Hasta La Gadget!

It’s always seemed a bit ridiculous to us that a console that promised “full HD features from the start” was never capable of playing games or movies in high definition right out of the box, but this special Father’s Day PS3 bundle fixes that with an HDMI cable packed in. Of the many PlayStation 3 SKUs so far, none have come with anything other than standard def-only composite cables, requiring add-on component cables (the ones for PS2 always worked) for 720p/1080i or an aftermarket HDMI cable for 1080p, and retailers have been only too happy to limit their supply to $40+ options. The Xbox 360 used to earn a gold star for including component cables and later HDMI in some packages, but recently dropped HD cables in the name of saving a few bucks. We’re sure you’ve already got Monoprice and other bargain cable sellers bookmarked, but at least we can rest easy knowing Dad can enjoy LittleBigPlanet or a Blu-ray movie on his HDTV without having to run back out for the proper cables.

PlayStation 3 is finally HDTV ready with an HDMI cable pack-in for Father’s Day originally appeared on Engadget HD on Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:57:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Good news / bad news, folks. First with the smiles: PlayStation 3‘s first 3D-enabling updates are due out on June 10th for downloadable titles Super Stardust HD, WipEout HD, and Pain. The first two games get the added dimension for gratis, but Pain lovers (who should be accustomed by now to its abundant premium add-ons) will need to fork over ¥300 (approximately $3.28) for the benefit. The other stickler is that these updates are so far only announced for Japan — and by merit of a Bravia promotion, Europe as well. So what’s a North American gamer with a penchant for wearing special glasses to do? Keep waiting, true believers.

PlayStation 3’s first 3D title updates coming June 10th to Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 May 2010 18:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Our BFFs over at Joystiq have what seems to be a pretty solid line on PSN+, with multiple sources verifying features mostly in line with what was gleaned from that survey last year. Lucky for us, most of the features seem to have to do with giving new features to paying users, instead of taking away functionality from the existing free service. Notables include exclusive DLC, PSP Minis, and PSone Classics, “first hour” demo access, Sony Protection Plan service, and cross-game voice chat. The sources seem to be less clear on pricing for all these goodies, but someone tossed out a speculative $9.99. What everyone does seem to agree on is that we should be seeing this announced in full at Sony’s E3 media briefing a few weeks from now, so start stashing those Hamiltons!

Sony PSN+ rumors thicken for E3: new features for paid users, free users can still play online originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 May 2010 10:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Japan hasn’t had a lot of time to get used to the PlayStation 3’s Torne digital TV tuner since it launched in March, but it’s already getting an update which will add a few more DVR features to improve the experience. Coming in June, v2.00 will enable MPEG-4 AVC compression to squeeze HDTV recordings by as much as 3x their original size as opposed to just copying the original MPEG-2 stream even while playing a game, plus the ability to start watching a program and fast forward/reverse while it’s still recording and update the user’s PSN status. The free update will be issued in June, until then Torne fans can argue with European and Australian PlayTV owners about whether or not their new features are better than Facebook integration while the U.S. sits out like the ginger kid of a previous marriage it is.

PS3’s Torne digital TV tuner / DVR adapter gets 2.00 software update next month originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 20 May 2010 19:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 gamers may have had a solid year head start, but PlayStation 3 loyalists will soon be able to join the programmable / rapid fire party, too. BGRMods has announced that its much-hyped IntensaFIRE controller mod is finally coming to Sony’s latest console, bringing with it fewer installation steps and an equal amount of tinkering possibilities. This new board requires no glue and no solder; users simply “click” it into place and enjoy the spoils of having rapid-fire potential at their fingertips. Purportedly, the mod is useful in “all PlayStation games,” and it’ll begin shipping out on May 21st for those who just can’t game without a macro. We’re told that the $69.95 device will also be making its public debut at E3, so you can bet your bottom dollar we’ll be hitting the show floor in hopes of snagging a bit of hands-on time come June.

[Thanks, Kristofer B]

IntensaFIRE click-on mod bringing programmable / rapid fire modes to PS3 controller originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 16 May 2010 22:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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