Prior to the release of the Playstation 3 Slim, back in September 2009, Sony were really starting to worry about PS3 sales. The major competition; Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360, were both outselling the console along with their respective software. The problem was pinned down to Sony's refusal to budge on the hefty price tag, and so the other consoles became popular due to increased affordability. Sony's luck changed dramatically however, with the production of the Playstation 3 Slim.

This redesign is not an alternative model, the Playstation 3 Slim has completely replaced the older models and so is regarded the only official Playstation 3 console. As before, the model is available in both 120GB or 250GB, offering buyers the same options in capacity as before. Further additions include EasyLink, which augments the HDMI capabilities of both your Playstation and the TV it is connected to.

As the title suggests, the Playstation 3 Slim is a lot more compact and space-friendly than its predecessor. It is over 30% smaller and lighter; a welcome instigation as the size of the original was always a sore point. Furthermore, the reduced size also consumes a lot less power, which means the console doesn't heat up as fast. Overheating was never a massive issue for the Playstation 3, especially compared to rivals, but a cooler system is always a better system.

Finally, Sony issued a hefty price cut on the console. Seemingly what the public was waiting for, sales skyrocketed in the Autumn and Sony were well and truly back in the race. The Playstation 3 Slim console represents a unified and logical step forward for the company- offering the same great system in a smaller, more user friendly package and cutting the price makes everyone happy- Sony get their sales and we get a new and improved console!

Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, which console is better? Which is a safer investment? The battle of Xbox 360 vs PS3 will be waged in five fronts. Let's take a look at each and every one of them to determine which gaming console is worth your loyalty.

1. Power. Third party developers have always complained about how hard it is to make games for the PS3 due to its maze-like infrastructure. The Xbox 360 is like a computer system, thus, better to code for. The result : games that are released for both systems generally look better on the Xbox 360.

2. Reliability. The Xbox 360 has long been plagued with bugs and breakdowns. What good is a gaming system if it'll break down in some months, if not a few weeks, right? In the battle of Xbox 360 vs PS3 on this front, the PS3 is the runaway winner.

3.Game library. The Xbox 360 was released a year before the PS3. Developers also say that they'd rather make games for the Xbox 360 because it's a better system to work with. Activision, developers and distributors of the widely acclaimed Call of Duty series, have even promised to stop developing for the PS3 out of sheer disappointment. It comes as little surprise, then, the Xbox 360 has a deeper game library and wins this round of the Xbox 360 vs PS3 fight.

4. Exclusives. Despite Xbox's Halo, Gears of War and Fable, the PS3 has Killzone, Resistance, Uncharted, Ratchet and rattle, little Big Planet and more. When it comes to sheer variety, the PS3 wins this facet of the battle.

Pretty equal pegging, then. In the end, it's all about personal preference, take that for what it's worth deciding on which console to purchase.

Introducing the PlayStation 3, typically called PS3 and created by Sony gaming Entertainment. The PlayStation 3 brings intense competition to Nintendo's Wii and Microsoft's Xbox 360 as part of the 7th era of video game consoles. The wireless Sixaxis and DualShock 3 comprise the two PS3 controllers sold currently.

The title 'Sixaxis' is a marriage of 'six axis' which constitutes directional movements. It is also meant to signal motion sensitive functions. These wireless PS3 controllers can function for upto thirty hours by charging them to the full capacity. The battery is absolutely interchangable and Sixaxis are provided with the instructions of the simplest way to go about the process.

The fundamental aspect of Sixaxis PS3 controllers is the ability to read both translational acceleration as well as rotational orientation along 3-D plains.

All Sixaxis PS3 controllers have LED lights on the right. On the top of the controller you'll discover numbered LED outlet indicators which total 4 in number. These recognise and distinguish various wireless PS3 controllers. As you switch on the PS3, you can access the menu displaying the remaining battery of all the PS3 controllers which are in synchronization, by tapping the PS button. And this is just one of the options shown on the menu

Sixaxis PS3 controllers employ finer analog sensitivity than DualShock 2, the immediate predecessor to DualShock 3 mentioned before. They build the 8 bit precision of the DualShock 2 to a 10 bit precision. The frame underneath the L2 and R2 buttons has been dropped and converted into triggers. The scope of travel decides the degree of analog input instead of the range of pressure. There is a jewel like PS button with the PlayStation brand in place of the Analog mode button which can be discovered on previous dual analog releases. This allows these controllers to switch inputs, turn the consoles or the controllers on and off, access the home menu, and so on.

Next, The DualShock 3 is a vibration gamepad by Sony for PS3. The DualShock 3 was initially pioneered as a secondary peripheral for the first PlayStation. An enhanced PlayStation release arrived with the controller initially built into the Sony twin Analog Controller. The DualShock 3 wireless PS3 controllers incorporate all the features of Sixaxis along with vibration effects.

Are you wanting to get your hands on the amazing gaming experience that is the PlayStation 3? What's stopping you? The expense? If that is the case then there's no real cause to worry because you can often find a PS3 sale close to you, if you know where to look.

In case you were wondering, the ideal spot to search for a PS3 sale could just as easily be the store pretty close by and not necessarily the place across the town or overseas. The grass is not always greener on the other side! You should keep a look out for end of season sales at your local electronics dealer.

Some online video game websites such as Amazon or eBay could also be offering the PS3 at a bargain sale price.  These are often the best deals that are up for grabs so do check them out.

However wherever you decide to purchase from a further crucial question remains. With now 3 commercially available models of the PS3 with drive capacities of 60GB, 80GB and 120GB each, it's sometimes difficult to choose. When you have found that great PS3 sale price then you must still select between the 3 models and choose wisely too.

If you want to play your classic PlayStation2 titles on your new system then you might choose to go for the 60GB machine. You can enjoy all your classic titles here because it is totally backwards compatible with PS2 games as well, thanks to a function called the 'Emotion Engine' application.

In contrast, whilst the 80GB model holds the software processing technology from the PS2 the absence of compatible hardware means that only a handful of your classic titles will be usable, which probably won't matter too much if you still have your original PS2 system.

A standard difference between the PS3 60GB and PS3 80GB models is the presence of 4 or 2 USB ports meaning that these are able to be linked up with numerous external media outlets simultaneously. But what might eventually make you go for a 60GB PS3 sale is its price if you are lucky enough to find one below that of the 80GB model. However Sony discontinued distribution and production of the 60GB model in 2008. As a result, they're in much higher demand and harder to find and on most sites are usually more expensive than the 80GB model. Therefore, make a grab for any 60GB PS3 offer you can find if you'd like one providing the price is right for you.

For folks who want your games console to double up as a Computer then do go for the 80GB machine as it can be equipped with a Linux operating system so transforming into your 'alternate PC'!

In order to snatch the ultimate PS3 sale for yourself, you should have a look into your own needs and most significantly your wallet. For the majority of video game fans the PS3 80GB offering is the best option as it's high on features and these days pretty gentle on the purse.

Alternatively you should definitely check out the newly released Playstation 3 Slim 120 GB which is currently priced at a bargain $299! This has some super features which you can read about in our reviews page for this model. It is right up to date with the latest features, higher capacity, and that could certainly be your best option of all.