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PlayStation 3


 
 
The PlayStation 3 (officially marketed PLAYSTATION 3, commonly abbreviated PS3) is the third home video game consoleVideo game console

A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer....
 produced by Sony Computer EntertainmentSony Computer Entertainment

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation that was established on November 16, 1993 in Tokyo, Jap...
 and successor to the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2 Summary

The PlayStation 2 is Sony's second video game console, the successor to the PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlaySta...
 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with MicrosoftMicrosoft

company_name = Microsoft Corporation| company_logo = ...
's Xbox 360Xbox 360 Overview

The Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsoft's Xbox video game console, developed in co-operation with IBM, ATI, Samsung and S...
 and NintendoNintendo

Nintendo Company, Limited is one of the most powerful companies in the Video Game Industry....
's WiiWii

Wii is Nintendo's seventh-generation video game console....
 as part of the seventh generationFacts About History of video game consoles (seventh generation)

The seventh generation is a video game consoles era in the history of computer and video games that began towards the end of...
 of video game systems.

A major feature that distinguishes the PlayStation 3 from its predecessors is its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network, which contrasts with Sony's former policy of relying on game developers for online play. Other major features of the console include its robust multimedia capabilities, connectivity with the PlayStation PortablePlayStation Portable

The PlayStation Portable is a handheld game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment....
, and its use of a high-definition optical disc format, Blu-ray DiscBlu-ray Disc

A Blu-ray Disc is a next-generation optical disc format designed for high-density storage of high-definition video and data....
, as its primary storage medium.






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Timeline

2005   Sony officially unveils its PlayStation 3 game console at an E3 conferen






Encyclopedia


The PlayStation 3 (officially marketed PLAYSTATION 3, commonly abbreviated PS3) is the third home video game consoleVideo game console

A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer....
 produced by Sony Computer EntertainmentSony Computer Entertainment

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation that was established on November 16, 1993 in Tokyo, Jap...
 and successor to the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2 Summary

The PlayStation 2 is Sony's second video game console, the successor to the PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlaySta...
 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with MicrosoftMicrosoft

company_name = Microsoft Corporation| company_logo = ...
's Xbox 360Xbox 360 Overview

The Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsoft's Xbox video game console, developed in co-operation with IBM, ATI, Samsung and S...
 and NintendoNintendo

Nintendo Company, Limited is one of the most powerful companies in the Video Game Industry....
's WiiWii

Wii is Nintendo's seventh-generation video game console....
 as part of the seventh generationFacts About History of video game consoles (seventh generation)

The seventh generation is a video game consoles era in the history of computer and video games that began towards the end of...
 of video game systems.

A major feature that distinguishes the PlayStation 3 from its predecessors is its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network, which contrasts with Sony's former policy of relying on game developers for online play. Other major features of the console include its robust multimedia capabilities, connectivity with the PlayStation PortablePlayStation Portable

The PlayStation Portable is a handheld game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment....
, and its use of a high-definition optical disc format, Blu-ray DiscBlu-ray Disc

A Blu-ray Disc is a next-generation optical disc format designed for high-density storage of high-definition video and data....
, as its primary storage medium. The PS3 was also the first Blu-ray 2.0Blu-ray Disc

A Blu-ray Disc is a next-generation optical disc format designed for high-density storage of high-definition video and data....
-compliant Blu-ray player on the market.

The PlayStation 3 was first released on November 11, 2006 in JapanJapan

is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia, stretching from...
, November 17, 2006 in North AmericaNorth America

North America is a continent in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost fully in the western hemisphere....
, and March 23, 2007 in EuropeEurope

Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth....
 and OceaniaOceania

Oceania is a geographical, often geopolitical, region consisting of numerous lands—mostly islands but usually includi...
. Two SKUs were available at launch; a basic model with a 20 GB hard disk drive (HDD) and a premium model with a 60 GB HDD and several additional features (The 20 GB model was not released in Europe or Oceania.) Since then, several revisions have been made to the console's available models and it has faced stiff competition from the other seventh generation consoles. As of December 20, 2007, the PS3 is in third place in home console sales for its generation.

History

SonySony

is a Japanese multinational corporation and one of the world's largest media conglomerates....
 officially unveiled the PlayStation 3 to the public on May 16, 2005, during the E3 2005 conferenceHistory of E3

The history of the Electronic Entertainment Expo began with its creation in 1995 and has continued through the most recent expo in...
. A functional version of the system was not present there,
nor at the Tokyo Game ShowTokyo Game Show

The is a video game expo / convention held in Tokyo, Japan....
 in September 2005, although demonstrations (such as ) were held at both events on devkitsSoftware development kit

A software development kit is typically a set of development tools that allows a software engineer to create applications fo...
 and comparable PCPersonal computer

A personal computer is usually a microcomputer whose price, size, and capabilities make it suitable for personal usage....
 hardware. Video footage based on the predicted PlayStation 3 specifications was also shown (e.g. ).

The system was initially planned to have two HDMI ports, three EthernetEthernet

Ethernet is a large and diverse family of frame-based computer networking technologies for local area networks ....
 ports and six USB ports, though, as shown at E3 2006Facts About History of E3

The history of the Electronic Entertainment Expo began with its creation in 1995 and has continued through the most recent expo in...
, this was later reduced to one HDMI port, one ethernet port and four USB ports, presumably to cut costs. Two hardware configurations were also announced for the console; a 20 GB and a 60 GB, priced at $499/€499 and $599/€599 respectively. The 60 GB would be the only configuration to feature a HDMI port, Wi-FiWi-Fi

Wi-Fi, also, WiFi, Wi-fi or wifi, is a brand originally licensed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to describe the und...
 internet, flash card readers and a chrome trim with the logo in silver. It was announced for a simultaneous worldwide release; November 11 for JapanJapan

is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia, stretching from...
 and November 17 for North AmericaNorth America

North America is a continent in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost fully in the western hemisphere....
 and EuropeEurope

Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth....
.

On September 6, 2006, SonySony

is a Japanese multinational corporation and one of the world's largest media conglomerates....
 announced that the PAL regionPAL region

The PAL region is a video game publication territory which covers Australasia and the majority of Eurasia....
 (Europe and OceaniaOceania

Oceania is a geographical, often geopolitical, region consisting of numerous lands—mostly islands but usually includi...
) PlayStation 3 launch would be delayed until March 2007 due to a shortage of diodes used in the Blu-ray Disc drive.

At the Tokyo Game Show on September 22, 2006, Sony announced that it would be including HDMI on the 20 GB system with a silver logo, but not the chrome trim, flash card readers or Wi-Fi. Also, the launch price of the Japanese 20 GB model was reduced by over 20%, and the 60 GB model was announced for an open pricing scheme in Japan. During the event, Sony showed 27 playable PS3 titles running on final hardware.

Launch

The PlayStation 3 was first released in Japan on November 11, 2006 at 07:00. According to Media Create, 81,639 PS3 systems were sold within 24 hours of its introduction in Japan.

Soon after its release in Japan, the PS3 was released in North America on November 17, 2006. Reports of violence surrounding the release of the PS3 include a customer shot, campers robbed at gunpoint, customers shot in a drive-by shootingDrive-by shooting

A drive-by shooting is an attack on a person carried out with one or more firearms, usually automatic handguns or sub-machi...
 with BB gunBB gun

BB guns are a type of air gun designed to fire spherical projectiles, called BBs, usually from a smoothbore barrel....
s, and 60 campers fighting over 10 systems.

On January 24, 2007, Sony announced that the PlayStation 3 would go on sale on March 23, 2007 in Europe, AustraliaAustralia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland o...
, the Middle EastMiddle East

The Middle East is a subcontinent for the historical and cultural subregion of Africa-Eurasia traditionally held to be count...
, Africa and New ZealandNew Zealand

New Zealand is a country in the south-western Pacific Ocean consisting of two large islands and many much smaller islands, m...
. The system sold about 600,000 units in its first two days. On March 7, 2007, the 60 GB PlayStation 3 launched in SingaporeSingapore

Singapore, formally the Republic of Singapore , is an island city-state and the smallest country in Southeast Asia....
 with a price of S$Singapore dollar

The dollar is the currency of Singapore....
799. The console was launched in South Korea on June 16, 2007 in a single version equipped with an 80 GB hard drive and IPTVIPTV

IPTV describes a system where a digital television service is delivered using the Internet Protocol over a network infrastru...
.

Retail configurations

There are four PlayStation 3 hardware models that are commonly referred to by the size of their included hard disk drive: "20", "40", "60", and "80" GB models.

All retail packages include one or two Sixaxis controllers and/or a DualShock 3 controller (beginning June 12, 2008), one miniUSB to USB cable (for connecting the controller to the system), one composite videoComposite video Summary

Composite video is the format of an analog television signal before it is combined with a sound signal and modulated onto an...
/stereo audio output cable, one ethernet cableCategory 5 cable

Category 5 cable, commonly known as Cat 5 or "Cable and Telephone", is a twisted pair cable type designed for high sig...
 (20, 60, and 80 GB only) and one power cablePower Cable

Power Cable, Nebraska is a fictitious town in America used as a generic placename....
.

Feature:20 GB
(NTSCNTSC

NTSC is the analog television system in use in Canada, Japan, South Korea, the United States, and some other countries, most...
)
40 GB
(PALPAL

PAL, short for phase-alternating line, phase alternation by line or phase alternation line, is a colour en...
, NTSC)
60 GB
(NTSC)
60 GB
(PAL)
80 GB
(NTSC)
80 GB
(PAL, NTSC)
ColorsPiano BlackPiano Black
Ceramic White (Asia and Japan only)
Satin Silver (Asia and Japan only)
Gun-Metal Gray (MGS4 bundle)
Piano BlackPiano BlackPiano BlackPiano Black
USB 2.0 ports
802.11 b/gIEEE 802.11

IEEE 802.11, the Wi-Fi standard, denotes a set of Wireless LAN/WLAN standards developed by working group 11 of the IEEE LAN/...
 Wi-FiWi-Fi

Wi-Fi, also, WiFi, Wi-fi or wifi, is a brand originally licensed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to describe the und...
Flash cardFacts About Memory card

*UFC*FISH Universal Transportable Memory Card Standard...
 readers
Chrome trim
SACDSuper Audio CD

Antonia Minor, also known as Antonia the Younger or simply Antonia....
 support
PS2PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 is Sony's second video game console, the successor to the PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlaySta...
 compatibilityBackward compatibility

In technology, especially computing, a product is said to be backward compatible when it is able to take the place of an ol...
First available November 2006 October 2007 November 2006 March 2007 August 2007 September 2008
In production
All models include: Blu-rayBlu-ray Disc

A Blu-ray Disc is a next-generation optical disc format designed for high-density storage of high-definition video and data....
/DVDDVD

DVD is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound q...
/CD drive, HDMI 1.3aHigh-Definition Multimedia Interface

The High-Definition Multimedia Interface is an all-digital audio/video interface capable of transmitting uncompressed stream...
, Bluetooth 2.0,
Gigabit Ethernet, PlayStationPlayStation

The PlayStation is a video game console of the 32/64-bit era, first produced by Sony Computer Entertainment in the mid-1990...
 backward compatibility through software emulation and a glossy finish

In addition to all of the features of the 20 GB model, the 60 GB model has internal IEEE 802.11IEEE 802.11 Summary

IEEE 802.11, the Wi-Fi standard, denotes a set of Wireless LAN/WLAN standards developed by working group 11 of the IEEE LAN/...
 bIEEE 802.11

IEEE 802.11, the Wi-Fi standard, denotes a set of Wireless LAN/WLAN standards developed by working group 11 of the IEEE LAN/...
/gIEEE 802.11 Overview

IEEE 802.11, the Wi-Fi standard, denotes a set of Wireless LAN/WLAN standards developed by working group 11 of the IEEE LAN/...
 Wi-FiWi-Fi

Wi-Fi, also, WiFi, Wi-fi or wifi, is a brand originally licensed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to describe the und...
, multiple flash cardMemory card

*UFC*FISH Universal Transportable Memory Card Standard...
 readers, and a chrome coloured trim. In terms of hardware, the 80 GB model released in South KoreaSouth Korea

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is an East Asian state on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula....
 is identical to the 60 GB model released in the PAL regions, except for the difference in hard drive size. Like the South Korean and European models, the North AmericaNorth America

North America is a continent in the Earth's northern hemisphere and almost fully in the western hemisphere....
n 80 GB model also excludes the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2

The PlayStation 2 is Sony's second video game console, the successor to the PlayStation and the predecessor to the PlaySta...
 "Emotion EngineEmotion Engine

The Emotion Engine is the name of the Central Processing Unit used in Sony PlayStation 2 video game consoles....
" CPU chip. However, it still keeps the "Graphics Synthesizer" GPU. Due to emulation of the "Emotion EngineEmotion Engine

The Emotion Engine is the name of the Central Processing Unit used in Sony PlayStation 2 video game consoles....
", the level of compatibility was reduced (see PlayStation 3 games - Removal of hardware supportPlayStation 3 games

The PlayStation 3 launched in North America on November 17, 2006 with a total of twelve titles, with another three being released...
for more details). The 40 GB model and the upcoming 80 GB model have two USB ports instead of the four USB ports on other models, and do not include a multi memory card port, SACDSuper Audio CD

Antonia Minor, also known as Antonia the Younger or simply Antonia....
 support, or any backwards compatibility with PlayStation 2 titles. This was due to the removal of "Graphics Synthesizer" GPU, which stripped the units of all PlayStation 2 based hardware.

No official Wi-Fi or flash memory card readers have yet been released by Sony for the 20 GB system, although plans for such add-ons are in place. Nevertheless, as the model features four USB 2.0 ports, wireless networking and flash memory card support can already be obtained through the use of widely available external USB adapters.

It was rumored that the Cell processors in the third-generation PS3s (40 GB) would move from a 90nm process to the newer 65nm process, which SCEI CEO Kaz Hirai later confirmed. This change lowers the power consumption of the console and makes it less expensive to produce.

Sales and production costs


Region Units sold First available
CanadaCanada

Canada is the world's second-largest country by total area, occupying most of northern North America....
342,400 as of February 1 2008 November 17, 2006
EuropeEurope

Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth....
5 million as of May 6, 2008 March 23, 2007
JapanJapan

is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia, stretching from...
2 million as of March 30, 2008 November 11, 2006
United StatesUnited States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., and America, is...
4.29 million as of May 1, 2008 November 17, 2006
Worldwide12.81 million as of March 31, 2008(more...PlayStation 3 launch

The Japanese PlayStation 3 launch on 11 November 2006 marked the second major seventh generation video game console to be re...
)


The PlayStation 3's initial production cost is estimated to have been US$United States dollar

For details of current paper money and coins, see Federal Reserve Note and United States coinage....
805.85 for the 20 GB model and US$840.35 for the 60 GB model. However, they were priced at US$499 and US$599 respectively, meaning that every unit was sold at an estimated loss of $250, contributing to Sony's games division posting an operating loss of ¥232.3 billion (US$1.97 billion) in the fiscal year ending March 2007. In April 2007, soon after these results were published, Ken KutaragiKen Kutaragi

Ken Kutaragi is currently the President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, the videogames division of Sony Corporation....
, President of Sony Computer Entertainment, announced plans to retire. Various news agencies, including The TimesThe Times

The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1785, and under its current name since 178...
and The Wall Street JournalThe Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal is an influential international daily newspaper published in New York City, New York with a worl...
reported that this was due to poor sales, whilst SCEI maintains that Kutaragi had been planning his retirement for six months prior to the announcement.

In January 2008, Kaz Hirai, CEOChief executive officer

A chief executive officer , or chief executive, is the highest-ranking corporate officer or executive officer of a cor...
 of Sony Computer Entertainment, suggested that the console may start making a profit by early 2009 stating that, "the next fiscal year starts in April and if we can try to achieve that in the next fiscal year that would be a great thing" and, "that (profitability) is not a definite commitment, but that is what I would like to try to shoot for". However, market analysts Nikko CitigroupNikko Citigroup

is a financial services firm in Japan. It is a joint venture between Citigroup and the Nikko Cordial Corporation....
 have predicted that the PlayStation 3 could be profitable by August 2008.

Since the system's launch, production costs have been reduced significantly as a result of phasing out the Emotion EngineEmotion Engine

The Emotion Engine is the name of the Central Processing Unit used in Sony PlayStation 2 video game consoles....
 chip and falling hardware costs. The cost of manufacturing Cell microprocessorCell microprocessor

Cell is a microprocessor architecture jointly developed by a Sony, Toshiba, and IBM alliance known as STI....
s has fallen dramatically as a result of moving to the 65 nmFacts About 65 nanometer

The 65 nanometer process is the most advanced lithographic node for volume semiconductor manufacturing, however it will soon...
 production process, and Blu-ray diodeDiode

In electronics, a diode is a component that restricts the direction of movement of charge carriers....
s have become cheaper to manufacture. As of January 2008, each unit costs around $400 to manufacture.

On January 7, 2007, Sony met its goal of shipping 1 million units to North America. Just over a week later, on January 16, 2007, Sony confirmed they had shipped 1 million units in JapanJapan

is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia, stretching from...
, bringing the worldwide total to over 2 million shipped. As of April 1, 2007, approximately 5.5 million units had been shipped worldwide.

The PlayStation 3 is currently behind its competitor systems, the WiiWii

Wii is Nintendo's seventh-generation video game console....
 and the Xbox 360Xbox 360 Overview

The Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsoft's Xbox video game console, developed in co-operation with IBM, ATI, Samsung and S...
, in total worldwide sales. In JapanJapan

is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of China, Korea, and Russia, stretching from...
 during 2007, the Wii outsold the PlayStation 3 by as much as 6 to 1 in some months. The PlayStation 3 has been more successful in Japan in 2008; 2,009,492 PlayStation 3 consoles were sold; outselling the Xbox 360, which was released almost a year earlier than its competitors, which sold 602,558 units. Both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 were outsold by the Wii, which sold 5,695,579 units, according to FamitsuFamitsu

Famitsu, is a Japanese video game magazine published by Enterbrain, Inc....
/EnterbrainEnterbrain

Enterbrain, Inc. is a Japanese magazine publisher established on April 1, 2000....
.

From October 2007 to November 2007, sales of the PlayStation 3 went up by 285% in the United StatesUnited States

The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., and America, is...
. Sony CEO Howard StringerHoward Stringer

Sir Howard Stringer is a British-American businessman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Corporation, before that he was CE...
 attributed the growth to a price cut and Nintendo's inability to manufacture the Wii system at a rate high enough to meet public demand.

As of January 1, 2008, the PlayStation 3 has sold 3.25 million units in the United States according to the NPD GroupNPD Group

The NPD Group, Inc. is a leading global market research company founded in 1967 and provides consumer and retail informatio...
, 1,673,063 in Japan according to Enterbrain, over 180,000 in Australia according to GameSpotGameSpot

GameSpot is a computer and video gaming website that was launched in May 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein....
, and an estimated 2.8 million in Europe2007 in video gaming

Expected releases*February '*February Maelstrom...
 according to Electronic ArtsElectronic Arts

Electronic Arts is an American developer, marketer, publisher, and distributor of computer and video games....
. Total worldwide sales as of January 1, 2008 are 10.49 million according to Sony.

In the United States, the PlayStation 3 outsold the Xbox 360 for the first time in January 2008 according to the NPD Group. A day prior to the NPD sales figures being released Microsoft said that the Xbox 360 had shortages for that month in the US. Prior to January 2008 the PlayStation 3 had been a consistent third behind the Wii and the Xbox 360 in US sales. The PlayStation 3 also outsold the Xbox 360 in February 2008, but was then outsold by the Xbox 360 in March 2008 according to the NPD Group. In June 2008 PS3 again outsold Xbox 360 by a margin of 405,500 to 219,800.

According to Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, the PlayStation 3 had outsold the Xbox 360 from October 2007 onwards in Europe and in May 2008 it surpassed the Xbox 360 (which was released 16 months prior to the PlayStation 3) in total European sales.

Hardware

The PlayStation 3 is convex on its left side when vertical, (the top side is convex when horizontal) and has a glossy black finish with the Playstation logo on the left side. Playstation designer Teiyu Goto stated that the Spider-ManSpider-Man (film)

Spider-Man is a commercially successful superhero film released in 2002 and directed by Sam Raimi....
 font-inspired logo "was one of the first elements [SCEI president Ken KutaragiKen Kutaragi

Ken Kutaragi is currently the President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, the videogames division of Sony Corporation....
] decided on and the logo may have been the motivating force behind the shape of PS3."

The PlayStation 3 features a slot-loading 2x speed Blu-ray DiscBlu-ray Disc

A Blu-ray Disc is a next-generation optical disc format designed for high-density storage of high-definition video and data....
 drive for games, Blu-ray movies, DVDs, CDs, and other optical media. It was originally available with hard drives of 20 and 60 GB (only the 60 GB model was available in PAL regions). An 80 GB model has since been introduced in NTSCNTSC

NTSC is the analog television system in use in Canada, Japan, South Korea, the United States, and some other countries, most...
 regions, and a 40 GB model has been introduced in all regions.
All PS3 models have user-upgradeable 2.5" SATA hard drives.

The PlayStation 3 uses the IBMIBM

company_name = International Business Machines Corporation |...
-designed Cell microprocessorCell microprocessor

Cell is a microprocessor architecture jointly developed by a Sony, Toshiba, and IBM alliance known as STI....
 as its CPU, utilizing seven of the eight "synergistic processing elements" (often shortened to SPE). The eighth SPE is disabled to improve chip yields (i.e. chips do not have to be discarded if one of the SPEs is defective.) Only six of the seven SPEs are accessible to developers as one is reserved by the OS. Graphics processing is handled by the NVIDIANVIDIA

NVIDIA Corporation is a major supplier of graphics processors , graphics cards, and media and communications devices for PC...
 RSX 'Reality Synthesizer'RSX 'Reality Synthesizer'

The RSX Graphics processing unit is a graphics chip design co-developed by NVIDIA and Sony for the upcoming PlayStation 3 computer...
, which can output resolutions from 480i480i

480i is the shorthand name for a video mode....
/576i576i

576i is the shorthand name for a video mode....
 SD up to 1080p1080p

1080p is the shorthand name for a category of video modes....
 HD. The PlayStation 3 has 256 MB of XDR main memory and 256 MB of GDDR3 video memory for the RSX.

The system has Bluetooth 2.0Bluetooth

Bluetooth is an industrial specification for wireless personal area networks , also known as IEEE 802.15.1....
, Gigabit EthernetGigabit Ethernet

Gigabit Ethernet is a term describing various technologies for transmitting Ethernet packets at a rate of a gigabit per sec...
, USBUniversal Serial Bus

Universal Serial Bus is a serial bus standard to interface devices....
 2.0 and HDMI 1.3aHigh-Definition Multimedia Interface

The High-Definition Multimedia Interface is an all-digital audio/video interface capable of transmitting uncompressed stream...
 built in on all currently shipping models. Wi-FiWi-Fi

Wi-Fi, also, WiFi, Wi-fi or wifi, is a brand originally licensed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to describe the und...
 networking is also built-in on the 40, 60 and 80 GB models while a flash card reader (compatible with Memory StickMemory Stick

Memory Stick is a removable flash memory card format, launched by Sony in October 1998 , and is also used in general to desc...
, SDSecure Digital card

Secure Digital is a flash memory memory card format used in portable devices, including digital cameras and handheld compute...
/MMCMultiMediaCard

The MultiMediaCard is a flash memory memory card standard....
, and CompactFlashCompactFlash

CompactFlash was originally a type of data storage device, used in portable electronic devices....
/MicrodriveMicrodrive

The Microdrive is a brand name for a miniature 1-inch hard disk designed to fit in a Compact Flash Type II slot....
 media) is built-in on 60 and 80 GB models.

Numerous accessories for the console have been developed including the wireless Sixaxis and DualShock 3 controllers, the BD Remote, the PlayStation EyePlayStation Eye

The PlayStation Eye is a digital camera device for the PlayStation 3 video game console, and the successor to the EyeToy fo...
 camera and the upcoming PlayTVPlayTV

PlayTV is a twin-channel DVB-T tuner peripheral with digital video recorder software which allows users to watch and record...
 DVB-TDVB-T

DVB-T stands for Digital Video Broadcasting - Terrestrial and it is the DVB European consortium standard for the broad...
 tuner/digital video recorderDigital video recorder

A digital video recorder is a device that records video without videotape to a hard drive-based digital storage medium....
 accessory.

At its press conference at the 2007 Tokyo Game ShowTokyo Game Show

The is a video game expo / convention held in Tokyo, Japan....
, Sony announced the DualShock 3DualShock

The DualShock is the standard game controller available for the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 video game consoles....
 (trademarked DUALSHOCK 3), a PlayStation 3 controller with the same function and design as the Sixaxis, but with vibration capability included. Hands-on accounts describe the controller as being noticeably heavier than the standard Sixaxis controller, and capable of vibration forces comparable to the DualShock 2. It was released in Japan on November 11, 2007, and is scheduled to release on April 15, 2008 in North America and in Spring 2008 in Europe.

The PS3's hardware has also been used to build supercomputers for high-performance computingHigh-performance computing

The term high performance computing refers to the use of supercomputers and computer clusters, that is, computing systems co...
. Terra Soft SolutionsTerra Soft Solutions

Terra Soft Solutions is the Loveland, Colorado?based producer of Yellow Dog Linux, cluster construction tools, and bioinform...
 has a version of Yellow Dog LinuxYellow Dog Linux

Yellow Dog Linux is an open source Linux distribution for the PowerPC processor architecture....
 for the PlayStation 3, and sells PS3s with Linux pre-installed, in single units, and 6 and 32 node clusters. In addition, RapidMind is pushing their stream programming package for the PS3. Also, on January 3, 2007, Dr. Frank Mueller, Associate Professor of Computer Science at NCSUNorth Carolina State University

North Carolina State University is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina...
, clustered 8 PS3s. Mueller commented that the 512 MB of system RAM is a limitation for this particular application, and is considering attempting to retrofit more RAM. Software includes: Fedora Core 5 Linux ppc64,
MPICH2, OpenMP v2.5, GNU Compiler CollectionGNU Compiler Collection

The GNU Compiler Collection is a set of programming language compilers produced by the GNU Project....
 and CellSDK 1.1.

On March 22, 2007, SCE and Stanford University released the Folding@HomeFolding@home

Folding@home is a distributed computing project designed to perform computationally intensive simulations of protein folding...
 project for the PlayStation 3. This program allows PS3 owners to lend the computing power of their consoles to help study the physical process of protein foldingProtein folding

Protein folding is the process by which a protein assumes its characteristic functional shape or tertiary structure, also kn...
.

Software

Operating system

Sony has included the ability for the operating system, referred to as System Software, to be updated. The updates can be downloaded from the PlayStation Network directly to the PS3 and subsequently installed or downloaded from the to a computer, transferred to portable storage media, and subsequently installed on the system. Updates can also be installed from game discs that require the update to run the game.

The latest version of the system software, 2.41, was released on July 8, 2008 and fixed issues that some users were experiencing after installing version 2.40. This update includes all of the features previously included in the 2.40 system update which only a portion of PlayStation 3 users were able to download before its withdrawal.

Version 2.40 of the software was released on July 2, 2008, however, it was withdrawn later the same day. Patrick Seybold, Director of Corporate Communications & Social Media for SCE cited "a limited number of calls from consumers experiencing an issue with installing the system software update on their PS3" as the reason for the update's withdrawal.. Among other features, version 2.40 provided the user with the ability to access the XMB from within games, play music stored on their hard drive in-game (although games will require a patch from their developer in order to enable this feature) and the ability to perform a GoogleGoogle

Google Inc. is an American public corporation, first incorporated as a privately held corporation on 7 September 1998, that ...
 search from the XMB. The update also introduced Trophy support, similar to the Achievements system found on the Xbox 360Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 is the successor to Microsoft's Xbox video game console, developed in co-operation with IBM, ATI, Samsung and S...
, which again will require games to be patched by their developer in order to use.

Version 2.36 was released on June 17, 2008, and improved the stability of some PS3 titles. The prior update, version 2.30, released April 15, 2008 featured a new embedded PlayStation StorePlayStation Store

The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PSP games consoles via the Pl...
 and also enabled DTS-HD Master AudioDTS-HD Master Audio

DTS-HD Master Audio is a lossless audio codec created by Digital Theater System....
 soundtracks on Blu-ray discs. Version 2.20 was released on March 13, 2008 and updated the PS3 to Blu-ray profile 2.0Blu-ray Disc

A Blu-ray Disc is a next-generation optical disc format designed for high-density storage of high-definition video and data....
 and added several other minor improvements.

The PlayStation 3 also includes the ability to install other operating systems, such as Linux.

Graphical user interface

The PlayStation 3 version of the XrossMediaBar (pronounced Cross Media Bar, or abbreviated XMB) includes nine categories of options. These are: Users, Settings, Photo, Music, Video, Game, Network, PlayStation Network, and Friends (similar to the PlayStation PortablePlayStation Portable

The PlayStation Portable is a handheld game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment....
 media bar). The PS3 includes the ability to store various master and secondary user profiles, manage and explore photos with or without a musical slide show, play music and copy audio CDAudio CD

Audio CD is an umbrella term that refers to many standards of means of playing back audio on a CD or a DVD....
 tracks to an attached storage device, play movies and video files from the hard disk drive, an optional USB mass storage or Flash card, or an optical disc (Blu-ray Disc or DVD-Video), compatibility for a USB keyboard and mouse, and a full web browserFacts About Web browser

A web browser is a software application that enables a user to display and interact with text, images, and other informatio...
 supporting in/compatible file download function. The Friends menu allows mail with emoticon and attached picture features and video chat which requires an optional PlayStation EyePlayStation Eye

The PlayStation Eye is a digital camera device for the PlayStation 3 video game console, and the successor to the EyeToy fo...
 or EyetoyEyeToy Overview

The EyeToy is a colour digital camera device for the PlayStation 2 similar to a webcam....
 webcam. The Network menu allows online shopping through the PlayStation StorePlayStation Store

The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PSP games consoles via the Pl...
.

PlayStation Network

In response to Microsoft's success with their Xbox LiveXbox Live Overview

Xbox Live is a subscription-based online gaming service for Microsoft's Xbox and Xbox 360 video game consoles....
 network, Sony announced a unified online service for the PlayStation 3 system at the 2006 PlayStation Business Briefing meeting in Tokyo. Sony also confirmed that the service will always be connected, free, and include multiplayer support. In addition, the registration interface can only be accessed through the PS3 system interface.

At the Tokyo Game ShowTokyo Game Show

The is a video game expo / convention held in Tokyo, Japan....
 on September 21, 2006, it was revealed that users will be able to download some of the thousands of PlayStation and PlayStation 2 titles from the PlayStation Network for about US$5–$15, starting with those with the smallest game data. Ken KutaragiKen Kutaragi

Ken Kutaragi is currently the President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, the videogames division of Sony Corporation....
 also announced functionality with other systems, similar to NintendoNintendo

Nintendo Company, Limited is one of the most powerful companies in the Video Game Industry....
's Virtual ConsoleVirtual console

In some operating systems such as Linux and FreeBSD, a virtual console is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and the d...
, including confirmed Sega GenesisSega Mega Drive

The was a 16-bit video game console released by Sega in Japan, Europe and most of the rest of the world....
 and TurboGrafx 16 functionality. However, SegaSega

is an international video game software and hardware developing company, and a former home computer and console manufacturer....
 replied that Sony had been too hasty with calling it a fact, and that it was still "under examination".

On May 8, 2007 Sony Computer Entertainment announced PlayStation Network CardPlayStation Network Card

PlayStation Network Cards are prepaid cards used to buy PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable contents in the online PlayS...
s, a form of electronic money that can be used with the Store. PlayStation Network Tickets, available in units of 1,000, 3,000, 5,000, and 10,000 yen, can be purchased at convenience stores throughout Japan. Each ticket contains a 12 alphanumeric code which can be inputted to the PlayStation Network to place credits in the virtual wallet. The tickets are available through electronic kiosks at 26,000 convenience stores, including LawsonsLawson (store) Overview

Lawson is a konbini, or convenience store, franchise chain in Japan....
, Family Mart, Daily YamazakiDaily Yamazaki Overview

Daily Yamazaki is a "konbini" or convenience store franchise chain in Japan....
, MinistopFacts About Ministop

, a member of ÆON Group, operates the Ministop convenience store franchise chain in Japan....
 and Sunkus. They are also available at 26,000 post office ATM machines, although registration is required first at a special mobile website.

A similar PlayStation Network Card system based on actual cards instead of tickets was introduced in South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan in Summer 2007 and in Spring 2008 in North America.

PlayStation Home



During the 2007 Game Developers ConferenceGame Developers Conference

The Game Developers Conference is an annual gathering of video game developers....
 Sony announced PlayStation Home, a new free-to-download community based service for the PlayStation Network, which allows users to create an avatar character for their PlayStation 3 system. This avatar will have its own apartment, which can be adorned by items players can receive following various achievements. In the future the service will expand, allowing players to have a wider variety of clothing as well as pets. Home will be a Second LifeSecond Life

Second Life is a privately-owned, partly subscription-based 3-D virtual world, made publicly available in 2003 by San Fr...
-like experience and will allow PlayStation 3 owners to interact in a virtual world. Home will also act as a meeting place of sorts for players who want to play multiplayer games on the PlayStation 3. During a video demonstration of Home, Sony said that a Home icon and options will be added to the Xross Media Bar (XMB), it is expected to be available through a firmware update or as a separate download from the PlayStation Store. A closed beta was in progress in Europe in May 2007, and an open beta was scheduled to be available in North America in early fall 2007. However, at the 2007 Tokyo Game ShowTokyo Game Show

The is a video game expo / convention held in Tokyo, Japan....
, Sony announced that the final worldwide launch of Home, which had originally been scheduled for fall 2007, would take place in Spring 2008. SCEISony Computer Entertainment

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation that was established on November 16, 1993 in Tokyo, Jap...
 President and Group CEO Kaz Hirai later stated that the launch was delayed for further testing and feedback evaluation to provide the best possible experience upon launch. On April 21, 2008, Sony announced that Home would be delayed further and the closed beta would be extended until fall 2008, delaying the service's availability to the general public by a full year.

PlayStation Portable connectivity

The PlayStation PortablePlayStation Portable

The PlayStation Portable is a handheld game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment....
 can connect with the PlayStation 3 in many ways, including in-game connectivity. For example, Formula One: Championship Edition, a racing game, was shown at E3 2006 using a PSP as a real-time rear-view mirror. In addition, it is possible to download PlayStation 1 games to the PlayStation 3 from the PlayStation Store. These games were not originally playable on the PS3. They could only be sent to a PSP, and played using the PSP's PlayStation Emulator. Sony added support for playing downloaded PlayStation titles on PS3 on April 18, 2007, with the update to firmware revision 1.70.

Sony has also demonstrated the PSP playing back video content, including 1080p1080p

1080p is the shorthand name for a category of video modes....
 content from the PlayStation 3 hard diskHard disk

A hard disk drive is a digitally encoded non-volatile storage device which stores data on the magnetic surfaces of hard dis...
 across an ad-hocMobile ad-hoc network

A mobile ad-hoc network is a kind of wireless ad-hoc network, and is a self-configuring network of mobile routers connected ...
 wireless network. This feature is referred to as Remote PlayRemote Play

Remote Play is a feature on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable which allows a PlayStation Portable user to interact ...
 located under the browser icon on both the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Portable. Remote play has since expanded to allow remote access to the PS3 via PSP from any wireless access point in the world.

Games

The PlayStation 3 launched in North America on November 17, 2006 with a total of twelve titles, with another three being released before the end of the year. After five days of sales it was confirmed that first-person shooterFirst-person shooter Overview

First-person shooter is a genre of computer and video games which is characterized by an on-screen view that simulates the ...
  from Insomniac GamesInsomniac Games

Insomniac Games is an American video game developer....
 was the top-selling game, and was heavily praised by numerous video game websites, including GameSpotGameSpot

GameSpot is a computer and video gaming website that was launched in May 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein....
 and IGNFacts About IGN

IGN is a multimedia news and reviews website that focuses heavily on video games....
, both of whom awarded it with their PlayStation 3 Game of the Year award for 2006. Some titles missed the launch window and were delayed until early 2007, such as , F.E.A.R. and Sonic the HedgehogSonic the Hedgehog (2006 game)

Sonic the Hedgehog is the name of the next-generation video game featuring Sonic to be released on the Xbox 360 and Play...
. During the Japanese launch, Ridge Racer 7Ridge Racer 7

Ridge Racer 7 is the next installment in the Ridge Racer series and will be exclusive to PlayStation 3....
was the top-selling launch title, while also fared well in sales; both of which were offerings from Namco BandaiNamco Bandai

is the Japanese holding company for Namco and Bandai....
. The PlayStation 3 launched in Europe with twenty-four titles, including games that were not offered in the North American and Japanese launches, such as Formula One Championship EditionFormula One Championship Edition

Formula One Championship Edition is a racing video game, developed by SCE Studio Liverpool and published by Sony Compute...
, MotorStormMotorStorm

MotorStorm is an upcoming racing video game being developed by Evolution Studios and being published by Sony Computer En...
and Virtua Fighter 5Virtua Fighter 5

Virtua Fighter 5 is the latest game in the Virtua Fighter series....
. and MotorStormMotorStorm

MotorStorm is an upcoming racing video game being developed by Evolution Studios and being published by Sony Computer En...
were the most successful titles of 2007, and both games are to receive sequels in the form of Resistance 2Resistance 2

Resistance 2 is an upcoming science fiction first person shooter video game in development by Insomniac Games and to be...
and .

At E3 2007History of E3

The history of the Electronic Entertainment Expo began with its creation in 1995 and has continued through the most recent expo in...
, Sony was able to show off a number of their upcoming video games for the PlayStation 3, including Heavenly SwordHeavenly Sword

Heavenly Sword is a video game in development by Ninja Theory for the PlayStation 3 console....
, LairLair (video game)

Lair is a upcoming video game being developed by Factor 5 and published through Sony Computer Entertainment America for ...
, , WarhawkWarhawk (PlayStation 3 game)

Warhawk is an upcoming remake of the original Warhawk video game originally released on the PlayStation entertainmen...
and , all of which were released in the third and fourth quarters of 2007. They also showed off a number of titles set for a 2008 release; most notably Gran Turismo 5 PrologueGran Turismo 5 Prologue

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue is the latest installment in the Gran Turismo series and a PlayStation 3 exclusive title whi...
, a preview of the fifth installment in the popular driving simulatorDriving simulator

Driving Simulators are used for entertainment as well as in training of driver's education courses taught in educational ins...
 series, LittleBigPlanetLittleBigPlanet

LittleBigPlanet is an upcoming puzzle platformer and world creation video game for the PlayStation 3, first announced o...
, an innovative platformerPlatform game

Platform game, or platformer, is a video game genre characterized by the character having to climb up and down, or jum...
 that focuses heavily on user-created content and , an online incarnation of the tactical shootingTactical shooter

Tactical shooters include games of the first-person shooter and third-person shooter genre of video games that generally sim...
 series. A number of third-party exclusives were also shown, including the first-person shooter HazeHaze (video game)

HAZE is a first-person shooter video game developed by Free Radical Design, which was debuted at E³ 2006....
and the highly-anticipated stealth action title, , alongside other high-profile third-party titles such as Devil May Cry 4 and Grand Theft Auto 4. Two other important titles were to be released by Square EnixFacts About Square Enix

is a leading Japaneseproducer of video games and manga....
 for the PlayStation 3, Final Fantasy Versus XIIIFinal Fantasy Versus XIII

is a video game for the PlayStation 3 which, alongside Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Agito XIII, makes up part of ...
and Final Fantasy XIIIFinal Fantasy XIII Overview

is an upcoming role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix....
, a dual installment in the Fabula Nova Crystallis compilation. Both games were shown at TGS 2007Tokyo Game Show

The is a video game expo / convention held in Tokyo, Japan....
 in order to appease the Japanese market.

At E3 2008History of E3

The history of the Electronic Entertainment Expo began with its creation in 1995 and has continued through the most recent expo in...
, Sony announced a number of titles for their 2009 line-up, including DC Universe OnlineDC Universe Online

DC Universe Online is an MMO being developed by Sony Online's Austin studio....
, an MMORPGMMORPG

A Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game is an online computer role-playing game in which a large number of player...
 based on the famed DC ComicsDC Comics

DC Comics is one of the largest American companies in comic book and related media publishing....
 franchise, God of War IIIGod of War III

God of War III is a forthcoming installment in the God of War video game franchise....
, the third installment to the popular hack and slashHack and slash Overview

In several different types of games, hack and slash refers to a type of game or a style of gameplay which primarily comprise...
 adventureAdventure Overview

An adventure is an activity that is comprised of risky or uncertain experiences that are undertaken at least in part for the...
 series drawing on Greek mythologyGreek mythology

Greek mythology consists in part of a large collection of narratives that explain the origins of the world and detail the l...
, inFamousInfamous

Infamous may refer to:*Infamous, a 2006 film...
, a brand new actionAction

Action may refer to:* Action, a single by Powerman 5000 from the album Transform....
 title expanding on the ever-growing sandbox genre, Killzone 2, the highly-anticipated sequel to the 2005 hard sci-fi first-person shooter, and M.A.G.Massive Action Game

MAG: Massive Action Game is the tentative name for an upcoming online shooter exclusively for the PlayStation 3eplay...
, an online multiplayer shooter that supports up to 256 players simultaneously.

Reception

The PlayStation 3 received generally unfavorable reviews soon after its launch, with many websites and reviewers criticizing its high price and lack of quality launch games. However, after a series of price drops, Blu-ray's victory over HD-DVD, and the release of several well received titles, led by the exclusive , the system has begun to receive better reviews.

The PS3 was given the number-eight spot on PC WorldPC World (magazine)

PC World is a global computer magazine published monthly by IDG....
magazine’s list of "The Top 21 Tech Screwups of 2006," where it was criticized for being "Late, Expensive, and Incompatible." GamesRadar ranked the PS3 as the top item in a feature on game-related PRPublic relations Overview

Public relations is the art and science of managing communication between an organization and its key publics to build, mana...
 disasters, asking how Sony managed to "take one of the most anticipated game systems of all time and — within the space of a year — turn it into a hate object reviled by the entire internet", but added that despite its problems the system had "untapped potential." Business Week summed up the general opinion by stating that it was "more impressed with what [the PlayStation 3] could do than with what it currently does."

Some journalists judged that the relative ease with which it was possible to buy a PlayStation 3 in stores in the U.S. and Japan soon after its launch, compared with the scarcity of the WiiWii

Wii is Nintendo's seventh-generation video game console....
, was evidence of lukewarm consumer demand for the system. In addition, there were reports that some Japanese retailers discounted the system as early as January 2007 to stimulate demand. In an interview with Electronic Gaming MonthlyElectronic Gaming Monthly

Electronic Gaming Monthly is a United States-based video game magazine published by Ziff-Davis as part of the 1UP Networ...
, SCEA Chief of Operations Jack TrettonJack Tretton

Jack Tretton is the President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America , a division of Sony Computer Entertainment,...
 scoffed at the assertion that PS3s were not flying off store shelves, telling the interviewers, "If you can find a PS3 anywhere in North America that's been on shelves for more than five minutes, I'll give you 1,200 bucks for it." In response, Penny ArcadePenny Arcade (webcomic)

Penny Arcade is a webcomic written by Jerry Holkins and illustrated by Mike Krahulik....
's Gabe and Tycho demanded a reward of $13,200 after finding eleven PS3s in stores near their home town.

Despite the initial negative press, several websites have given the system very good reviews. CNETCNET Overview

CNET Networks, Inc. is an Internet-based American media company based in San Francisco, California co-founded in 1993 by Hal...
 United Kingdom praised the system saying, "the PS3 is a versatile and impressive piece of home-entertainment equipment that lives up to the hype ... the PS3 is well worth its hefty price tag." CNET awarded it a score of 8.8 out of 10 and voted it as its number one "must-have" gadget, praising its robust graphical capabilities and stylish exterior design while criticizing its limited selection of available games.

In addition, both Home Theater Magazine and Ultimate AV have given the system's Blu-ray playback very favorable reviews, stating that the quality of playback exceeds that of many current standalone Blu-ray players. Also, the Convergence Panel of the European Imaging and Sound Association recognized the PS3 as the best media center product in the 2007/2008 award year.

Hexus Gaming reviewed the PAL version and summed the review up by saying, "...as the PlayStation 3 matures and developers start really pushing it, we’ll see the PlayStation 3 emerge as the console of choice for gaming." At GDCGame Developers Conference

The Game Developers Conference is an annual gathering of video game developers....
 2007, Shiny EntertainmentShiny Entertainment

Shiny Entertainment is a video game developer based in Newport Beach, CA, and is the creator of several hits such as Earth...
 founder Dave PerryDavid Perry

David Perry is an Northern Irish game developer who has created dozens of computer games, the best known of which include ...
 stated, "I think that Sony has made the best machine. It's the best piece of hardware, without question." A second review of the PS3 by Ars TechnicaArs Technica

Ars Technica is a technology-related website catering to PC enthusiasts....
 in June 2008 gave the console an overall mark of 9/10, while the original launch review marked only 6/10.

External links

Official websites



Auxiliary sites by Sony



Support



Directories