PlayStation 3
Sony's third home video game console, part of the seventh generation / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan,[19] November 17, 2006, in North America, and March 23, 2007, in Europe and Australia.[5][8][20] The PlayStation 3 competed primarily against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.
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| Also known as | PS3 |
|---|---|
| Developer | Sony Computer Entertainment |
| Manufacturer | Sony, Foxconn, Asus[1] |
| Product family | PlayStation |
| Type | Home video game console |
| Generation | Seventh |
| Release date | |
| Lifespan | 2006–2017 (11 years) |
| Introductory price | 20 GB model[5][6][7] US$499.99, ¥49,980 60 GB model[8][9][10] US$599.99, ¥60,000, £425, €599 (€629 in Ireland[11]), AU$999.95, NZ$1199.95 |
| Discontinued | |
| Units shipped | 87.4 million (as of March 31, 2017[update])[12] |
| Media |
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| Operating system | PlayStation 3 system software[14][15] |
| CPU | 3.2 GHz IBM Cell Broadband Engine with 1 PPE and 8 SPEs |
| Memory | 256 MB XDR DRAM system and 256 MB GDDR3 video |
| Storage |
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| Display | |
| Graphics | 550 MHz Nvidia/SCEI RSX Reality Synthesizer, 230 GFLOPS |
| Sound | Audio output formats
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| Controller input | Sixaxis, DualShock 3, DualShock 4, DualSense,[17][18] Logitech Driving Force GT, Logitech Cordless Precision Controller, standard USB controllers, GT Force, rhythm game controllers, PlayStation Move, PlayStation 3 Blu-ray Remote Control, GunCon 3, PlayStation Portable, Wonderbook, PlayStation Vita, keyboard and mouse |
| Connectivity | (details)
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| Online services | PlayStation Network |
| Best-selling game | Grand Theft Auto V, 34 million copies |
| Backward compatibility |
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| Predecessor | PlayStation 2 |
| Successor | PlayStation 4 |
| Website | playstation.com/explore/ps3 |
The console was first officially announced at E3 2005, and was released at the end of 2006. It was the first console to use Blu-ray Disc technology as its primary storage medium.[21] The console was the first PlayStation to integrate social gaming services, including the PlayStation Network, as well as the first to be controllable from a handheld console, through its remote connectivity with PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita.[22][23][24] In September 2009, the Slim model of the PlayStation 3 was released. It no longer provided the hardware ability to run PS2 games. It was lighter and thinner than the original version, and featured a redesigned logo and marketing design, as well as a minor start-up change in software. A Super Slim variation was then released in late 2012, further refining and redesigning the console.
During its early years, the system received a mixed reception, due to its high price ($599 for a 60-gigabyte model, $499 for a 20 GB model), a complex processor architecture, and lack of quality games but was praised for its Blu-ray capabilities and "untapped potential". The reception improved over time. The system had a slow start in the market[25] but managed to recover, particularly after the introduction of the Slim model, and managed to sell 87.4 million units to outsell the competing Xbox 360 and become the eighth-bestselling video game console in history. Its successor, the PlayStation 4, was released later in November 2013. On September 29, 2015, Sony confirmed that sales of the PlayStation 3 were to be discontinued in New Zealand, but the system remained in production in other markets.[26] Shipments of new units to Europe and Australia ended in March 2016, followed by North America which ended in October 2016.[27][28] Heading into 2017, Japan was the last territory where new units were still being produced until May 29, 2017, when Sony confirmed the PlayStation 3 was discontinued in Japan.[27][28][29][30][31]