Report: Cheaper Blu-Ray Laser Could Enable PS3 Price Cuts

A new online report has claimed that Sony has developed a new Blu-ray laser unit which is both smaller and cheaper to produce than the current technology used in the PS3. This has again raised speculation that Sony will be able to substantially cut the cost of the console in the future. Technology website Tech.co.uk reports that the new laser unit has been jointed developed with Japanese chemical manufacturing company Nichia Corporation. The unit is just 3mm thick and is expected to be used in 9.5mm laptop drives within the year. The new technology will also be able to read dual layer Blu-ray discs created with organic dye in the recording layers – which can be manufactured on existing DVD production lines. Currently new Blu-ray discs are still costly to produce, raising the price of recordable discs in particular. Speculation of a new PlayStation 3 price cut has been rampant since the beginning of the year, with a recent Business Week article suggesting that Sony has been able to halve the cost of the PlayStation 3’s production since launch. While admitting new versions of the hardware will continue to be introduced, Sony officials have denied that any major new price cuts are scheduled, especially in light of the format’s improving sales situation since the launch of the cheaper 40GB model and the games division’s drive for profitability in the 2008 fiscal year.