Thanks Highlander

I'm still unsure where in the world I want a PS3 from at the moment (US for cheap BluRay Region A imports, upscaling all my R1 DVDs and indeed cheap consoles, or UK for R2 upscaling and ease of returns if it dies), but I don't really need:

The memory card reader - I'm happy streaming my pictures off my PC with the 360

The extra USB ports - I don't quite know what they're for, and I've got a hub in case

I don't know about the disk space, yet. On the one hand, the paltry 20Gb in my 360 seems to be enough for memory saves and downloaded games, but on the other hand I know some PS3 games are cacheing gigs of stuff on there. We'll see.

As for the other advantages of the 80Gb model, we don't know yet if the 40Gb will gain a DualShock, or indeed if this 80Gb will still have the backward compatibility. Mind you, I only have 1 US PS2 game anyway - Katamari Damacy - so I'll be keeping my softmodded, hard-driven real PS2 going for a while yet.

At the moment it's mainly to be a BluRay player, and the 40Gb model does that just fine. The only games I'm really exited for on the format so far are WipEout HD and SingStar, but there are bound to be more at the format goes on; my PS2 eventually got tonnes of use.

@Chad & Tony

Funny thing about motorways, they have multiple destinations, and not everyone wants to go to Birmingham, some want to go as far as Carlisle.

In other words, One man's killer application is another man's crappy FPS. Another man's unplayable racer is another's favorite time waster.

All the pronouncements about PS3 not having a killer application are simple garbage. If the definition of a 'killer application' is that it has to match Halo's sales, then I guess there aren't going to be all that many killer applications on any platform. Halo fans are uniquely and fiercely loyal to their game even to the point of buying Halo3 even though it's little more than PAL resolution scaled to 720p and scarcely does more than polish the game mechanics from Halo2. As I said, one man's killer application is another man's crappy FPS. Halo is a case in point.

Personally I would think that MGS4, GT5 and FFXIII will all do very nicely thank you, as have Resistance, Motorstorm, Heavenly Sword, R&C, Burnout Paradise, etc... Everyone's tastes are different. Personally I like RPGs and can't wait for Sega's Valkyria Chronicles game to arrive in the West...One man's killer application...another man's waste of space.

@Chad H

I like your motorway analogy, nice one.

I still say a motorway is a motorway is a motorway, even if it only leads to FullAuto2BattlelinesVille (which is a truly dreadful place)

@Iain

You might not want to line up on that 40GB model just yet Iain.

Your MGS 80GB PS3 bundle comes with a few things that the 40GB won't get you. PS2 compatibility (which if SCEI job vacancies are to be believed should be getting better), additional USB ports, memory card reader, 40GB of additional HDD space and of course MGS4. I'm assuming (not always a good thing) that the new DualShock 3controller will be available with the 40GB unit as well. So if you're even remotely interested in playing MGS4 the 80GB pack is a fairly good deal. Essentially for $40 you get PS2 compatibility, more USB ports, memory card reader and extra HDD. Gotta like that deal, it makes sense.

Since you wouldn't bother keeping MGS4, you could always turn around and sell it on Ebay for $5 less than retail. I did that with the PS3 version of Madden 08, after it failed to impress (lack of Madden himself commentating, lack of coach mode, strangely no problem with graphics other than the shiny uniforms- why are next gen game afflicted with shiny game characters?). Then I turned around and got the PS2 version and spent the change on a used game. I'd also bet on further special packs when GT5 and FFXIII emerge from hiding.

It just seems that even with the slightly gimped backwards compatibility, the 80GB model has sufficient additional features to make it attractive even if you intend to sell the bundled game on Ebay.