Australian PS3 launch date locked in

By Randolph Ramsay and Asher Moses, CNET.com.au on 09 May 2006

Sony has locked in 17 November as the Australian launch date for the PlayStation 3, just in time for Christmas. The system will come in two bundles -- a PS3 with a 20GB hard drive (confirmed RRP of AU$829) and one with a 60GB HDD (confirmed RRP of AU$999).

As a comparison, the Xbox 360's core bundle retails for AU$499, while its upgrade bundle which includes a 20GB hard drive retails for AU$649.

The Australian launch date will come one week after the US and Japan release for Sony's next generation games console. European territories will also receive the PS3 on 17 November. The almost simultaneous worldwide launch date is a stark contrast to Microsoft's Xbox 360, which was released in Australia a number of months after its US release. However, we wouldn't bet money on Sony hitting that date, as global launches are a logistical nightmare, and as with Xbox 360, supply issues could cause delays.

According to Sony's latest specs list for PS3, there are several key differences between the 20GB PS3 and the 60GB PS3 apart from hard drive capacity. While the 20GB PS3 has all of the basic power and functionality of its more expensive sibling (including a Blu-ray drive), the 60GB bundle comes with card slots (Memory Stick, SD, Compact Flash), HDMI support and built-in 802.11b/g wireless.

Sony revealed the PS3's pricing and release dates at a pre-E3 press conference held in Los Angeles this afternoon. Also revealed was the final form factor for the PS3's controller, which looks exactly the same as current PlayStation control pads. The PS3 controllers, however, feature built-in Bluetooth for wireless gaming, with the R2 and L2 buttons enlarged. There is also a large button beneath the Start and Select buttons, although its exact use was not disclosed.

Sony has also taken a leaf out of Nintendo's book with its PS3 controller, equipping it with built-in motion sensitivity that can be used to control games. The PS3 controller features a six-axis sensing system that can detect pitch, roll and yaw, as well as three-dimension acceleration in the X, Y and Z axis. In a demonstration at its pre-E3 conference, Sony showcased the upcoming game Warhawk, which allowed you to maneuevre its flying vehicles by tilting the PS3 controller.

CNET.com.au will be at E3 all week covering the latest Playstation 3 developments, so be sure to keep checking our special E3 page for updates!

Topics: sony, playstation, e3, ps3, launch, controller, launch date, lock, australia

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Comments (23)

  • chris commented on 08/01/2008 15:27 Report abuse

    i like that the internet is free on ps3 but it is so hard to conect ya friends to play on it with ya i mean whats going on there

  • Anonymous commented on 16/10/2007 21:22 Report abuse

    ill just settle for my old ps2 for a while. the new console is too pricey. wait a bit. maybe a christmas special.. next christmas... or the one after... more worthwhile stuff to do now guys. buy my first car, go on holiday, surf, sail, road tripping. plus ill be in uni and working next year so ill only want to play games for some r&r not for the newest graphics, games, AI and all that. So settling for pro evo soccer 6, san andreas, splinter cell and tekken is fine. In fact I think I'll take up pac man again. or perhaps mario.. ROCK ON MARIO. so get away from your screen people. challenge yourself outside a building. then you will be extreme. then you will be awsome and then youll have more confidence. and then people love you because your living life instead of pretending to play it. think about it. it would be so much cooler if you actually got tough and became a real ninja rather than playing a fight game, and wishing you were your games character. although becoming a real ninja is freaking rare.. but you can still become a buff martial artist who wears black and does sweet kick **** missions. yours truly Anonymous. 4Chans internet ninja

  • cobra commented on 24/04/2007 06:50 Report abuse

    All i want is a gaming consol nothing else. I can do everything else with my dvd player and computer. Who gives a damn about blu-ray! They have added a little bit of crap to this new generation consol and then charge you 5 times what it's worth. Wake up people, your paying $200 for the consol and $800 for the term "new generation". They have lost me as a customer, not all of us are that easily fleeced. When they get real on pricing then i may return. Until then i will stick to ps2.

  • meLL_789 commented on 20/04/2007 14:50 Report abuse

    as if final fantasy isnt the best rpg series ever..stupid person saying they've gotten worse! dont come on here dissin ff, us ff fans dont want to hear it! and the ps3 is awsome! apart from the lack of games but thats only because its new :>

  • some random commented on 06/03/2007 13:53 Report abuse

    There are no good games on PS3, they have had too many problems with the blu-ray drive, and who needs all the features on PS3 if they are not going to be used or even work? I haven't seen one game this generation that would make me spend $300 let alone $800. Halo 3 is coming out at the same time, so I would go and buy a 360 with that rather than a PS3 alone for the same price, probibly more.

  • m commented on 04/03/2007 18:48 Report abuse

    you could buy a computer for that much. this machines for rich people. who

  • Suck me commented on 27/02/2007 20:47 Report abuse

    I already have the Xbox 360 and I just brought the PS3 for $1000 so yeah

  • me commented on 23/02/2007 11:09 Report abuse

    evern though i got a 360 i still want a ps3, but i think the smart thing to do is wait at least till christmas time cos thats when everything goes on sale

  • blah commented on 05/02/2007 22:06 Report abuse

    man am i glad that its gone down from $1000 @ harvey norman... its a lot more affordable @ $800!

  • SxcS2k commented on 05/02/2007 21:27 Report abuse

    your not only buying a ps, ur purchising a next generation gaming concole.. so if u still think the price is too high than just wait but i pre ordered mine proudly for $999 and i think its worth it. And believe me you have no life if you have to wait 2 years so that the price could go down by a few hundred dollars...

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