Sony confirms: 80GB PlayStation 3 and price drop for 60GB model

208 Comments by Jared Rea Jul 9th 2007 12:00AM
Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Business

In a press release issued tonight, Sony has confirmed that the 60GB PlayStation 3 has received a $100 dollar price drop, making for a retail price of $499 and is effective as of now. Taking its place at the $599 dollar price point is a new (to America anyway) 80GB model. The new model, however, will not be available in stores until this August, though no specific date was mentioned. The 80GB model will also come packed with the off-road racer, Motorstorm.

This news comes after a weekend of drama, all stemming from a leaked Circuit City ad. While we originally suspected that the 80GB model, due to the ease of modification, would remain a Korean exclusive, Sony has given everyone the swerve. This early of a price drop comes as a shock, however, as it wasn't terribly long ago that Sony was telling folks to get a second job in order to afford one. We expect to hear more about how this price drop and new model plays into Sony's master plan this week at E3.

In the US, the PlayStation 3 spent 230 days at its initial price.

[Update - The meaty part of the press release has been pasted after the break. Enjoy!]

SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INTRODUCES NEW 80GB PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3TM); ANNOUNCES NEW PRICE ON CURRENT 60GB MODEL 80GB System Designed for Today's Connected Gamer, 60GB Price Now $499

FOSTER CITY, Calif., July 9, 2007 – Sony Computer Entertainment America(SCEA), Inc. today announced a new 80GB model of its PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3TM) computer entertainment system. Beginning in August, the new PS3 model will be available in North America for a suggested retail price of $599/$659 CND and will be sold with the popular online-enabled racing game MotorStormTM. In conjunction with this news, the company also announced that effective immediately, the current 60GB PS3 model will be available in North America for$499/$549 CND, or $100 below the original launch price.

By featuring an expanded hard disk drive (HDD), the new 80GB PS3 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. There are currently more than 60 playable games and game-related downloads available through PLAYSTATION®Store, with expanded entertainment content coming soon. The new model features the million-selling game MotorStorm in the box, allowing up to 12 players to play online at one time, hitting the dirt in this visually-arresting, fast-paced racing title.

Tags: breakingnews, pricedrop

(Page 1) Reader Comments

NeverSage: Jul 9th 2007; 12:05AM

Still too pricey

Ryuukuro: Jul 9th 2007; 12:23PM

It's still a price drop. At least Sony realizes they missed the mark...don't they?

BNinjaC: Jul 9th 2007; 12:05AM

deja....

ihatebrauls: Jul 9th 2007; 12:06AM

so it will be $100 more just for 20GB?, wow

i guess at least they're giving us the option

Dragod: Jul 9th 2007; 12:06AM

$450 for the 60Gb with WiFi and such. Then you might have my money.

mprobins: Jul 9th 2007; 12:06AM

Man, and people bitched about Microsoft charging and extra $100 for a drive 100gb larger ... can't wait to see the reaction to Sony charging $100 for 20gb.

FrankTheCrank: Jul 9th 2007; 9:56AM

I think your right about this, $100 for 20GB is pretty pricey. But given your getting MotorStorm, a AAA title worth $60 alone.

I myself will be dropping a 160GB into my 20GB PS3 come Christmas time. Not that my 20GB has run out of space. I just want to be prepared for the HD down loadable movies.

Given the price drop of the 60GB model, the 360 Premie is looking real expensive. And now that M$ had to pony up 1B$ for the RROD fiasco, who knows if they will drop the price now.

Dragod: Jul 9th 2007; 12:06AM

It's $100 for 20gb and a $60 game. So $40.. Still pricey.

Digi Smalls: Jul 9th 2007; 12:09AM

suddenly you realize just how expensive the PS3 really was, and how the still expensive price is only a third of its problem.

.

FrankTheCrank: Jul 9th 2007; 9:56AM

Yeah, but the Elite doesn't come with Bluray or Wireless Network Card....so how does the Elite become a better deal.

If you add HD-DVD and Wireless, your now above the $599.

Do the math.

Granted, 360, right now, has more games, it's been out almost two years. It's not a fair comparison.

Ian Von Porter: Jul 9th 2007; 12:11AM

360 Elite is a better value at $480.. especially with the RRoD coverage for 3 years.. that alone is worth $480. You're basically getting the 360 for FREE!

Draco: Jul 9th 2007; 11:24AM

Thats some fuzzy logic you have, I'll buy this because I know it will break, then I'll fight them to give me a new one free yay!

Nomi: Jul 9th 2007; 12:13AM

Well, now for an xbox 360 price drop, along with the cancellation of the core model.

Ordeith: Jul 9th 2007; 11:36AM

They need to keep the core.

It is a great option for people who upgrade to the 120GN HDD that want to get an inexpensive 360 for someone. Get a core, put in your old 20GB HDD.

JGUNZNP: Jul 9th 2007; 12:13AM

I can't understand people first they say 599 is too pricey drop it to 499 now sony has done it and they are still crying is too expensive at 499. the elite is 479 and you are not getting a blu-ray player. so for 499 u are getting a pretty good deal. and the 599 option is only a option the only diffrence is one is 60gb and the other 80gb.

Ordeith: Jul 9th 2007; 11:39AM

Sony used to have a $499 PS3, it sold so well they discontinued it.

Good luck with trying it again.

JGUNZNP: Jul 9th 2007; 12:17AM

@Ian Von Porter

The only reason you are getting a 3 year warranty is because the consoles are faulty and yes peter moore himself say it there are problems and they are fixing them so no you are not getting a free xbox at 480 dollars stop being a fanboy. 360 is great but don't talk crap about sony because you are a MS fanboy. be a gamer not a fanboy

Gyntcrbkllr: Jul 9th 2007; 5:02AM

sorry your fanboy is hanging out, you might wanna tuck that in.

copa: Jul 9th 2007; 12:17AM

This is absolutely fantastic news.

It will now cost me $100 less to not buy one.

Kenneth H.: Jul 9th 2007; 12:18AM

oh would you all shut up....this is great news....need we really break down the true costs of the 360...all things considered the PS3 at 499 is a good value....it will continue to drop in price....I can't wait for this thing to continue to build on the slow and steady momentum it has over these last few months...Sony while having sum inital hiccups is executing well on its strategy

3cubedminus3squared: Jul 9th 2007; 12:20AM

A price drop is good, but adding another model at 600$ is not going to solve their problems. Consumers will look at this and see it as a gimped down model.

Off topic, but I find it funny that PBR was the number one selling game last week. lol

Jame: Jul 9th 2007; 12:20AM

http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/ps31.jpg

hey can someone point me to that joystiq article that listed the number of days, for each console, until the first price drop? somewhere it stated that the ps3 would be one of the quickest consoles to have a pd.

Ian Von Porter: Jul 9th 2007; 12:20AM

@JGUNZNP, i was being sarcastic.. as in, you're gonna need the RRoD coverage cause its an overheating POS.

:)

Are you a PS3 owner? I think i have you on my PSN buddy list (under a different name).

JGUNZNP: Jul 9th 2007; 5:36AM

My PSN name is JGUNZNP. and I have a 360 also and my gamertag is JGUNZ.

@Dragod

I have both consoles and I think for 499 the ps3 is a pretty good deal. The ps3 have some good games you have to know that its not even a year old. yes some are ports but some are not. I think both system are now priced at a great price.

Dragod: Jul 9th 2007; 12:21AM

JGUNZ, thing is, the 360 has enough amazing games, that we are willing to pay $480 for it. The PS3 has nothing right now. It needs to be $450 and with 5+ solid titles, that aren't ports.

fawazr: Jul 9th 2007; 12:22AM

So will this post be deleted based on a lack of seniority or maybe first-come-first-serve?

cc123: Jul 9th 2007; 12:22AM

Dammit Ian Von Porter stop being such an MS fanboy and talking shit on Sony!! Dammit to hell!!

;)

faceless coward: Jul 9th 2007; 12:22AM

JGUNZNP: I think you misinterpret Ian Von Porter's intentions. He was taking a stab at the number of times the 360 breaks down, not seriously contending that you get a free 360 when you buy an Elite.

JGUNZNP: Jul 9th 2007; 5:45AM

Yes you are right I took it the wrong way. am use to people just talking shit about sony or microsoft because they don't own one or the other. so when I see something that I think someone is taking a jab at a company I try to put my opinion in. we are gamers and we need both of these companies to succeed because what would it be if either of these two companies have a monopoly. Thats what we the actual gamers think about competition is great for all of us gamers.

Jame: Jul 9th 2007; 12:23AM

@10

No I hope they don't cancel the CORE x360. How else are we supposed to get cheap consoles when MS bans all the pirates again from LIVE?

no, no, no
we need cheapo consoles

BNinjaC: Jul 9th 2007; 12:23AM

@ Jared

lol, a sneaky way to get the details you neglected to post in the first place, into the article.

I tip my hat to you sir :)

faceless coward: Jul 9th 2007; 12:23AM

And he beat me to it.

copa: Jul 9th 2007; 12:26AM

Wow, did Joystiq really delete a post just because someone complained about a redundant story?

That's freaking sensitive.

Boscorooty: Jul 9th 2007; 12:29AM

Ya know, they should make a new Gabriel Knight game.

Those games were cool.

And Bowie should play him in a movie, using his Twing Peaks Louisiana accent.

Oh, yeah, $499.00 is still too much for the PS3..sorry, but the games suck.

ZenGaijin: Jul 9th 2007; 12:32AM

I think what everyone is forgetting about the Elite is that at 480 it still doesn't have wifi and they are charging 100 bucks for that feature.

Now smart people just look for a used adapter on eBay but it still doesn't take away from that fact that 360's ain't got wifi./

Thank god I got my wifi adapter from my brother.

Ordeith: Jul 9th 2007; 11:45AM

...Because paying $20 for a wireless bridge on newegg is just asking too much...

dsub: Jul 9th 2007; 12:33AM

Surely this will spur SOME PS3 sales. I can't wait until August when I get all the people coming into EB Games looking for the "new PS3 their friend told them about with better graphics" like they did when the Elite came out. Ugh.

You'd be amazed at how much of the public automatically thinks that since the PS3 is the most expensive console it's the best system on the market.

Anyways, like I said, PS3's will see a slight increase in sales, but nothing stellar. There is a reason why we still sell FAR more Premium 360's than Elites. $499 is still too pricey for the average consumer. My mentioning of the rumored price drop to $499 to customers has been greeted with nothing but a "That's it? That's still way to expensive".

Ignatius: Jul 9th 2007; 12:40AM

They need to drop the core model, then issue a $25 20GB HDD to all owners of core models.

Then they can start using the hard drive as standard without the worry of those core consumers.

Chris Putnam: Jul 9th 2007; 12:47AM

$549 Canadian. So Canada is only getting screwed a little now (with the current exchange rate it should be about $523, so only a $25 difference). I guess I can live with that - it's a lot better than it was.

Don't know if it's cheap enough to get me to buy yet, though.

Alexander: Jul 9th 2007; 12:49AM

well glad i didnt bbuy my PS3 yet now i can

nick: Jul 9th 2007; 12:50AM

Deja vu. At launch you can find the PS3 for $499 or $599. Almost a year later, you can now find the PS3 for $499 or $599. So glad they reduced the price.

Poor girl: Jul 9th 2007; 12:51AM

Its still too expensive. Sorry Sony, but i'm not made
of money. There's something called food,school, and rent.(NYC is not cheap)

There's nothing really on the PS3 to play anyway, so i'll just wait until the next price drop.

As for the Xbox 360. Its cheaper, but i don't play FPSs (I hate them) so i'll just stick to playing my PS2 and DS.

Crono: Jul 9th 2007; 9:31AM

I don't play too many FPS, but the 360 has been worth every penny just for media center connectivity and XBLA downloads.

But I got mine used off ebay for 250 dollars, so... yeah.

dsub: Jul 9th 2007; 12:52AM

"oh would you all shut up....this is great news....need we really break down the true costs of the 360...all things considered the PS3 at 499 is a good value....it will continue to drop in price....I can't wait for this thing to continue to build on the slow and steady momentum it has over these last few months...Sony while having sum inital hiccups is executing well on its strategy"

The true cost of the 360 is $399.99. Nothing more nothing less. So long as that is what the sticker on the box says, that is all that matters to the consumer. I don't give two shits if online play is free on the PS3, it has built in wi-fi or even if it plays BD movies. In the end nothing changes the fact that the 360 has a FAR superior library of titles to choose from.

Because, in the end we buy these things for the games. Remember when Sony fans used to spit that little gem around all the time? Now all they seem to care about are the hardware specs and the "value" of their precious PS3. Value? You spent $600 on a PS3 9 months ago. NINE MONTHS. Now it's already $500, and once MS lowers the cost of the 360 it will likely be $400 by this time next year. What did you get out of that $600? Four? Maybe Five good games? Many of which are available on the 360 for what was then $200 less.

Where is the "value" in that?

I wish people would stop pretending that this is all part of Sony's "strategy". Bullshit. Nine months ago Sony thought people would be buying PS3's left and right. When price drops occur due to drops in manufacturing costs they are part of a strategy. When they occur because no one is buying the damn thing it is a move of desperation.

Figboy: Jul 9th 2007; 12:53AM

5 plus solid PS3 titles, eh?

Virtua Fighter 5
Oblivion
The Darkness
Rainbow Six Vegas
Resistance: Fall of Man
Motorstorm
Ninja Gaiden Sigma

there's plenty of good stuff for the PS3, you joystiq readers are just whiny little bitches, who can't be happy about *ANYTHING positive in Sony's corner.

i bought my PS3 at $599, and i *STILL think it was worth it then.

at $499, it's a steal with built in WiFi and an HD movie player (Blu Ray).

if you're a movie and gaming fanatic like me, you'd *HAVE to buy the HD DVD add on, and at the most, the Wi Fi adaptor, which will add on an additional $350 to the cost of the Elite, plus the add-ons.

face it, the PS3 is a great deal at $499, *ESPECIALLY in comparison to the Elite.

we know the games are coming, and the multi-platform titles are looking good now too.

if i didn't own either, and i was going to make my choice now, i'd go with the PS3 (i'm not really a big shooter fan, but the PS3 and 360 have their fair share of very good ones already).

The ZeroCorpse: Jul 9th 2007; 11:20AM

"Are you guys really serious? $499 still to pricey? You have to be kidding me. I am 15 years old and i bought the PS3 for $599 and i could afford it. You guys probably live with your moms and dont have a job. "

OK, Mr. 15-year-old. . .

I pay for:
Rent
Food
General household supplies (TP, soap, garbage bags, tools, etc.)
Gasoline
Car payments
Insurance premiums
Phone/DSL
General recreational costs (movies, TV, music, etc.)
Electricity
Medical expenses
Parking
Plus Taxes and fees on all the above

When you're a big boy, and you pay all the expenses in your parents' house, you can tell us how small $600 (or even $500) is when figured into the budget. When's the last time you wrote out a check for rent? When was the last time you had to pay for an ENTIRE MONTH'S SUPPLY of food for a household? When was the last time you had to pay ANY taxes on ANYTHING you did aside from sales tax?

Look, kid... When you're living with your parents and they PAY FOR EVERYTHING-- the roof over your head, the food in your belly, and the heat/cool air that makes you comfortable, then you risk having an adult tell you that the real world isn't like that, and that you're a spoiled brat for coming in here and saying what you did. To YOU $600 isn't anything, because you don't have to pay to SURVIVE. Your mommy and daddy cover your ass on Every. Little. Thing. They pay for your education (either privately or through taxes), they pay for your comfort, and they probably even buy you your fricking underwear.

So when you've grown up a bit, and have had to spend a couple months eating shaved deli meats or peanut butter sandwiches because you had to choose between affording rent, heat, electricity and transportation OR affording food, you can come back here and tell us how great that PS3 price is.

Until then, I suggest you STFU and go give your parents a hug and thank them for tolerating your spoiled ass and giving you any kind of decent existence.

southwoods: Jul 9th 2007; 12:55AM

Are you guys really serious? $499 still to pricey? You have to be kidding me. I am 15 years old and i bought the PS3 for $599 and i could afford it. You guys probably live with your moms and dont have a job. The only "good game" the xbox has is Halo. Thats the only reason why it sells. Dont forget there is Warhawk, Lair, Socom Confrontation, Little Big Planet, Heavenly Sword, HOME, Uncharterd Drakes Fortune coming out. and more. Lets see who will be crying then.

poster: Jul 9th 2007; 2:52AM

"Are you guys really serious? $499 still to pricey? You have to be kidding me. I am 15 years old and i bought the PS3 for $599 and i could afford it. You guys probably live with your moms and dont have a job. The only "good game" the xbox has is Halo. Thats the only reason why it sells. Dont forget there is Warhawk, Lair, Socom Confrontation, Little Big Planet, Heavenly Sword, HOME, Uncharterd Drakes Fortune coming out. and more. Lets see who will be crying then."

You have quite a bit to learn, Mr. 15 year old. I bet almost everyone on here could afford a ps3 if they wanted to, they just choose not to. A majority of people on this website are gamers, and a 600 dollar machine that has SHIT for games is not a good value to many of us. We don't buy ridiculously priced items to come on here and brag that we could afford it, and we don't buy it based on tons of stuff that hasn't even come out yet. And 360 only has halo, eh?

Ace Combat 6
Alan Wake
Age of Conan
Banjo-Kazooie 3
Bioshock
Blazing Angles: Secret Missions
Blue Dragon
Cry On
Elveon
Eternal Sonata
Fable 2
Flat Out:Ultimate Carnage
Halo 3
Halo Wars
Huxley
Infinite Undiscovery
Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom
Left 4 Dead
Lost Odyssey
Marvel Universe Online
Mass Effect
MotoGP 07
Mobile Ops: The One Year War
Naruto
Project Progressive
Postal III
PGR4
Project Sylpheed: Arc of Deception
Splinter Cell: Conviction
Too Human
The Secret World
Universe At War
Vampire Rain

Granted not all of those are huge system sellers, but far from "just halo". Grow up little kid.

zelder_man: Jul 9th 2007; 4:18AM

I could afford one. I live with a room mate and have this thing, I forgot what it is called. I can explain it though. It is something you have to pay every month to keep living in your house, and to keep it heated/cooled, and be able to keep clean. Oh yeah, it's called bills and rent. You know that thing that 15 year olds don't have to pay, so they can save their allowances (I don't care if I spelled that right) to but one. I am in college and have to save up my money to pay my student loans. Plus I don't want one. I really hate kids who think money grows on trees and everyone can afford Bentleys.

Having the most expencive of things doesn't make you a better person. Knowing what you can afford does.

Kye: Jul 9th 2007; 4:51AM

"You guys probably live with your moms and dont have a job" says the 15 year old.

This is just too easy for someone of my calibre. Anyone else want to explain how much of an asshole he'll grow up to be?