This just in:
UK, October 5, 2007 - After weeks of speculation Sony has officially unveiled the lower-spec 40GB PlayStation 3 and has announced that it's heading to the UK on October 10 at the cut-down cost of 299 GBP. What's more, Sony is also slashing the cost of the 60GB PS3 down to 349 GBP.
The lower capacity hard drive aside, the entry level 40GB PS3 only has two USB ports (compared to the usual four), the multi-memory card port has been removed and the machine will not be backwards compatible with PlayStation 2 titles, because Sony reckons there has been "reduced emphasis placed on this feature amongst later purchasers of PS3".
In addition to the new model, Sony is replacing the existing Starter Pack with a new Value Pack, priced 349 GBP, for which you get a 60GB PS3, a SIXAXIS controller and two first-party titles - although exactly what games will be on offer has yet to be confirmed.
"As we approach our very first PlayStation Christmas, it is satisfying to be able to offer UK consumers the choice of two PlayStation 3 packages both now representing remarkable value," commented Ray Maguire, managing director of SCEUK, "We have a brand new 40GB machine that represents an excellent entry point into the world of high definition games and movies, and we have the fully featured 60GB machine being offered with two next generation gaming experiences at a highly competitive price."
Meanwhile, president of SCEE David Reeves added: "The introduction of the new PS3 has been the result of extensive research into the entertainment needs and preferences of the next generation of PS3 owners. It has allowed us to deliver an extremely advanced, yet highly affordable High Definition entertainment system, configured to the needs of the next generation of European PS3 owners. PS3 has always been the device of choice for the discerning gamer and entertainment seeker, and the new PS3 is more than ever the perfect High Definition entertainment system."
