The PS3 versions side by side
by Joystiq Staff 
{ Aug 20th 2006 at 5:55PM }
Silconera has posted a nice side by side comparison of some newly released images by Sony of the 20GB and 60GB PlayStation 3. We all know the spec differences, but it's nice to also see what each looks like in their differing configurations.
Anyone else think the 20GB just looks drastically cheaper in quality? As if there weren't enough incentive to go with the higher-priced PS3, it looks as though from a purely aesthetic perspective, most gamers would want to go for the 60GB as well.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jayman16 @ Aug 20th 2006 5:59PM
Still looks like the George Forman to me. Now in shinny silver!
bill pullman @ Aug 20th 2006 6:01PM
wow, i disagree all the way. i like the more plain, and less-gaudy 20GB version. that "chrome" accent on the 60GB version looks about as good as it does on the 360, which is to say, it looks HORRIBLE.
Bman @ Aug 20th 2006 6:03PM
If you ask me, that just looks like a cheap photoshop job! i mean, they couldn't take sepearte photos of 2 actual different units, they just photoshop down the cheaper one!! tut tut Sony, tut tut!!
Alan @ Aug 20th 2006 6:03PM
I agree with #2. I like the all-black look...similar to my macbook ;-)
Ethan @ Aug 20th 2006 6:04PM
There really isnt much missing on the 20 gb PS3 though. I mean, there is HDMI, neither of the 360s have that. There is a wifi adapter, neither of the 360s have that. There are card slots, neither of the 360s have that. And there is 40 extra gbs of space, which neither of the 360s have. So really, saying that the 20 gb ps3 is bad, is like saying both of the 360 versions absolutely suck. Which Im not saying. As far as aesthetics go, the only thing missing is the chrome plating, so thats not a big deal at all.
Felix Andrews @ Aug 20th 2006 6:04PM
It's not like Europeans have a choice. Mmm, Pimp My Console chrome... I think I'll pass, ta.
Alice Unchaind @ Aug 20th 2006 6:05PM
does it really matter what the consoles look like? i think the Wii's design just blows (as do most i would imagine) but it's going to sell big. But PS3 does look like a Foreman though. It'll probably run hot enough to cook like one too.
futurebiblehero @ Aug 20th 2006 6:06PM
I don't think the cheaper one looks terribly inferior, at least in these "shots" as they're clearly the -exact- same Playstation with a bit of chrome lining photoshopped on.
Chris @ Aug 20th 2006 6:17PM
So the more expensive console has chrome on it?
I'm could swaer i've seen this idea before, but where..........
vidGuy @ Aug 20th 2006 6:19PM
Aesthetically, I'd rank them:
1) Wii
2) XBOX 360
3) PS3 - 20 GB
4) PS3 - 60 GB
I guess it doesn't really matter what I think of the PS3, I won't be buying one.
James Smith @ Aug 20th 2006 6:21PM
Didn't chrome die around the same time Oldsmobile did? I don't want a console that looks like my dads first car (and almost as big as it too).
CUBS RULE BEARS RULE BULLS RULE @ Aug 20th 2006 6:22PM
#5 so u are saying the ps3 is a comuter with memory of a laptop computer which 360 and wii are trying to to be a computer but a game system
Spikeydeathtrap @ Aug 20th 2006 6:22PM
to #7
How exactly does the Wii's design 'blow'? Its much smaller than either the PS3 or the 360, its much sleeker and it has all those clean lines. Plus, for an extra aesthetic look, it has that cool blue light on the slot load drive. Where in any of that do you get "blows"? I mean, "apple rip off" maybe, but what would you like to see on the Wii? Another gigantic unit like the George Foreman PS3?
Eric Von Shpeel @ Aug 20th 2006 6:24PM
the thing i dont get.. that little block to the left of the blu ray drive flips up and contains the slots for sd cards, memory duo, etc.. but on the 20gig it doesnt have these card slots.. so whats under the flap? Nothing? A hole to insert the card add on if you ever buy it?
CUBS RULE BEARS RULE BULLS RULE @ Aug 20th 2006 6:25PM
i agree with #14 wii's design kicks as(also japan likes smaller things like the ps2 so wii will sell better than ps3 lokk at ds vs psp).
jakob @ Aug 20th 2006 6:30PM
Aesthetically, I'd rank them:
1) Wii
2) DS
3) game cube
4) nintendo 64
5) gameboy advance/sp
6) gameboy color
7) super nintendo
8) regular nintendo
9) gameboy pocket
10) sega genesis
11) xbox
12) psx
13) computer (believe it or not)
14) wonderswan
15) Game and Watch
16) playing cards
17) Pogs
18) playstation 2
19) Game gear
20) PSP
21) MAC
22)Xbox 360
23) Sega dreamcast
24) sega saturn
25) Turbo grafix
26) 3do
27) PS3 - 20 GB
28) PS3 - 60 GB
now dont get me wrong here. i really like the ps3....
bahaha yeah right.
Ethan @ Aug 20th 2006 6:34PM
CUBS RULE, Your comment (#16) does not make any sense at all. You say that the japanes like small consoles better, but yet, PS2 was bigger than gamecube, and PS2 won. and ds is bigger than PSP, and right now ds has more sold in japan, so actually, japanese just like good console with huge game libraries. Which the PS3 will have.
welshy @ Aug 20th 2006 6:34PM
I'll wait until I see some real photos of the finished product before I judge if it looks like balls or not, the shots above dont look like the finished product to me.
Also joystiq why do you ask if people agree with your statement then staraight away most gamers are of the same mind set as you. Bad show
mike @ Aug 20th 2006 6:35PM
The newer versions loon even better
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f216/macuseros9/4b2b216e.jpg
welshy @ Aug 20th 2006 6:35PM
straight*
Ethan @ Aug 20th 2006 6:36PM
Jackob, your comment proves that you are a complete nintendo fanboy. you listed every nintendo console first, even the gamecube, which is a purple (PURPLE!) box. so yeah.
matjet @ Aug 20th 2006 6:37PM
actually the 60gb looks cheeper. the 20gb looks much more solid.
CUBS RULE BEARS RULE BULLS RULE @ Aug 20th 2006 6:39PM
#18 yes japan likes better designed things and more creativity not power house machines with the exception of gamecube which sold better than xbox and xbox 360 still
also the ds lite lines there were outragous
Enmanuel @ Aug 20th 2006 6:45PM
they both freaking ugly. omg. .....
Alice Unchaind @ Aug 20th 2006 6:45PM
to #14 (Spikeydeathtrap)
I simply think it's boring and ugly. Unimaginative is probably the best term i can think of to describe my feeling of it.
But my question is, does the design really matter? If the Japanese were so concerned about size, why the hell is the PS3 bigger than ever? Unless Sony has completely gone nuts, why would they design a much larger console for their home turf consumers that are just absolutely strapped for space?
Jeff @ Aug 20th 2006 6:47PM
I'll buy the 60GB because of HDMI and, well, 60GB... but aesthetically, I actually like the 20GB better. I certainly don't think the 20GB looks "vastly cheaper" by any stretch - if anything, it's the opposite.
When did manufacturers get this idea that fake plastic chrome carries some sort of cachet? To me, it just looks tacky. It'd be one thing if it were platinum or even titanium or some other cheap metal; that would at least be something. But plastic is plastic, and trying to make it look like something else only draws attention to the fact that it's plastic. So the 60GB actually looks worse to me, in the same way the higher-end Xbox 360 looks worse than the core system because of its fake chrome accents.
Here's a tip, guys: chrome disappeared as a design element in the 1960's. *Fake* chrome disappeared even before that. If you want to be retro, then fine, but don't put a bunch of fake chrome on a supposedly modern system to try to make it look more expensive. It does the opposite.
I also like how the logo is a little more subdued on the 20GB version. So yeah, the more I think about it, the more I think it's the 20GB version that looks "vastly" superior... too bad these designs weren't reversed.
lolersticks @ Aug 20th 2006 6:48PM
I've solved the dilemma of which looks better: don't buy either one.
Bandit @ Aug 20th 2006 6:50PM
Maybe because they are actually nuts, however difficult it is to believe.
Dirk Dorkelson @ Aug 20th 2006 6:54PM
Might be worth updating this post to add which PS3 is which so that I don't have to click the link to find out.
woody @ Aug 20th 2006 6:58PM
I think the use of chrome is a good way to make things look cheaper. I have the premium Xbox 360, but would have much preferred the whole unit to look the same. The chrome cd cover just makes the unit look out of place.
Same with the PS3. Why did they have to do the chrome? I like the all black version much better. It looks like a how it should look, and not like someone slapped on some cheap chrome stickers above their wheel well. Now, maybe if the whole unit was a silver/grey color, then yes, I might like that. But random chrome, no.
So to the poster, I'm not sure how you can feel that the 20gb version looks cheaper. Its all black, and all the same material. The 60gb version is all the same material, with different plastic painted chrome. They might as well add some rhinestones to it too.
KingOfGods @ Aug 20th 2006 7:04PM
There is also a port on the front of the system that is lacking in the "cheaper" version. Can anyone tell what it is....maybe audio out or a headphone jack?
David @ Aug 20th 2006 7:04PM
http://boardsus.playstation.com/playstation/board/message?board.id=ps3&message.id=358886&view=by_date_ascending&page=1
bill pullman @ Aug 20th 2006 7:08PM
"You say that the japanes like small consoles better, but yet, PS2 was bigger than gamecube, and PS2 won."
it's still correct. just because they like the size of one system over another, doesn't mean that it's going to sell better. who would imply such a thing? ridiculous.
JPRacer @ Aug 20th 2006 7:09PM
I think chrome will always look good. On cars, on motorcycles and even on consoles. Too much fake chrome is bad but little touch of chrome, like on the 360, is perfect. The chrome on the PS3 is maybe a little too much, just the "Playstation 3" on the top would be perfect.
Overall design for this gen for me is : 360, Wii and PS3.
bill pullman @ Aug 20th 2006 7:09PM
"Jackob, your comment proves that you are a complete nintendo fanboy. you listed every nintendo console first, even the gamecube, which is a purple (PURPLE!) box. so yeah."
um, i bought my GC on day one, and it's black (BLACK!). so yeah.
Psaakyrn @ Aug 20th 2006 7:19PM
Wonder how long it would be before people starting buying the chrome paint used in modelling to make fake "elite" PS3s..
socrates @ Aug 20th 2006 7:27PM
I really blame Apple (among many other things) for all of this, trying to make electronics look cute bullshit.
Who gives a flying fuck?!? If the PS3 looked like Rosie O'Donnell I'd still be more than happy with it so long as it played Final Fantasy XIII.
What is really strange to me is that those people who are shouting themselves hoarse about how fantastic the Wii are constantly saying how little graphics matter. So the look of the games is irrelevant, but the look of the console is a big selling point? Brilliance.
don_sf @ Aug 20th 2006 7:33PM
the 60gb will have a shiny surface aswell as the touches of chrome. the 20gb version will be dark matt black with no chrome.
in design terms the ps3 looks like a mean stylish product. sony's products usually are very good aesteticaly and if anyone has seen the real picturs of the ps3 then its hard to argue with that.
even after the ds lite has come out, the psp remains to look much more expensive and stylish - mainly due to its large screen and shiny surface.
the chrome on the xbox 360 does not work because its a poorly designed console - the ps3 already looks much more expensive than the 360. but you can see the way ps3 has evolved, just likes cars were once straight and sharp, now are becoming curved and round. ps2-ps3.
i believe the ps3 60gb version next to a sony bravia tv will look very attractive.
Psaakyrn @ Aug 20th 2006 7:37PM
to #36 socrates
I don't think anything would argue that the look of the games is ENTIRELY irrelevant, but more that at the current state of graphics, it's good enough. However, I think people dislike the size more than the shape (the design of the PS3 isn't that bad really, considering it's supposed to be an all-in-one, and thus exist by itself in the living room).
Adam Johnson @ Aug 20th 2006 7:40PM
The 360 looks OK, but to me it looks like an Apple product thats had to much Haagen Daz. PS3 looks like it was designed by Comedy Central, but I'll admit it looks better than the original PS2. As for the Wii, I think it looks pretty damn good but I'm not really feeling the base cradle. When it was rumored to be the systems power source I thought it was pretty cool but now it just kind of looks cheap. I've yet to see the PS3 or Wii in person so my opinion means nothing.
Giygas @ Aug 20th 2006 7:43PM
To 26
It's a picture how do you know what material it is?
GSI @ Aug 20th 2006 7:54PM
-->"even after the ds lite has come out, the psp remains to look much more expensive and stylish - mainly due to its large screen and shiny surface."
That may be true...but its obvious with the sales of the PSP that have a stylish _looking_ system doesn't mean it will sell better.
-->"its a poorly designed console (360)"
Considering that the PS3 isn't even out yet and the fact that the retail units are being manufactured as we speak, you can't really prove that statement.
Brad Lee @ Aug 20th 2006 7:54PM
"Anyone else think the 20GB just looks drastically cheaper in quality?"
I do. I think the 20gig version looks even worse than the 60gig version, and considering I hate the look of the PS3 already, that would annoy me even more to get the 'cheaper' version. The text is barely even legible on the cheap one.
Then again, my favorite console design of all time is the Indigo Gamecube, so I'm definitely not with the majority here on console design preference. Nintendo designed the GC to look like a toy, and that is what I think of when I think of video games. I don't think "uber-super-cool-multimedia-epicenter." I guess I'm just old school like that.
Felix Andrews @ Aug 20th 2006 8:14PM
To #36
Are you Socrates the Gaming Robot?
http://thefraudcast.com/site/?p=194
Adam Johnson @ Aug 20th 2006 8:14PM
PSP looks good in a display case, but once you touch it, it looks greasier than a 15 year old fry cook at White Castle.
socrates @ Aug 20th 2006 8:35PM
Size? I don't know - I mean, it is larger than other consoles - but what exactly are you doing with the rest of that space? Were you going to put a stamp collection folder in the extra half cubic foot of space it takes up, and there's absolutely nowhere else to put it?
I mean, this might just be me - but I have a big-as-they-come computer tower sitting on my desk, and 3 monitors...not far to the left of all that, a 35' inch HDTV. And before I had this crap, I would have like, a big amp or two in my room for guitar and whatnot. So I can't really concieve of many situations where that size element is really going to hurt people..but maybe it is more common than I think.
On the whole, I think that excessive criticism and wailing about this console versus the other one is a bit silly. I mean, I don't see Nintendo's console as something worth spending money on..the 360, possibly, and probably a 70% chance I'll get a PS3...but everyone should pause and think about how lucky we are to have games this advanced. Back when we were in the 80s, if someone had time traveled from the future and showed us ANY game* from ANY of these consoles, and then said "Hey Kid, I can give you one of these, but you have to give Richard Simmonds a blowjob...would you do that?" We wouldn't be able to say yes, because our mouths would ALREADY be stuffed full of cock. In other words, it is always more fun to play the great games we have than to complain about console prices or whatever.
*(except excitetruck)
Brad Lee @ Aug 20th 2006 8:49PM
"We wouldn't be able to say yes, because our mouths would ALREADY be stuffed full of cock." by Socrates
Uhh, speak for yourself there bud.
And the reason people complain about the size is because the larger it is the more of an eyesore it is. Obviously that is little concern to you if you have a huge computer tower, three monitors, and an HDTV in your room. But for some, that would look monsterously ugly. Also, if we are to pay $600 for something, we should like how it looks.
hey alex @ Aug 20th 2006 8:56PM
Drastically cheaper in quality? Actually I prefer my components to be in all black, as many manufacturers used to do several years back. Now everything is all silver or silver and black.
I personally don't think it makes it look cheaper. But it does match the current scheme used in many components.
This is the one area where I think Microsoft made a misstep. The 360 is cool looking at all, but it's also white. Matches nothing. Sure you can change the front, but what about the sides/back?
Give me an all black 360!
Ouch v5. @ Aug 20th 2006 9:17PM
->46:
Well, build your own console with Jenna Jameson everywhere, then. *shrugs*
Well, to sum it up short, the PS3 is a combination of the Wii's and the X360's design. Not too good, but not too bad. FFS it's a console you put in a shelf that's covered by tinted glass.
chudgoo @ Aug 20th 2006 9:17PM
Did anyone else notice the inconsistent reflections beneath each console pic?
http://www.siliconera.com/news/0608/ps360GBside.jpg
http://www.siliconera.com/news/0608/ps320GBside.jpg
It looks like they did a decent job of removing the large silver stripe's reflection but if you flip back and forth you will see that the thin stripe on the left hand side does not change. (The reflection on the 20GB pic shows a reflection of a -silver- stripe, not a black one (or none), as it should)