PS3 GUI Takes Page From PSP Book

sdmonroe writes "As the PS3 launch approaches, the first glimpses of the console's new interface have started to hit the web. The interface borrows many features from the PSP GUI which got such broad acclaim, and includes simple drop down menus for accessing important settings like video resolution, audio output, and management of your virtual friends. Customizability and configurability are also some of the features gamers can expect."

Comments

Not Bad

[coop247]

I do like the PSP menu, its very clean, intuitive and easy. The only problem is the music/mp3 playback, that completely sucks on the PSP, you can't scroll around while listening to a song. Since there is a hard drive on the PS3, wonder if you can copy music onto it and set up playlists, that would be decent.

Re:Not Bad

[thatguywhoiam]

Well, you can scroll around, but you can't actually do anything else (like browse your movies, or even the system settings)... (Just to clarify i mean you can scroll your music, but only horizontal XMB scrolling outside of that menu) Jeb DISCLAIMER: That is only up to v2.0 of the firmware, has to be said, if it changes above there then my apologies :)

Of course you can, just hit SELECT while listening to the tunes. It has always been this way from firmware 1 up.

Me being cynical

[UbuntuDupe]

"The interface borrows many features from the PSP GUI which got such broad acclaim, and includes simple drop down menus for accessing important settings like video resolution, audio output, and management of your virtual friends. Customizability and configurability are also some of the features gamers can expect."

Can I guess with confidence that at least some of these (imho obvious) gui features are patented, if not by Sony, someone about to hit the motherlode by suing them?

Re:Me being cynical

[thatguywhoiam]

Can I guess with confidence that at least some of these (imho obvious) gui features are patented, if not by Sony, someone about to hit the motherlode by suing them?

.... No. Not with confidence.

Re:Me being cynical

[ifrag]

This is groundbreaking new interface stuff here. Drop down menus with settings? Massive innovation going on here!

As far as that patent, I'd think it would be hard to establish original and non-obvious invention at this point?

XMB

[earbenT]

It's called the Cross Media Bar (XMB) interface, and it actually debuted on the ill-fated PSX (PS2+DVR combo) in 2003. It's since become Sony's standard UI for multimedia products such as the PSP, PS3 and even some higher-end TVs.

Another good PS3 interface video...

[Anonymous Coward]

If you hadn't seen it referenced from the google video link in the article. The google link in the article had a basic interface demonstration. This one has more infor on the picture browser, music and movie player, and (apparently) integrated web browser.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-724701762 1735985253&hl=en

Old news.

[Anonymous Coward]

Looks very similar to what was shown at the beginning of June http://youtube.com/watch?v=UpKwRHxSzoY

Very...PSP...

[the-stringbean]

Well it's certainly like the PSP interface. Which is good and bad. It means that it's going to be pretty easy to use but it seems a bit underwelming considering the power of the PS3, especially if it's true that one of the Cell SPUs are dedicated to running the GUI...

The pop up menu during games seems a poor to me - white icons on a screen without a frame or background? I can see that being an issue with some games.

Crossbar is brilliant

[thatguywhoiam]

One of the best things about the PSP is that 'crossbar' interface. Its extremely fast and easy to use.

One thing I liked in the video: showing a picture of the output plugs is pretty smart - this will really help out those who wouldn't know a DVI from an HDMI from a component cable.

I gotta wonder if that interface is running in some kind of HD mode; that text would not be readable on a standard-def 27" TV. Way to small. I imagine the font scales with the display mode.

Re:Underwhelming.

[UbuntuDupe]

"It's not what they say, it's what they don't say."

It's "good news" that, of ALL the gui layouts out there, Sony picked a good one? Wow, tough task there. That kinda reminds me of people who say "He speaks so well" to refer to someone for whom they can't think of a substantive praise, forgetting that the same comment is used frequently to describe the progress of a mentally retarded individual in therapy.

Seems to confirm 1080p over component

[SuperKendall]

Note that near the end of the video they scroll to select video output, and choose component - from there they are given a list of choices that looks like:

480p
1080i
720p
1080p

It's rather hard to read as the resolution of the video is low.

Now this is a dev but it shows that the PS3 at least can support this, some people seem confused and think you need HDMI for 1080p support.

Re:Seems to confirm 1080p over component

[SuperKendall]

Ah, yes, Captain Sony has to come out and pretend people care about the PS3 still.

I see we meet again, Captian Stick Up The Arse! I fear this time will be as unpleasant as the last for you.

If no one cares about the PS3 - how come you took the time to post? Isn't that some kind of paradox? In fact since you posted anon that represents several thousand potential posters, increasing the level of caring probability to a tremendous degree.

No one is saying that the PS3 isn't capable of 1080p. What people are saying, and which remains as true as it ever was, is that you'll need to buy the $600 version (and NOT the "cheap" $500 version) to get this support. Otherwise at some point in the future you'll discover your PS3 is downconverting 1080p to effectively 480i.

Ahh, CUSA! That would only, in theory, be true for Blu-Ray movies - IF in fact they ever turn on the ICT flag (unlikley because of the market penetration of HDMI devices thus far). The whole point of my post is that it appears you can do games at 1080p over component - 1080i games over component was never in question as I have had devices for years that do that already. So, gamers and movie watchers alike need only buy the $500 model. The $600 model is filled with fluff you do not really need, like media card readers to load your family photos in.

Once again, I have foiled your dastardly disinformation plot!

That and the PS3 interface is amazingly boring. I've seen similar "amazing interfaces" on computer monitors. Wow, how exciting.

Interfaces are better usable than "exciting". To paraphrase an ancient Chinese curse, "May you use an exciting interface".

Your attempts at Mild Sarcasm are no match for my Reality Ray!

If that's the best "good PS3 news" you can muster, the PS3 is just as doomed as it ever was.

Ironically, here you have touched on a truth - nothing you or I have said really chnages the success that the PS3 will see. You just seee things using your Arse Stick (TM) Power, whereas I can see both benefits and drawbacks of all consoles - my true name you see is Captian Clarity.

Until the next round CUSA!

Hibernate

[fistfullast33l]

What I'd really like to see is the PSP's "game-state-save" functionality translate to the PS3. The ability to turn off the console and let it go into a type of hibernate mode without using any battery is arguably the best feature of the handheld. You can just keep switching it on and off and lose very little time waiting for it to come back up. I don't know if the DS does it, but I guarantee you if it doesn't it will soon. Very handy when you're on the go and can only play a few minutes at a time.

The one downside to the universal GUI of the PSP is the save functionality. Many of the games would design their own save game functionality only to have the PSP save game come up after confirming the save in the game. So you'd effectively be saving the game twice in one shot. It's quite annoying if you ask me. More of a developer problem than Sony's, but something that needs to be worked on.

Re:Hibernate

[Vlastyn]

The DS does this as well- Was happily surprised to discover it. The thing is, game consoles these days are "always on" anyway- in power save mode, waiting for a signal from the remote to turn it on and wasting electricity. Seems like a natural evolution of sorts to have it actually offer some additional feature while it's in this state.

Re:Videogames as Multimedia device

[earbenT]

Oh sure, if I say something negative about Sony it's insightful, interesting and informative but God forbid it should ever Nintendo that gets criticized.

HDMI there but not selected

[SuperKendall]

HDMI was there (and I assume had the same video output options) - it's just that he selected teh compoent path and it still had 1080p listed.