Sony Releases 80GB PS3 In North America

Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced that its recently announced 80GB PlayStation 3 model has shipped to retail, and is now available in both the United States and in Canada for $599 ($659 CDN). As earlier reported, the console comes packaged with a pack-in copy of Evolution Studios' off road racing game Motorstorm. According to Sony, the new model is “designed to appeal to the online gaming and entertainment enthusiast, providing ample storage space to download more games and other entertainment content from PlayStation Network.” The 80GB model is identical, apart from hard drive capacity, to the existing 60GB version, which has been available since the PlayStation 3 launch in November 2006. Last month Sony dropped the price of the 60GB model by $100 to $499, while the console's 20GB variety has all but disappeared after having been discontinued in early April. Sony notes that it will continue to sell the 60GB in the US and Canada at the new, reduced price until current inventory is depleted, which it expects to happen this fall based on current consumer demand. "The 80GB PS3 offers expanded options in the PS3 family of products for those who want to enjoy more downloadable content," said Sony marketing executive Peter Dille, who added that the new console's “expanded disk capacity and dynamic system upgrades” make for a platform that is “future-proof,” and one that will “stand the test of time.”