At first I was of the opinion that a gamepad as a remote control is more than enough. This is true still, if you do not just look at a lot of movies on a PS3. Until you "learned" the key assignment of a gamepad has, it takes a while. However, at the convenience of the remote control the gamepad does not come close. The "Connect" via Blutooth with the PS3 only takes a few seconds. The remote control is recommended.