***Edit: Amazon has just gotten BOTH the 120GB AND the 250GB PS3s back in stock and shipping immediately, see below for more details!
There can be significant differences in the price-asked for a PS3 from various online retailers in addition to the fact that certain retailers will have access to bundles, packages, and deals that others won’t, certain coupons will be available for certain retailers that may or may not make a difference for you, you really just have to shop around, and remember: Google is your friend 
. Also, if you’re wondering whether you should buy a PS3 from a store or online, I highly recommend you have a look at this: Why You Should Buy a PS3 Online
Ok, the way I’ve broken this down is instead of actually ranking various sites and retailers I’ve just put together a list of the ones that I feel are worthy of being here and then given you as much information about them as I could garner through various PS3 forums and friends I have that own PS3s in addition to my own personal experience. All of the PS3’s listed on this page are, to the best of my knowledge, currently in stock (if you see an error here, or a link to a product that’s out of stock LEAVE A COMMENT, please).
Amazon.com
You can’t go wrong with Amazon–their customer service is excellent, their shipping times are excellent, their reputation for honoring warranties is excellent, and their deals and packages are often impossible to beat because they’re exclusive to Amazon. Current deals being offered by Amazon.com for the PS3 console include:
120 GB PlayStation 3 (Slim) Console for $299.99 (in stock and shipping immediately)
As with previous models, the PlayStation 3 120GB system features an IBM “Cell” processor and a co-developed NVIDIA graphics processor that together allow the system to perform two trillion calculations per second. Yet the 120GB system manages to improve on this with its 45nm version of the processor, which although running at the same 60+nm speed as previous PS3 versions, uses less energy. This makes the unit’s smaller size and quieter fan possible. Along with the traditional AV and composite connections, the 120GB system also boasts an HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) port, which delivers uncompressed, unconverted digital picture and sound to compatible high-definition TVs and projectors. (The system is capable of 128-bit pixel precision and 1080p resolution for a full HD experience) This console also provides for an extreme sound experience by supporting Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1, as well as Linear PCM 7.1. Finally, it features cross connectivity with your PC network and PlayStation Portable (PSP) and its pre-installed, 120GB hard disc drive allows you to save games as well as download content from The Internet. Unlike The some other models of The PlayStation 3, The 120GB system does not offer backwards compatibility.
250 GB PlayStation 3 Console: $349.95 – In Stock and Shipping Immediately (get it while you can, they haven’t had these in stock in over 2 months!)
-New slimmer and lighter PS3 system with a 250 GB HDD, Internet-ready built-in Wi-Fi, 2 USB ports and HDMI + Bravia Synch output for 1080p resolution and connectivity between other Sony HDMI products.
-Dualshock 3 wireless controller.
-AC power cord, AV cable and USB cable.
-Free PlayStation Network membership.
Toys R Us
Right now Toys
R Us has got just one package IN STOCK (they’ve got several others on their site, but the rest are out of stock), which appears to be the same as the 120GB model that Amazon is offering above (they also have it in stock) except it’s $40 more expensive and it comes with the HDMI cable which can be bought on Amazon for about 4 bucks, so I’d go with Amazon, personally, but here it is anyway:
Sony PS3 Gamer Essential Pack: $404.97
This particular package includes:
- Sony PS3 120GB Gaming Console
- 1 (as per the description–I realize it shows 2 in the photo, but it doesn’t say that on their site) Black DualShock 3 Wireless Controller for Sony PS3
- 8ft Standard HDMI Cable for Sony PS3
Wal-Mart
Alright, so what’s Wal-Mart offering right now? I’m providing so many options here for you because you never know who’s going to have what in stock and how quickly they can ship it, and Wal-Mart has got the same deals as many of the other retailers above AND they’ve got what I think is the best overall deal I’ve found yet: the “Customer’s Choice Bundle” below, and I wanted to give you as many choices as possible, so here you go:
PlayStation 3 Customer’s Choice Bundle: $399
With this package, for $399 you get to choose the following:
- Your Console of choice (current price presumes you go with the 120GB model)
- An Extra Wireless Controller
- A First Game
- A Second Game
- An Optional Additional Accessory
PlayStation 3 Entertainment Value Bundle: $369
With this one you get the following:
- A PlayStation 3 Console (that $369 price is based on a 120GB console, I’m pretty sure)
- One (1) Game
- Three (3) Blu-ray Movies
- One Accessory (controller, remote, etc.)
PlayStation 3 Starter Bundle: $339.00
This PlayStation 3 Starter Bundle includes:
- Choice of PS3 Console
- Choice of Game
Buy.com is evil. Their customer support sucks, so pray your order goes right. Also, they have a “marketplace” for PS3s, meaning they no longer (at least not for the past 2 months) sell individual PS3 120GBs in-house. The marketplace prices are insane. They do have that bundle you mentioned, but it would be cheaper to buy the console from NewEgg for $299 and an extra controller and whatever cable you need separately.
I would love to buy the “Gamers Choice Bundle,” but for some reason the link never works. Even from the actual Walmart website. is this because the bundle no longer exists?
That’s really weird, I just checked it and it worked fine for me.
I took advice and bought mine at Amazon…wrong decision. They shipped me a re-sealed open box item. I decided to try it out because I didn’t want to go through the crap of returning it. Worked fine for a couple weeks then I started getting tearing and artifacts on the screen. Definitely getting a refund and I would implore others to think twice before ordering from Amazon. I don’t blame you in any way, just thought your readers should be aware of this.
Nah, that’s fine man, if you got a dud then get your money back. I’ve always heard that Amazon’s return policy and customer service is excellent. I would also add that you could get the odd bad item from any other online retailer OR a store, so I wouldn’t think anything less of Amazon just based on this (I’ve never had any problems with them, been ordering from them for years).
Cheers,
Andrew