What do you recommend for a new PS3?

RickHarrisMaine · January 8, 2013

So about 9-10 months ago, I bought a “Gamestop-Refurbished” (meaning it came from their refurb facility in Texas) PS3, the 80GB one with software-driven backwards compatibility. Like all their refurb stuff, it had a 30 day warranty. And as an online purchase, you couldn’t buy an extended warranty, though I could have done this through the store itself. Just never got around to it.

And just before Christmas, it YLOD’d on me. I looked into the idea of fixing it, but not knowing its history (is this the 1^st time it YLOD’d? Second? More?), I decided to just get a new one, and I sold it as parts on eBay.

Now should I spend $250 or thereabouts and get the new Uncharted 3 bundle, with the super-slim PS3, and a couple of games? Or should I spend $199 from the Sony store and get a Sony-refurbished PS3 slim, with a full Sony warranty as if it was a new product? Or should I get another used Gamestop one and this time get the extended warranty? I don’t want to waste a year of PS Plus and wait for the PS4 to come out (and remembering the launch price for the PS3, I probably couldn’t afford it anyways), and I got some cool PS3 games for Christmas and want to play! I will say that as a result of being given a $50 Gamestop gift card for Christmas, it’s quite likely I’d be buying my system from them, unless someone has a better idea……

I am somewhat intrigued by the full “as-new” warranty on the PS3 slim refurb from Sony, as I’m not terribly thrilled with the looks of the Super Slim, though I don’t hate it too much either. It looks like the incestuous love child of a Sega Master System and a Dreamcast.