PLAYSTATION 3
When PlayStation 3 was unveiled 10 months ago, the display of raw power was little short of astonishing. Here, finally, was a games machine capable of pumping out the kind of eye-watering visuals you would normally associate with high-end special effects used in movies.
But to get a real idea of just how powerful PlayStation 3 is you need to speak to a developer working on the system.
Chris Keegan is technical director at Climax. He says that if PS3 existed in 1998, it would have been the most powerful super-computer in the world. He reckons PS3 is roughly 250 times more powerful in raw processing terms than PS2.
But computing power counts for nothing without the support of software publishers. Today, every major third-party publisher is onboard and there are more than 150 titles in development. Highlights include Resident Evil 5, the next Grand Theft Auto and Vision Gran Turismo.
But pick of the bunch so far has to be Metal Gear Solid 4. The latest instalment in the series, which has long been synonymous with Sony hardware, looks incredible.
