Sony's Playstation 3 (PS3), the eagerly anticipated successor to the Playstation 2, is scheduled for release November 17, 2006. The new Cell processor, which is 35 times faster than the chip used in the PS2, makes the PS3, the most powerful of the next-generation consoles - at least on paper.

The PS3 uses Blu-Ray discs as it's primary media format. These high definition discs can hold up to six times as much data as current-generation DVDs. In addition, backwards compatibility with PS2 and PS1 games mean you can continue to enjoy playing your old favorites on the latest machine.

The standard PS3 controller is wireless thanks to Bluetooth technology and the system supports use of up to seven of the boomerang shaped controllers simultaneously. The PS3 also suports wireless connectivity to the PSP handheld, which can be used as a remote display screen and input device.

Not content to make the PS3 a video game powerhouse, Sony has endowed the system with many multimedia features including video chat, Internet access, digital photo viewing, and digital audio and video playback.