Sony boss: 40GB PS3 owners shouldn't panic

Tuesday 22nd July 2008 - 15:00

Reassurances from global Sony boss over 40GB phase out and Dead Rising: Chop till you Drop Wii screens

If you've recently purchased a brand new 40GB PS3 then there's every chance that you may be feeling slightly miffed at Sony's most recent announcement concerning the next-gen console. From Aug 27 the firm plans to phase out the 40GB version of the PS3 in preference to a new 80GB model.

SCEE president David Reeves recently made the announcement at E3:

"In PAL, we will introduce an 80GB PS3 on August 27th. It will be a simultaneous launch across all PAL territories, and reach Russia two weeks later, due to compliance issues. It will cost 399 Euros or (GBP) 299. Promotional bundles will arrive between mid-September and mid-December at various prices. The 40GB model will be replaced by 80GB. Don't ask if we're going to go down in price on 40GB - the answer is no."

It is therefore understandable that Internet forums have been awash with disgruntled PS3 owners - who are now concerned that they are going to be left behind in the race to have the most powerful console.

The furore has reached such a crescendo that the global Sony boss, Kaz Hirai, has had to go on record to reassure 40GB owners. In an interview with trade journal, MCV he commented:

"The PS3 is a console that evolves and specifications will change over time. Ultimately, if the consumers require a higher capacity hard drive, the ability to do that is there. 40GB is obviously less than 80GB, but it's still a high number and a very powerful machine. We strive to evolve and offer the most compelling value we can at any point in time. If consumers require extra hard drive, they can just swap it out. We brought in the 80GB because we wanted to make sure we continued offering the value proposition to consumers in the true fashion of PlayStation."

Hirai added: "We heard a lot of response from the consumers basically saying 40GB is nice, but with a lot of additional download products were offering via the PlayStation Network, consumers were looking for a higher capacity hard drive."

So the message from the Sony hierarchy is clear: If you own a 40GB PS3 then you still have a very powerful console. Just not as powerful as the 80GB model.