The importance of Networking

Got a PS3? Got broadband? Then you'd do well to sign up to the PlayStation Network...

By connecting to the PlayStation Network, you can enjoy a range of exciting new entertainment options. Here's a brief look at what you can do with PS3 once you're connected - and remember, this is just the start...

Play games online

Online gaming is free on the PlayStation Network - which is great news when you consider that games like MotorStorm, Resistance: Fall of Man and Ridge Racer 7 can be even more exhilarating when you're playing online. Knowing it's a friend controlling the buggy you've just sent careening off the track is satisfaction itself, and the unpredictable nature of human opponents can lift gameplay to new heights. And with PS3 designed for online play from the start, expect online modes to become par for the course over the coming years.

Don't forget that PS3 is compatible with a variety of Bluetooth and USB headsets too, making it easy to get a little chat going with your fellow competitors.

Folding@Home

Fancy something a little different? With PlayStation Network, you now have the option to contribute to vital medical research. The Folding@home program, which comes as part of System Software Update 1.6, allows your PS3 to contribute its processing muscle to Stanford University's distributed computing project, which harnesses the power of thousands of computers to simulate protein folding.

This research is helping in the fight against diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cystic fibrosis and certain types of cancer, and since the CELL Broadband Engine^TM in PS3 can muscle through data roughly ten times faster than the average mainstream computer, it's a superb use of the system's power.

PlayStation®Store

Once connected to PlayStation Network, you can also access the PlayStation Store - and that means you need never be without new entertainment. The PlayStation®Store is packed with full games, demos, videos and more, and is frequently updated with exciting new content for you to download.

Big hits so far include Gran Turismo^TM HD - the first Gran Turismo experience on PS3 - as well as the latest in Namco's long-running beat 'em up series, Tekken 5^TM: Dark Resurrection. Both are exclusive to the PlayStation®Store.

Browse the internet

Fancy checking your favourite website? Thanks to its built-in Internet Browser, PS3 makes surfing a doddle. Most widely used web standards are fully supported, meaning PS3 makes surfing from the sofa an enjoyable proposition - and easy to fit in between those multiplayer MotorStorm sessions.