Sony slims down PS3 line-up in Japan

Sony has finally decided that it's time to put an end to the PS3 confusion

Sony has announced that it will be abandoning the original 20GB and 60GB PlayStation 3 models in Japan. Instead, Sony has said it intends to "vigorously promote the expansion of the PS3 platform" by concentrating on the cheaper 40GB model that's

turned around its gaming fortunes

.

The move is being interpreted by many as a sign of Sony's intention to combat Nintendo's dominance in Japan, where the Wii outsold the PS3 by a factor of three to one in 2007.

A stronger PlayStation 3

Because the 40GB PS3 is cheaper to manufacture, it's also cheaper to sell. With the Wii being so competitively priced, this is essential if Sony wants to compete in its home market and take advantage of concerns already raised there over the long-term future of the Wii.

Back in 2005, Sony's Phil Harrison criticised Microsoft for launching two different versions of its Xbox 360 console - the Core (without a hard disk) and Premium systems. "I think we wouldn't take that strategy," he told the Games Developer's Conference. "We wouldn't create confusion."

The emergence of the 40GB version as the sole model in Europe and Japan seems to be bucking this trend in favour of a more streamlined approach. An 80GB version of the PS3 is available only in North America and Korea.

While the 40GB model is able to play Blu-ray discs, it doesn't have the PS2 backwards compatibility of its 60GB cousin, a blow that will be lessened only if Sony can manage to bring the lower production costs to consumers before too long.

The TechRadar hive mind. The Megazord. The Voltron. When our powers combine, we become 'TECHRADAR STAFF'. You'll usually see this author name when the entire team has collaborated on a project or an article, whether that's a run-down ranking of our favorite Marvel films, or a round-up of all the coolest things we've collectively seen at annual tech shows like CES and MWC. We are one.

Latest in PS3
RIP, PS3: Sony Japan prepares to lay the console to rest
PlayStation Now support is ending for PS3 and many more devices
PS 3D TV - it's coming to the UK
PlayStation 3D TV UK release date and pricing announced
3D figured heavily in Sony's E3 PS3 demonstrations, with a veritable welter of quality titles on show at this year's event
Sony at E3 2011: Top ten PS3 games
Sony's new 3D PlayStation-branded display lets two gamers see two seperate images simultaneously
Sony announces 3D monitor for PlayStation 3
Sony's new official wireless headphones for the PlayStation 3
Sony releases official wireless PS3 headset
Latest in News
Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con up-close from app store
Nintendo's new app gave us another look at the Switch 2, and there's something different with the Joy-Con
cheap Nintendo Switch game deals sales
Nintendo didn't anticipate that Mario Kart 8 Deluxe was 'going to be the juggernaut' for the Nintendo Switch when it was ported to the console, according to former employees
Three angles of the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch M4 laptop above a desk
Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) review roundup – should you buy Apple's new lightweight laptop?
Witchbrook
Witchbrook, the life-sim I've been waiting years for, finally has a release window and it's sooner than you think
Amazon Echo Smart Speaker
Amazon is experimenting with renaming Echo speakers to Alexa speakers, and it's about time
Shigeru Miyamoto presents Nintendo Today app
Nintendo Today smartphone app is out now on iOS and Android devices – and here's what it does