Aside from your basic PlayStation buttons (sans joysticks), two shoulder buttons and a duo triggers, theunitfeatures a duo of paddles that wrap along its circular center which can be be used for shifting and the like.
The gen2 unitfeatures a sleek, all-black enclosure, but the real improvement is the addition of an infrared-out port, which provides more flexibility for customers who keep their components in a cabinet or rack.
Of course, you don't need us to tell you just how many options are out there, but if your "best friend" (ahem) was looking to pick up an HD DVD player that packed plenty offeatures to please even the in-laws this holiday season, what's theunit to recommend?