Kutaragi Confirms PS3 Hard Drive To Be Add-On

Sony Computer Entertainment head Ken Kutaragi has confirmed, in an interview with Japanese video game site Impress Watch, that the PlayStation 3 will not feature a hard drive as standard when it is launched next year. Although a removable hard drive was shown at Sony’s pre-E3 conference in May, it was never made clear whether this was a standard feature for the new console or an optional extra. The latter now appears to be the case, with Kutaragi claiming in the interview that, no matter the size of hard drive chosen, it would still prove insufficient for some users. He also indicated that the Cell chip should be able to access network-based remote storage as easily as local storage, but a removable hard drive would still be available as an option. Kutaragi also discussed the Cell chip's (and therefore PlayStation 3's) ability to run two multiple operating systems, specifically mentioning Linux as a possible operating system for the PlayStation 3 and the hard disc add-on, and noting that a keyboard will also be available for the platform. In an earlier part of the same interview, the Sony Computer Entertainment CEO commented: "From the start, we intended to make not just a game machine for kids, but a computer for entertainment that adults throughout the world could enjoy. Other companies may talk of game machines, but we've always referred to 'computer entertainment,' even in our press materials. It's entertainment and also a computer. That's what's important."