The Sony PlayStation 3 is focused on delivering the ultimate in high-definition (HD) entertainment. What does this actually mean? Without getting too bogged down in the technicalities, HD is the next major evolutionary step up from the entertainment experience on regular TVs and DVDs. HD video has a far greater resolution than standard definition which, when displayed on an HD screen, offers greater clarity, detail and richness of colour – on a large screen the results can be amazing. Like Xbox 360, all PlayStation 3’s games run in HD, offering a dramatic improvement in visual quality over PS2.

But for the connoisseur, PS3’s native 1080p output (the highest resolution currently supported by HDTVs), an HDMI port for optimum image quality and built-in next-generation movie player puts the Sony system firmly at the cutting edge of entertainment technology. Annoyingly, however, an HDMI cable is not included in the box and costs around $18 extra unless included in a special bundle offer.

The PS3's media features are extensive - enough so that the console could be a worthwhile purchase even for people who never deign to even fire up a game.

The staggering success of the original PlayStation and PlayStation 2, and the support that commands from game developers, is reason enough to believe that PS3 is well positioned to deliver on its potential as a gaming system in the future. However, looked at purely in terms of games, PlayStation 3 cannot yet compete with the breadth and quality of titles available on Xbox 360.

But while gamers might be content to sit tight and wait for the price to come down, if you’re desperate to upgrade to the HD experience for all your home entertainment, once you factor in the Blu-ray movie player, PlayStation 3 becomes a good value proposition.