Reports have emerged that suggest the PlayStation 3 will be sold for a lot less than previously believed.


Despite persistent talk of a prohibitive £350-plus price tag, a US PlayStation magazine has reported that Sony is planning to launch the console in early November, priced at $399 in the US and 322 euros (around £225) in Europe.


If true, this means the PS3, which will be loaded with cutting edge Blu-ray Disc technology, will cost around £55 less than the Xbox 360 Premium pack. That adds up to one hell of a coup for Sony.


The article also reports that the console will have a 60GB non-removable hard drive, will be able to play all PS and PS2 games in 720p, 1080i and 1080p Hi-Def and that it will be launched alongside PlayStation Network Platform, Sony’s free online gaming service.


So, how believable is this article? Well, it’s not from an official source, of course, and given that most Blu-ray players look destined to cost at least double the predicted £225 retail price, it does seem pretty hard to swallow. Our advice is to wait a couple of weeks until E3 kicks off – when hopefully we’ll get some concrete info straight from the horse’s (Sony’s) mouth.

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