80GB PS3 -- US bound?

While it's not exactly confirmation of a US-bound 80GB PS3, Sony is providing a glimmer of hope this morning for a beefier domestic release. Satoshi Fukuoka, spokesman for Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said that they are considering the 80 gigger specifically for the US and "other markets." He also shed light on the decision making process which includes the popularity of online gaming coupled with the availability of broadband connectivity. Fine, but considering the dismal performance of Sony's gaming division last quarter, you'd think they'd also be slathering some preferential treatment onto their largest marketplace(s). After all, gamers are nothing if not a fickle bunch and we wouldn't them feeling slighted now would we? Hey Sony, why not drop in a 120GB disk and we'll call it even.

[Godsmurf @ May 23rd 2007 5:06AM]

It's just ridiculous how harddrives of 250Gb cost nothing in the PC market, but console makers charge you through the nose to get 80gb instead of even lass than that.

[DAZA @ May 23rd 2007 5:12AM]

That's because they use 2.5" drives, not 3.25" drives. Your "computer" 250GB HDD is 3.25", and are cheap as chips. They are also a lot bigger and draw more power.

Your 2.5" notebook drive (used in consoles) costs a lot more.

[Godsmurf @ May 23rd 2007 5:16AM]

Ah didn't realise that, the cases seem big enough for 3.5". Thx for the info.

[akijikan @ May 23rd 2007 5:30AM]

It'd work if they could sell this one for $556 (the Korean price equivalent) and drop prices on what they have now.

[PeteC @ May 23rd 2007 5:45AM]

Big woop 80GB rather than 60. Seriously this is like the weakest product upgrade ever.

[Ian @ May 23rd 2007 5:46AM]

Even 2.5" HDDs aren't that expensive these days - they're more than standard desktop drives but they have been coming down in price. I upgraded my PS3 to 160GB for just £40...

[DrSextel @ May 23rd 2007 5:58AM]

we wouldn't them feeling slighted now would we?


I think you fogot a word between wouldn't and them...

[Deezee @ May 23rd 2007 6:39AM]

I know 1 person with a PS3, and about 20 with XBOX 360's. I dont think 20 extra gigs will change that number.

[E @ May 23rd 2007 6:42AM]

You know I am happy with my 20GB, I mean I wont feel as bad bow when they release the smaller version in 3 years.

[dp @ May 23rd 2007 6:42AM]

petec and keith, is it not obvious?

sony are not making "a big deal" about this and it's not a true "product upgrade". try doing a product search for the cost of 2.5" 60gb and 80gb drives....see anything interesting?

hey! they're the same price! everyone's a winner - we get bigger harddisks in our ps3's and the ps3 sounds just a little bit sweeter so sony sell more of them.

it ain't rocket science.

[Andir3.0 @ May 23rd 2007 6:48AM]

Wow! A post, strictly about the PS3, and look... 360 fans posting how great their system is. Sad.

On top of that, people are getting 20 extra gigs of space (possibly for the same or less) and the only thing people can do is complain? Your hate must run deep. I hope your social life isn't fraught with that much disdain for your neighbor when they do something wrong.

[ssuk @ May 23rd 2007 7:04AM]

I see one comment about a 360 here and that was about how more people have a wider-avaliable, cheaper console over the newer, more expensive PS3. He's not bragging how much 'better' the 360 is over the PS3 and posts like yours will only tempt more people to start a pointless trolling war between PS3 and 360 fans, even if you didn't mean it. =/

I'll care when Sony gets this apparent 80GB model into Europe without a price rise, making our PS3 units not seem so much like a rip off, and for MS to get the Elite in Europe.

[Tony C @ May 23rd 2007 6:54AM]

Screw the 80 and 120 -- lets see a nice double-up on the Elite and slip in a shiny new 250!! =D

[John @ May 24th 2007 7:47PM]

Um the xbox elite looks like an old(very old) black dell desktop.

[Mossman @ May 23rd 2007 7:06AM]

Exactly 250GB or broke for me, 80GB goes quickly, my 80GB ipod is full just think about all the HD movies I want to the PS3.

[DBX00 @ May 23rd 2007 8:45AM]

I have a 120GB PS3 from day one, so I'm not really impressed by the spec change. Also, knowing the market, the 80GB drive is probably more available and therefore cheaper than the 60GB. As a result, it could be a cost saving move for Sony to move up as the laptop market pushes drive capacity up toward 120GB+ (the PS3 has always been easily upgradable). At the end of the day, I don't think Sony will offer this system at a premium to the existing 60GB version, but will simply replace it will a larger capacity drive and continue to do so in the future. The real cost savings/price cut will come as the Blu Ray drive and CELL processor manufacturers become more efficient.

[Rick Lyon @ May 23rd 2007 8:54AM]

Yea, a $700 PS3 should sell better than the other models (oops, model, they dropped my 20gb to weak sales) btw- newegg has HDDs FTW

[FrankTheCrank @ May 23rd 2007 8:55AM]

80GB isn't much news.

This is a small, very small, upgrade...

The real news will be the pricing of this. Will they slot the 60GB at the $499 level and then the 80GB at the $599 level? This is going to be the real story.

[Kirk @ May 23rd 2007 9:05AM]

Good luck. PS3 60GB are still sitting on shelves collecting dust. Ever store I've been to has at least 4 in stock.

[Brian @ May 23rd 2007 9:16AM]

And every store I go to has at least 4 Xbox 360's in stock too. Actually being able to produce consoles is NOT a bad thing, despite what your fanboy friends say.

[Kirk @ May 23rd 2007 9:24AM]

I didn't say I was fanboy. Touchy aren't we? I'd love to have a PS3.

[Mak @ May 23rd 2007 9:51AM]

OK, seems people are getting very annoyed over nothing...

The 80GB is nothing more than a cost reduction. 60GB drives actually cost more in bulk than 80GB drives, because the size (and thus production quantities) are driven by laptop manufacturers. Most laptop configurations these days are 80GB minimum, for Sony to want sometime smaller requires drive manufacturers to do special runs, costing money.

Don't see this as a upgraded model, it's not, it's a revised 60GB model. I suspect a true upgraded model soon thou, to shut the critics up, 160GB perhaps. Even then it's moot, as the PS3 handbook shows you how to fit any 2.5in SATA HDD yourself, without voiding your warranty. I stuck a 160GB Western Digital drive in mine for $90 after rebate, so at the end of the day, who cares....

[Scott @ May 23rd 2007 10:25AM]

In a sense, the Korean 80gb model is a *downgrade*. Reportedly, they're not putting the Emotion engine (the bit that helps with PS2/PS1 game emulation) in that 80gigger model. So, the pricing is going to be on par with the 60gb model there.

Now, if/when they bring an 80gb model over here to the States, we'll have to see if it's the same or not.

Those of you posters (should you come poking around this story again, heh) who swapped out your PS3 drives for bigger capacity drives - any big hassles?

[Mr.Playstation3 @ May 23rd 2007 11:13AM]

Yeah 80 gig's does seem weak since 250gigs are now out in the market.

[kwanbis @ May 23rd 2007 11:21AM]

What 360/wii/ps3 fanboys don't realize, is that it is because of competition, that we have the wonderful choice of 360/wii/ps3 ... so, i rather see 30%/30%/30% of the market, than 90/20/20 of anyone ... and i'm a sega fan ... i have had a PS1/DC/PS2/Wii.

[paakofi @ May 23rd 2007 11:22AM]

My Xbox 360 has had a 250gig drive from day one

[let the fanboy wars begin, it pays for this site with ad-views]

[John @ May 24th 2007 7:46PM]

Um....about your xbox 250 hdd.......where did u get it?.......oh yea, there is none.

[Keith @ May 23rd 2007 1:03PM]

A 20 GB boost? I don't understand what the big deal is.... until we see 120+ GB PS3's coming to the US, we shouldn't be singing Sony's praises.

[Ryan J. @ May 23rd 2007 2:35PM]

When the heck is Sony going to learn? It's not about the hardware, IT'S THE GAMES STUPID!!!! I've played the Wii extensively, and own the XBOX 360 and the PS3. The PS3 BY FAR has the least amount of "fun" to offer. I don't see how making the drive larger helps that glaring problem right now...

[Alex @ May 23rd 2007 10:33PM]

Good point. Nintendo reputedly(sp?) has the 'funnest' games and don't they go a lot of those themselves? The 360 I would put second in 'funnes' but ahead because there are so many games out for it, anyway the point being Microsoft makes/owns companies that make games for it. What first party games does Sony have? I guess I could be totaly wrong but this kinda just came to me.

[Xaerran @ May 29th 2007 8:59PM]

Just out of curiosity, becasue I am a n00b.... What are the major advantages of havintg the larger Drive, is it just to save Movies to... Does it change the amount of game save data, so you can save game data for 500 games instead of 400 ?

[Steven @ Jun 7th 2007 10:40AM]

Everyones forgetting one BIG detail...drive speed. Yeah, you can go out and buy a 160Gb 2.5" hard drive really cheap. Newegg is selling a Samsung 160GB drive for only $95. What you have to remember is that these drives are spinning at only 5,400 RPMs. A REAL hard drive spins at 7,200s like almost all desktop 3.25: hard drives. The largest 2.5" 7,200 RPM drive is only 100GB and costs START at $100 for a good drive. So everyone must think...do you want to have a huge slow hard drive...or a slightly smaller one with twice the performance.

[sendeth @ Jun 7th 2007 5:50PM]

i chose not to buy a ps3 because of 2 reasons. i heard the online play sucked and there just weren't that many good games for it. although i was disappointed in the hard drive size, hardware wasn't the main reason i jumped ship.