Sony murders 20GB PS3 in America

Sony has announced that it has decided to kill off the cheaper 20GB PlayStation 3 in the US. The move brings the PS3 range in the US in line with the rest of the West, leaving just the pricier 60GB model on sale.

"Due to the overwhelming demand for the 60GB model from both retailers and consumers, we have ceased offering the 20GB model here in North America," Sony spin doctor Dave Karraker told DailyTech .

"Initial retail demand in North America was upwards of 90 per cent in favour of the 60GB version, so we manufactured and shipped-in accordingly."

The low-end 20GB PS3 also lacked the Wi-Fi connection and memory card expansion slots, causing it to be far less popular than the higher model which cost $100 (£51) more.

Throughout Europe and in Australia the 60GB PS3 has always been the only option, a move which has been strongly criticised due to the high-end console's excessive retail price.

Sales of the PS3 in the UK have been so disappointing that retailers have started offering discounts just to get them off the shelves. WH Smith and Play.com are among retailers who have recently cut the price of the next generation console to £399.

Play.com is now offering the Sony PlayStation 3 console with 60GB hard disc along with a free HDMI cable and the movie Click on Blu-ray Disc (BD) for just £399.