Yesterday's announcements from SCEE have sent a clear message to gamers and competitors alike. Sony has no intention of losing its enviable market share (it is theirs to lose)! PS3 and Ceramic White PSP are coming to stores near you.
I've drooled over the prospect of adding the Ceramic White PSP to my lifestyle mantelpiece and intend to order one over the coming weeks.
And then there's this black beauty. Sony's third-generation PlayStation embodies sleek chic.
Sony's official PS3 press announcement read thus.
Equipped with Blu-ray and Pre-Installed HDD Available at €499 (20GB HDD) and €599 (60GB HDD)Los Angeles, May 8, 2006 – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) announced today that it would launch PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3) in “Clear Black” throughout mainland Europe and Australasia on November 17, 2006, as part of a worldwide simultaneous launch.
PS3 is the most advanced computer system that serves as a platform to enjoy next generation computer entertainment contents in the home, realized through the combination of Cell and RSX™ processors, in addition to the playability of a vast catalog of PlayStation® and PlayStation®2 software titles.
Having Giga-bit Ethernet and a pre-installed hard disk drive (HDD) as standard in PS3, users will be able to download a variety of contents as well as access on-line games and services over the network.
Equipped with basic input/output ports, PS3 supports a broad range of displays from conventional NTSC/PAL standard TVs to the latest full HD (1080i/1080p) flat panel displays, offering the joy of the most advanced computer entertainment contents to homes around the world. For use in living rooms, maximum heat and noise reduction has been achieved with a noise level equivalent to that of the current slim-line PlayStation 2.
With the overwhelming computational power of the Cell processor, PS3 is capable of playing back content from Blu-ray (BD) disc at a bit rate of multiplex 48Mbps with ease, the maximum bit rate defined in BD standards.
The new controller for PS3 has been created by refining and improving the world’s most popular PlayStation controller which has shipped more than several hundred million units worldwide. The controller for PS3 employs a high-precision, highly sensitive six-axis sensing system that is capable of processing all parameters within the controller itself, thereby eliminating the need for any additional settings on the display system. By applying this technology, it will become possible to freely control the PS3 system over the network.
While further enhancing the joy of entertainment on PlayStation 2 and PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable), SCEE will vigorously promote PS3 as the next generation computer entertainment platform.
PLAYSTATION®3
Product name: PLAYSTATION®3
CPU: Cell Processor
GPU: RSX™
Sound: Dolby 5.1ch, DTS, LPCM, etc. (Cell-based processing)
Memory: 256MB XDR Main RAM, 256MB GDDR3 VRAM
HDD: 2.5” Serial ATA ○ (20GB) ○ (60GB)
I/O: USB 2.0 ○ (x4)
MemoryStick /SD/CompactFlash - ○
Communication: Ethernet ○ (x1 / 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T)
IEEE 802.11 b/g - ○
Bluetooth 2.0 (EDR) ○
Wireless controller (Bluetooth) ○
AV Output: Screen size 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p
HDMI OUT - ○ (x1 / HDMI NextGen)
AV MULTI OUT ○ (x1)
DIGITAL OUT (OPTICAL) ○ (x1)
BD/DVD/CD Drive (Read Only): Maximum Read Speed BD 2x (BD-ROM)
DVD 8x (DVD-ROM)
CD 24x (CD-ROM)
SACD 2x
Dimensions: Approximately 325mm (W) x 98mm (H) x 274mm (D)
Weight: Approximately 5 kg
About Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd. As at 27 April 2006
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE), based in London, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and sales of PlayStation®2 and PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) software and hardware in 104 territories across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Oceania. SCEE also develops, publishes, markets and distributes entertainment software for these formats, and manages the third party licensing programs for the platforms in these territories. Between its European debut on 24th November 2000 and the end of March 2006, over 38 million PlayStation®2 consoles have been shipped across the SCEE territories, over 103 million worldwide, making it one of the most successful consumer electronic products in history. Between its European debut on 1st September 2005 and the end of March 2006, over 5 million PSP systems have been shipped across the SCEE territories, with over 17 million shipped worldwide since its Japanese launch in December 2004.