(Thanks to Fid for submitting this review)

The endless websites I’ve visited trying to get the latest information and previews. The downloaded trailers I’ve watched, the money I’ve spent on accessories such as a plasma TV and a wireless keyboard. It seems an age since I first decided I wanted a PS3, but not as long as it seemed today, as I sat waiting for the courier to arrive with my new bundle of joy.

First impression are good. I like the look of the unit itself, it glossy black finish fits in with all my other AV equipment. It has a reassuring weight about it, that you would expect from something that cost over £400. The touch sensitive buttons on the front are also a nice touch. I like the feel of the sixaxis, although I’m sure the lightweight feel won’t be to everyone’s taste.

The menu system is very similar to the PSP, like it’s bigger brother, and those who already have a PSP will feel instantly at home. It has some nice touches such as icon previews of movies clips, and the way it displays your digital photographs as they appear to drop onto a table is very impressive.

The set-up up is all very straightforward, and is soon over (although I’m not too sure Sony’s servers were very happy under the weight of all the system updates).

The PlayStation Store isn’t currently that populated, and to be honest I expected far more content in terms of movie previews and game demos/trailers - although I’m sure the content will increase, and hopefully Sony will ensure that any future HD trailers are in 5.1 rather that prologic - seems a shame to not go that little extra distance to give them a greater impact! The layout of the store is fairly simplistic, and hopefully shortcut buttons will be implemented to allow you to move easily between pages rather than have to move the cursor with the analogue stick or dpad.

Games wise I have played MotorStorm, NBA Homecourt and R:FoM - all are impressive.

MotorStorm has some good mud effects, and the course offers a number of different routes, which should help with longevity. The online side involved a bit of hanging about in lobbies, but I’m sure everyone is trying to access the servers. The game has a good licenced soundtrack that adds to the festival feel of the game.

R:FOM is a slow starter that improves as you move through the levels, and although it doesn’t offer a great deal of innovation it’s a solid title with good enemy AI, and is very atmospheric (just don’t play it on your own in the dark!) There’s also some nice utilisation of the sixaxis for shaking off the aliens. It’s not just walking about either as you get to travel in various forms of transport such as tanks and jeeps.

NBA homecourt is a three on three basketball game with some interesting moves, that reminds me of NBA Jam, and also has some good licenced tracks (as you would expect from EA). The action is fast paced, and is easy to get into, and the online side also works well, with no noticeable lag.

I did test backwards compatability with FIFA06, which ran ok, although it did stutter slightly at times, but to be honest after the high def graphical icing provided by the next gen titles, I can’t see myself playing many older titles.

Anyway that’s my initial thoughts … I haven’t paid over £400 to sit in front of a laptop