The Playstation 3 will be available in the United States and Japan this November 2006. In Australasia and European regions, the release will still be on March 2007. According to Sony, this has been so due to the scarcity of diodes which are vital parts in the production of Blu-ray disc drives.

In the initial retails of the Playstation 3, two configurations are going to be available. The first is the “Basic” version, and the other is the “Premium”. The first type will come with an upgradeable 20 GB hard drive, an HDMI port, a Blu-ray drive, and Bluetooth controllers. The latter, on the other hand, will be having the same features but with additional supports. The hard disk will have a 60 GB capacity, and memory card readers and built-in Wi-Fi will be available.

As to its specification, the Playstation 3 has a 3.2 GHz processor which has been developed with the joint efforts of Sony, IBM and Toshiba. Also, the PS3 will come with a 256 MB Rambus XDR DRAM. The video game console is designed with heat pipes that, as claimed by Sony, will operate as quiet as the Playstation 2. For its physical points, the PS3 is roughly 5 kg and 3.9 in. x 12.8 in. x 10.8 in.

The price of the Playstation 3 varies by region. In the United States, the video game console will be retailed for US$ 499 for the 20 GB model, and US$ 599 for the 60 GB one. Meanwhile, in Japan, the 20 GB version will be sold for US$ 420 or JP¥ 49,980. The 60 GB unit pricing are left for the Japanese resellers to decide, as Sony Corporation opted to set an open pricing scheme in the region. On the other hand, Canadian retailers will be selling the PS3 for US$ 480 or C$ 549 for the Basic version, and US$ 580 or C$ 659 for the Premium models. In Mexico, the 20 GB PS3 price is set at US$ 640 or MXN$ 7,999, while the 60 GB will be available for US$ 760 or MXN$ 9,499. In the Eurozone, with the exception of Finland, the consoles are retailed for US$ 550 or € 499 (Basic model), and US$ 660 or € 599 (Premium model). In the Australian regions, gamers can avail of the PS3 for A$ 829 (US$ 570) and A$ 999 (US$ 680) for the 20 GB and 60 GB configurations, respectively. In Finland, the price is initially fixed at € 550 (US$ 570) for the Basic and € 650 (US$ 670) for the Premium. And in Taiwan, the 20 GB PS3 can be bought for NTD$ 14,980 or (US$ 451), and the 60 GB version for NTD$ 17,980 (US$ 542).

The initial price of the Playstation 3 is notably high. And as such, this has been a subject of reviews and criticisms of developers and analysts. In defense, an executive of Sony Corporation cited the Blu-ray feature and the game’s overall value. However, analysts have guessed that the company’s stock price drop in its last quarter earnings statement has played a role in the PS3’s pricing scheme.

Sony’s official website and other various sites are offering preorders. So, if you want your own PS3, check out those sites and fill up your own preorder form.

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