To say that it took a while would be an understatement, but there, at last, at the Tokyo Games Show were real PS3s, with all their ports, final-specification controllers and so on - that we could actually get our hands on, poke, prod and generally mess around and fiddle with.

An experience which generated a number of observations:

First, there’s the general appearance of the machine. Originally, we weren’t convinced - particularly when (as at E3), they were dummy boxes locked firmly behind glass cases. There’s no doubt that the PlayStation 3 is big. But it’s pretty handsome, with a classy glossy finish that is best described as piano black. And there’s a status symbol built into the front fascia - a chrome strip which the 60GB PS3s have but the 20GB ones don’t. Another noticeable aspect of the machine, once you’ve turned it on but before you’ve inserted a disc, is that it’s very quiet (particularly in comparison with the Xbox 360 which makes a noise like a helicopter). But that does have a downside - the debug machines at TGS ran pretty hot (think erupting volcano).
A flip-up flap on the front of the console hides a multitude of ports - what joy, especially, to see slots for things like Compact Flash & SD cards, as well as Memory Sticks. Although, there’s no XD card slot, which is the format my Olympus camera uses. Still, USB ports are abundant, and all modern cameras, along with the PS3 itself, come with a USB cable, so connection between the two, couldn’t be simpler.

The controllers are, of course, reassuringly familiar in shape, and have thankfully changed in design to what can only be described as the silver shaped banana, which was first unveiled as a ‘concept’ at E3 in 2005. They do differ slightly from their PS2 brethren in certain respects, namely the removal of the rumble hardware making them significantly lighter, and the introduction of motion sensors, which tell the PS3 if it’s (the controller) being moved through any one of six different axis (pitch, yaw roll, x, y & z). Trigger / shoulder buttons are also slightly bigger, making them easier to hit more accurately, and therefore giving the user a much more intuitive feel.

You may have also noticed the red LED’s on the back, which show what channel the controller has been assigned, when hooking up more than one. And with the inclusion of Bluetooth, the PS3 can cope with up to seven wireless controllers in one go, which means the Multi-Tap is at last consigned to the dustbin of history. A large PS button at the centre of the controller is used to access reset & power options, as well as acting as a home button, taking you back to the Cross-Media Bar (the PS3’s system software). You can also choose to turn the PS3 on and off with the PS button, which means that lazier punters needn’t vacate their armchairs.

Other than those points, the most noticeable feature of the PS3 was the neatness of its HDMI connector, which is more akin to a USB cable than the spaghetti-like Component cable, we used to use. There’s no doubt - the PS3 is a sexy piece of kit which shouldn’t lead to protests from style-conscious girlfriends and the like. Just make sure you keep the furniture polish close by, as sticky fingerprints are inevitable on the glossy case.