Sony Reveals 250GB, $349 PlayStation 3 For U.S.

Sony Computer Entertainment America said Thursday that it will release a 250GB version of its slim PS3 on November 3 for $349, aimed at customers who need more space for games, movies, and other media. The new SKU has a hard drive that is more than twice the size of the hard drive inside the recently-introduced PS3 "slim," which sports a 120GB hard drive and costs $299. The new 250GB model will have the same smaller form factor and functionality of the 120GB model, which sold 1 million units worldwide in the three weeks following its September 1 launch. Scott Steinberg, VP of product marketing at Sony Computer Entertainment America said, "The new 250GB PS3 provides consumers with another compelling hardware option and speaks to the growing consumer appetite for digital content from the PlayStation Network – particularly high-def content that showcases the power of the PS3 system." Sony said that users have downloaded over 600 million pieces of content from the PSN, which offers movies, TV shows, and games. Downloadable games set to arrive soon include PixelJunk Shooter, Gravity Crash, and Hustle Kings. The company also said PSN has 2,300 movies, "one-third of which are available in HD format," and over 13,300 TV episodes. Upcoming movies on the service include Star Trek and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Sony announced a 250GB PS3 for Japan and Europe late last month.