Having toyed with the Grandias joypad I was expecting very little joy from Genius’ latest force feedback joystick. But it’s not bad. Unfortunately, that’s about as high as I can go with the praise for this feat of engineering.

The build quality isn’t the highest, as I’ve come to expect this month from Genius products, but what it does, it does adequately. Even though, it feels entirely too lightweight and plastic, it comes with a few neat additions which I didn’t necessarily expect.

Force Feedback joysticks may not be all the rage but there are still some great games that deliver great performance and that in game feeling when used with force feedback. Genius has some new offerings in joysticks with the MetalStrike line and the top of the line being their MetalStrike FF with force feedback. The MetalStrike FF has thirteen base buttons with three thumb buttons on the joystick along with a trigger switch and a two position rocker switch. There is also an eight position hat switch for views or other uses on the joystick as well as a simple throttle slider on the base.

The Turbo button also on the base is used in conjunction with the trigger button so you can rapid fire using a triple shot instead of a single shot for intense gun fire. This makes a really nice feature playing in games that have limited ammunition so you can shoot a few bullets at a time and not run out of ammo too quickly.

The Wireless Keypad is a small, lightweight thing that uses a spring-loaded clamp to affix itself onto your wireless controller — whether it be of the tingly DualShock3 variety or the rather more frigid original. Once attached it covers the PS, Start, and Select buttons, which are replicated for your convenience in the same location (just a bit higher). There’s the full QWERTY spread ready for prodding, plus a few extra buttons, including dedicated ones that bring up your messages list and your friends list. Logical additions, they, because most people who buy this will be sending messages to friends.

There are a number of truly compelling features of the PlayStation 3 Wireless Keypad. For starters, users can quickly access their messages and friends lists from two dedicated buttons. The dedicated buttons cut away the time spent bringing up the PlayStation button and navigating to your messages and/or friends list by jumping directly to the necessary portion of the XMB. The other particularly interesting feature of the Wireless Keypad is its touch-sensitive keys, which allow users to navigate menus by simply swiping a finger across the keypad surface. This can also serve as a means of controlling the pointer when using the PlayStation 3′s online web browser.

The black-colored keyboard matches the SIXAXIS, and is clipped over the front to remain securely in place. Another feature of this keyboard is a touchpad mode that makes mouse input possible. This touchpad could be incorporated in future game development – bad news for consumers since they need to purchase yet another peripheral then. No idea on pricing, but the keyboard is tipped to ship in 8 configurations across Europe.

As a handheld gaming device, the PSP remains extraordinary, freeing console-quality games from the confines of the living room. But who can deny the significance of adding MP3 and WMA music playback plus support for Hollywood feature films? The quality rivals portable DVD players, only in a more convenient package. It is with this video performance in mind especially that the improvements inherent to the new PSP-3000 ultimately prove so impressive, albeit with a couple of caveats.

The PSP-3000 arrives running the version 4.20 firmware, which has since been updated to 5.01, so we immediately set about grabbing it. We needed only a few seconds to configure the device to work with a home WiFi network, a minute-and-a-half to download the patch and another two minutes to install, all wirelessly. (And not even plugged into AC power at that, instead using just the juice that was included on the battery right out of the box.) Since the prior model’s debut, intervening updates have wonderfully exploited the hardware’s many abilities with welcome features like free internet radio powered by SHOUTcast, LocationFree video watching from select Sony electronics, plus Remote Play access to and control of a registered PlayStation 3.

The PSP 3000 has the same slim dimensions (2.81 inches high by 6.63 inches wide by 0.63 inch deep) and lighter weight (just over 7 ounces–or 200 grams–with the battery, game disc, and Memory Stick on board) as its predecessor.

The 4.3-inch LCD wide screen remains, and it’s been tweaked. Sony says the new screen now delivers better color reproduction, reduced glare, and reduced “ghosting” on high-motion scenes. When compared with the 2000, the PSP 3000 does, indeed, deliver better color vibrancy (you can toggle between “wide” and “standard” color in the options to see the difference). As for glare reduction: we didn’t find there to be a huge difference. Don’t expect to play in direct sunlight, for instance. But you might have better luck with fewer distractions from indoor light sources.

Weighing about 11 pounds and measuring 12.8 inches wide by 3.86 inches high by 10.89 inches long, the PlayStation 3 is larger than the PlayStation 2, the diminutive Nintendo Wii, or the Microsoft Xbox 360. Like those consoles, it can be oriented vertically or horizontally. Either way, the PS3′s striking design looks right at home in the living room (admittedly, however, its polished top surface is prone to finger marks). The PS3 runs more quietly than the Xbox 360 but is a bit louder than the almost silent Wii. Though the unit itself doesn’t get too toasty, the air around it tends to feel warm after a few hours of continuous play.

The PlayStation 3 comes in two versions. The $599 model (which I tested) has a 60GB hard disk; built-in 802.11b/g wireless networking; and MemoryStick, SD, and CompactFlash slots. The $499 unit omits Wi-Fi capability and the media card slots, and has a 20GB drive. You can replace the hard drive on either version, and the supplied manual explains how to swap in your own 2.5-inch, serial ATA drive. Our sibling publication GamePro has posted scans of these instructions.

If you’re a fan of the PS3 or have been sitting on the fence, waiting for its price to drop to $299, the good news is that from a features standpoint, the 120GB Slim PS3 is nearly identical to the 80GB and the 160GB “fat” PS3 models that Sony’s in the process of phasing out. Aside from losing the capability to install another OS (Linux) on your PS3, nothing much else has changed. You still get built-in Wi-Fi connectivity (the Xbox 360 Wi-Fi adapter is a $100 add-on accessory), two USB ports for plugging in external storage devices and charging the PS3′s Bluetooth wireless controller (one DualShock 3 controller comes with the Slim), and the same built-in Profile 2.0 Blu-ray player with BD-Live capabilities.

Like its predecessor, the Slim also supports playback of MPEG-1, MPEG-2, and MPEG-4/h.264 video files from USB or disc-based media, as well as JPEG image viewing (the slideshow functionality is quite impressive). Like the Xbox 360, the PS3 can act as a digital media hub, with the ability to stream content from any DLNA-compatible network device, including PCs and network attached hard drives. And you also get a built-in Web browser (optional Bluetooth keyboards are available), which is serviceable, though not as good as any of the major browsers available for PCs.

The HD DVD player does require users to connect it to their Xbox 360 for playback functionality, but other than that it comes with everything you’ll need to get connected and ready for high-definition viewing enjoyment. Here’s a quick list of the contents of the HD DVD package:

• Xbox 360 HD DVD Player
• Universal Remote Control (Two AA batteries included)
• USB 2.0 Cable
• Power Supply with AC Power Cord
• Installation software and reference materials

Setting up the HD DVD player is a breeze, even for the technically challenged. The setup disc that comes with the package will install all the necessary updates to the Xbox 360 to bring the dashboard up to speed with the new features that support the HD DVD drive’s operation. Once that is done, simply connect the HD DVD player via the USB wire supplied and then connect the power supply to the drive. By powering on the Xbox 360, the HD DVD drive will also come to life and the eject button will light up letting you know it’s getting juice. When the dashboard loads up, the first thing you’ll notice is that the disc tray area of the blade now displays two options to select on the left side of the tray signified by a circle icon split in two halves. One is for playing the current disc in the Xbox 360 DVD drive while the other is for playing the disc in the HD DVD drive. You’ll know which option you have selected as the top half of the circle will light up and the tray displays the DVD logo while the bottom half of the circle will light up with the HD DVD logo.

The HD DVD drive connects to the X360 via a simple USB to mini-USB cable, which comes in the box. Don’t worry about losing the only rear mounted USB port on the Xbox 360 though, because the HD DVD drive gives you two more ports, leaving you one USB connector better off. Once you’ve connected the drive, the X360 will download the necessary update automatically. Once loaded you’ll be greeted with your usual Dashboard interface, but with one small difference. The Eject Tray icon at the bottom is now split into two sections – the top half will eject the DVD drive in the X360, while the bottom half will eject the HD DVD drive.

Also in the box is a full AV remote control – I say full, because it’s a bit longer and more comprehensive than the small AV remote that shipped with early X360 consoles. It’s a good bundle though, considering that even the Premium pack 360 doesn’t come with a remote control anymore.