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| Manufacturer | Sony Computer Entertainment |
|---|---|
| Type | Video game console |
| Generation | Seventh generation era |
| Lifespan | November 11 2006 ( Japan)November 17, 2006 (  USA)17 November, 2006 (  Canada)November 17, 2006 (  EU)November 17, 2006 (  Australia/ New Zealand) |
| Media | BD-ROM DVD-ROM CD-ROM |
| CPU | 3.2 GHz PPC Cell with 7 3.2 GHz SPEs |
| Online services | PlayStation Network Platform (PNP) |
| Backward compatibility | PlayStation, PlayStation 2 |
| Predecessor | PlayStation 2 |
The PlayStation 3 (プレイステーション3, Pureisutēshon Surī, abbreviated PS3) is Sony's seventh generation era video game console in the PlayStation series. It is the successor to the PlayStation 2 and will mainly compete against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii. The PS3 will be released on 2006-11-11 in Japan and 2006-11-17 worldwide, and will ship in two initial configurations.
The PS3 was officially unveiled on 2005-05-16 by Sony during an E3 conference, where the console was first shown to the public. A functional version of the console was not at E3 2005 or the Tokyo Game Show in September 2005, although at both events, demonstrations were held on devkits (for example Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots) and comparable PC hardware, and video footage based on the predicted PS3 specifications was produced (for example for Mobile Suit Gundam).
Thus far, public reception of the console has been mixed with the Sony stock market price declining partially due to worries about the future of the PlayStation brand and its profitability. However, Sony's chief has cited its widespread developer support and advanced "future-proofed" technologies such as Blu-ray and the Cell microprocessor, as ensuring the continued success of the PlayStation platform.
Retail configurations and pricing
Sony's current retail strategy for the PlayStation 3 will involve two different configurations that are detailed in a Sony press release. The "premium" version of the PlayStation 3 will come with an internal 60 GB hard drive, Wi-Fi connectivity, HDMI output, and multiple flash memory card readers out of the box.
The second and alternate configuration of the console will have a 20 GB internal hard drive but will not feature Wi-Fi, HDMI, or a memory card reader. The hard drive is upgradeable, and memory card and Wi-Fi support can be added through adaptors, but the HDMI support is not upgradeable.
The lack of HDMI output in the 20 GB model could potentially cause problems with restricted output resolution on Blu-ray video. An ICT flag can be set by content producers, which forces non-HDCP video down to a pixel resolution of 960×540 (50% greater than DVD-Video). SCEA president Kaz Hirai stated that it is "too early to speculate at this point" whether movie producers will activate the ICT feature. Movie studios are apparently in agreement to not include the ICT flag on any Blu-ray Discs until at least 2010, or possibly even 2012.
| Feature | Basic | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Upgradable hard drive | Yes, 20 GB | Yes, 60 GB |
| Blu-ray drive | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth controllers | Yes | { |
- Remo, Chris (2006-04-22). "Sony Keynote by Phil Harrison". Shacknews. Retrieved 2006-05-18.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Kageyama, Yuri (2006-04-28). "Sony stock falls after earnings report". MSNBC.com. Retrieved 2006-05-23.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - "Exclusive: Sony's Phil Harrison Tells All on PS3, Peter Moore, Nintendo Wii". GamePro. 2006-05-14. Retrieved 2006-05-24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - "PLAYSTATION®3 LAUNCHES ON NOVEMBER 11, 2006 IN JAPAN" (PDF) (Press release). Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. 2006-05-08. Retrieved 2006-05-18.
{{cite press release}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Gibson, Ellie (2006-05-16). "20GB PlayStation 3 will be upgradeable, says Sony". gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 2006-05-16.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Morris, Chris (2006-05-11). "PlayStation 3 boss defends high price". CNNMoney.com. Retrieved 2006-05-21.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - Ken Fisher (May 21, 2006). "Hollywood reportedly in agreement to delay forced quality downgrades for Blu-ray, HD DVD".
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)