Thanks to the "internet," gamers in America can get in on the fun too. Japan's IT Media gaming site has posted a feature of its own, sharing a close-up look at the exterior of the 60 gigabyte model. If you can read Japanese, check it out for yourself.
There are plenty of pictures in the article, but none are as grand as the one show above. That's FantaVision running through backwards compatibility on the PlayStation 3. This would appear to be our first look at a PS2 game running on the PS3. Sadly, the IT Media article doesn't provide details on how the backwards compatibility works. It's still unknown if the PS3 will improve the PS2 gaming experience through visual tricks or improved loading -- which is an effect that many enjoyed when using PlayStation One games on the PS2.
In addition to the backwards compatibility shot, the IT Media feature includes a close-up look at the translucent shell of the PS3. The shot makes it clear that the system isn't exactly opaque.
Sony is also going high-tech with the external system interface. As previously announced the PS3 doesn't have standard power or eject buttons. The system uses touch sensors for the required functionality. To turn on the system or eject a disk, you merely touch the appropriate marks on the front of the system. To turn off the power, you press and hold down on the power mark. There isn't an actual reset sensor either. To reset the system, you hold down on the power mark until the system turns off. Keep on holding down, and it will power back on.
This was probably the last thing on anyone's mind, but the IT Media article also reveals that if you are using a standard AV multi-cable to connect the PS3 to your TV, and you want to switch to HDMI, you'll have to power off the system so that it can detect that the HDMI cable is in place.
The website will next take a close-up look at the Cross Media Bar. We'll report back if anything new is revealed.