Looks like something has changed at Sony. Last week they announced a new addition to their line-up of SKUs to provide cheaper access to the PlayStation 3 in Euurope, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.
The latest iteration becomes cheaper not just as a result of cheaper manufacturing, but due to cutting down of some features that not all users may need.
The changes include a 40GB hard drive, 2 USB ports instead of 4, has no built in memory card reader and backward compatibility hardware has been removed. The unit goes on sale October 10th at £299.
The newer model doesn’t massively threaten Microsoft’s Xbox 360, whose prices have dropped without the need for a cut back, with newer high capacity and limited editions taking the place of the original Premium price-point. If however, you are looking for a cheap HD movie player the
On the other-hand, the 60GB PlayStation will see an actual price drop from £425 to £349 and will be more than a match for the equivalent Xbox 360 Elite when purchased with the external HD-DVD drive which comes out more expensive than the PS3.
According to a quote on the BBC News article, Ray Maguire, head of PlayStation UK said the release of the 40GB PS3 was a “strategic decision”. Yes, strategic…to get some sales in for Christmas and gain ground on the other consoles.
Links: BBC News: Sony offer cut-price PlayStation