I haven't gotten a chance to test Sony's new console, but some did and the overall opinion is not a good one. After waiting in the pouring rain to get one, the guys over at 1up.com Japan finally got a chance to check out the black next-gen.

If we were to believe them, the PS3 looks "very fancy and stylish" but feels like "cheap plastic cr*p". Presumably, the package is very heavy weighing 12 lbs, containing an ethernet cable, a USB cable, power cable, the composite A/V cables and of course the console itself. The Japanese version does not include a free Blu-Ray movie as the US versions will (tough luck).

The only thing that was appreciated by 1up.com Japan was the fact that the PS3 is much more quiet than previous Sony consoles and of course, muuuuuch more quiet than Microsoft's Xbox 360. But as regarding sturdiness, they describe the PS3 as ready to crack and shatter if you drop it. Again, this is the opinion of 1up and not mine, as I didn't manage to get my hands on a PS3 (SONY are you there?).

The pictures I've seen show the PS3 as being quite firm, but 1up Japan wishes to contradict me.