The Sony PlayStation 3 online service user interface is largely based on the PSP, according to a report by online magazine Eurogamer.

The reporter got a preview of the service in Sony's UK headquarters in London, in order to reveal a little more about the as-yet under-wraps functionality.

The online service's UI will have the same menu structure and many of the same icons as that of the PSP. A User Profiles button gives gamers the option to create one or more online profiles to keep track of stats, while a Friends button reveals a list of online contacts.

Sony is throwing a free browser in to the astronomical cost of the console, and has also designd the service to be free, unlike Xbox Live, which charges to connect gamers to the web. That means there'll be no charge for voice chat or multiplayer games.

According to Ars Technica, the other major difference between the Xbox Live service and Sony's service is that there'll be no points to exchange for games and rewards. Instead, money will be stored in an online Wallet so that all purchases can be taken directly out of it using a shopping cart system.

Check out the links at the bottom of the page to read the original review of the service.

>> Eurogamer - PS3 review
>> Ars Technica -