The multi-core war may have begun, but the battle will be fought with software, although that's not to say that the hardware side has already been won: apparently the test chip is much larger than equivalent chips -- 275 mm squared, versus a typical Core 2 Duo's 143 mm squared -- and Intel currently has no way to hook up memory to the chip.

ENGADGET: Intel demonstrates 80-core processor

While you could probably get along without WiFi in a home-based console that already has Ethernet, and you can always presumably hook up a memory card reader via one of the unit's four USB ports, the lack of HDMI output makes this pretty much a non-starter for anyone hoping to actually use the PS3's Blu-ray drive for anything more than playing games.

ENGADGET: $500 PS3 to lack HDMI, WiFi, card reader HD