Uncharted 160GB PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) Bundle Specifications and Details

The new $499 160GB PS3 will hit North America in November of 2008. This new PS3 will have the largest hard drive to date, but it will feature the reduced functionality of the 40GB PS3 (which is the same as some of the 80GB PS3s). This limited edition bundle will come with a copy of Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (which was my pick for 2007's PS3 game of the year), a download voucher for the PlayStation Network game PAIN (rag doll physics comedy game), a DualShock 3 wireless controller (features rumble), and the 160GB PS3.

Unfortunately, despite the large hard drive and included games, the 160GB PS3 bundle does not feature the functionality of some of the earlier PS3 models, namely the 60GB PS3 (which may still be the best PS3 to date).

The 160GB PS3 in the Uncharted bundle only has two USB ports, is not backwards compatible with PS2 game disks, and does not have any flash-card support built-in. The 60GB and some 80GB models have four USB ports, play PS2 disks (the 60GB version actually has an emotion engine built in, the 80GB PS3 uses software to emulate the PS2), and a built in card reader for various formats of flash memory. Some may be upset that the premium PS3 package has less functionality than some of the previous, cheaper versions.

Commentary aside, here is the rundown on the new 160GB PS3 in the Uncharted: Drake's Fortune bundle. Please note that these specs for the 160GB PS3 come directly from Sony.

160GB PlayStation 3 (PS3) Specifications and Details

• Product Name PLAYSTATION 3
• CPU Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E.)
• GPU RSX
• Sound Dolby 5.1ch DTS 5.1ch, LPCM 7.1 ch, AAC, others
• Memory 256MB XDR Main RAM, 256MB GDDR3 VRAM
• HDD 160GB 2.5" Serial ATA
• I/O 2x USB 2.0
• Communication Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T), IEEE 202.11 b/g (WiFi), Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR)
• Wireless controller (Bluetooth) DUALSHOCK 3 Controller Included
• AV Output 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p HDMI OUT x1 AV MULTIOUT x1 DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) x1
• BD(Blu-ray Disk)/DVD/CD Drive (Read Only) Maximum Read Speed: BD 2x (BD-ROM) DVD 8x (DVD-ROM) CD 24x (CD-ROM)
• Dimensions Approximately 12.75in (W) x 3.86in (H) x 10.8in (D)
• Weight Approximately 11 lbs

In a press-release regarding the new 160GB PS3/Uncharted bundle Jack Tretton, President and CEO, Sony and Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) offered the following: "As PLAYSTATION Network continues to evolve with our recently launched video delivery service and more exclusive games, PS3 owners are demanding more storage capacity. Consumers also are utilizing PS3 as an entertainment hub for their digital media, placing content such as their entire music collection on the hard drive. The 160GB PS3 system addresses this growing consumer demand in a compelling bundle that delivers significant value."

The new bundle should be a popular item over the holiday season, however, tech-savy PS3 fans may snub the system for cheaper PS3's that feature more functionality, if they can find them.