You’ve just unwrapped that ominous looking George Foreman Grill-shaped parcel under the tree only to discover that someone very kind has only just gifted you a bleedin’ Sony PS3 games console. You’ll already know the PS3 can play games. But there are other things you probably never knew about your new PS3. Like what? Read on…
You can watch all your favourite TV shows on it
If you’ve just lucky enough to have been gifted a PS3 you’ll fall into two camps. Those who’ve pleaded with their loved ones to get one because of its talents, or those who know little about it, but remain been pleasantly surprised to be the owner of a strange new console. If you fall into the latter, did you know that your shiny new PS3 isn’t just for playing games? Thanks to a recent update the addition of ITV Player and 4oD now lets you catch up with shows from ITV and Channel 4 that you’ve missed. BBC iPlayer is on there too. Just hook it up to your Internet connection and enjoy.
Play games in 3D
Your PS3 can play stereoscopic 3D games. Sure, not everybody has a 3D TV. in fact hardly anybody does, but it’s nice to know the option is there. A number of games are playable in 3D right now, such as Wipeout HD, Super Stardust HD and Gran Turismo 5. Future games set to include 3D capability include long-awaited triple-A titles such as Killzone 3, Crysis 2, and Ico & Shadow of the Colussus HD Collection around mid 2011. 3D TVs will hopefully have come down in price by then.
BD-Live compatible
If you’ve just got a PS3 purely for the gaming you’ll be chuffed to know it can play full high definition (1080p) Blu-ray movies. Not only that, but the PS3 also supports BD-Live. BD-Live is a service letting users download interactive film features and goodies from Blu-Ray discs such as theatrical trailers. More and more Blu-ray players support the feature, but earlier ones didn’t, making the PS3 a worthwhile investment if you already in the market for a Blu-ray player.
You can make free video calls with it
If you’ve got a PlayStationEye camera you’ll be able to make free video calls with up to five more PS3 owning mates. To get started simply select your buddies from your friends list, press triangle to start a new chat and invite them to videochat.
View 3D photos using PlayMemories
One of the lesser known features of the PS3 is a photo application called PlayMemories. It’s a photo service on your PS3 available from the PlayStation Network that lets you view your photos in panoramic style and turns normal photos into multi-angle photographs. The best bit is you can even view photos taken from a 3D enabled camera, and view them in 3D, assuming you own a stereoscopic 3D TV.
