the meanest machines out there with performance that’s a step above the other consoles and most PCs, but at a very steep price. With the fully featured system itself standing at $600, the games around $70, and HDMI cables going for anything from $30 to $400 depending on the brand, it’s certainly not a machine for the faint-hearted.

You might save yourself a little if you’ve already got a HDMI cable of course, but with Nintendo’s Wii due to hit the market at around $250 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 already cleaning out stores at $400, Sony has got a tough job ahead of it convincing everyone that the price is worth it. But with some killer licenses like Metal Gear Solid to its name, will the games be enough for most people to justify shelling out?