Sony revealed the PS3’s pricing and release dates at a pre-E3 press conference held in Los Angeles yesterday. The system will come in two bundles. PS3 with a 20GB hard drive (confirmed RRP of AU$829) and one with a 60GB HDD (confirmed RRP of AU$999). The Australian launch date will come one week after the Japan release for Sony’s next generation games console. European territories and US will also receive the PS3 on 17 November. The almost simultaneous worldwide launch date is a stark contrast to Microsoft’s Xbox 360, which was released in Australia a number of months after its US release.
The PS3, which is based on the Cell processor, will play CDs, DVDs and include a Blu-ray drive. While the 20GB PS3 has all of the basic power and functionality of its more expensive sibling (including a Blu-ray drive), the 60GB bundle comes with card slots (Memory Stick, SD, Compact Flash), built-in Bluetooth, built-in 802.11b/g wireless, HDMI support, as well as ethernet compatibility. Further, it includes Dolby digital surround sound functionality and supports high-definition video up to 1080p.
The console also can run up to seven wireless controllers at once, and all PS3s will come with a built-in hard drive, either 60GB or 20GB. And finally, it supports USB, Sony memory sticks, secure digital (SD) and CompactFlash. Sony has also taken a leaf out of Nintendo’s book with its PS3 controller, equipping it with built-in motion sensitivity that can be used to control games.
Leave a Reply