Sony cutting 80GB PS3 price to $400 in September, ditching backwards compatibility

Sony just announced at E3 that it's cutting the price of the 80GB PS3 to $400 in September, and that the new model will have the "current functionality" of the 40GB PS3. So it's really more like the 40GB PS3 is getting a capacity bump, since we're taking that to mean backwards compatibility is going out the window. That also means that the 80GB PS3 now costs the same as a 60GB 360 and an Xbox Live membership, which should make the decision a little harder for some people. We're also wondering if that's the end of the line for PS3 backwards compatibility entirely -- we have a feeling launch consoles are about to get a little more precious.

[Iron Sheik Posted Jul 15th 2008 11:52PM]

yessss.....launch day console here!!!!! then sony gave me $150 for doing some type of research project which i was an alternate for but never actually did so i ended up with a launch day console for $500 including tax...this was almost 2 years ago but my shit is rare now & will be hard to find

[Bethel03 Posted Jul 16th 2008 1:19AM]

So glad I got the MDS4 Console Pack last month. It works great and got all the backwards compatibility I need. Thank you GWB for the only great thing you have done, giving me a stimulus check!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 16th 2008 9:30AM]

OMGWTFBBQUACK! My Sega Megadrive still pwns all!

I love the epic original games and cracking gameplay that retro gaming delivers. The satisfying 'clunk' that comes from inserting a cart into the slot.....

Why argue about backwards compatible software when its only a matter of time till PS2 games are on PSN....

Then you can pay for them all over again......

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 16th 2008 10:29AM]

Our PS3 is being used so much for movies and gaming, we are actually considering a second one. Crazy, I know....

I can't find an 80GB PS3 anyway in retails stores.. on-line only maybe?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 16th 2008 1:07PM]

No dualshock?

criminal...

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 17th 2008 1:59AM]

i foreseee .... PS2 SOFTWARE EMLUATION .. a very very good one at that =] .. i have faith in sony. if it wont come now ... it will later !!!

they listen ... they listen

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 17th 2008 2:14PM]

Yeah. Atari didn't have Backward Compatibility either, and look where they are?

[Carney Posted Jul 21st 2008 4:32PM]

Atari did add it later with the 7800 but too late. The 5200 bombed; that's all anyone cared about.

Also recall the Dreamcast not playing Saturn games. The Saturn completely breaking with the Master/Genesis/32X continuity, etc. Sega fanboys got reamed.

Gamers like BC.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 22nd 2008 10:15AM]

1) Im thinking about buying a PS3 because of multi-functionality and the fact all four XBOX 360's and the 1 original XBOX I have had all had critical hardware issues

2) It seems pretty stupid for Sony to announce the price drop months in advance. Won't this kill 40GB sales or, at the least, cause many disgruntled customers come September?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 22nd 2008 4:14PM]

Let Me Straighten This Out 4 Everyone:

The new 80GB PAL PS3 is just the $0GB with bigger memory. Same Price. Same Features.

Very usefal as playtv (the ps3 freeview tuner) will take some of that memory.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 23rd 2008 2:38AM]

I work at a video game store and I am sure they are ditching ps2 computability altogether.

Mainly because the ps2 memory card adapters, made by sony, are now prices to clear ie. no longer being made. That means that even if you get a ps3 with the back compatibility you wont be able to copy your game saves.

Which leads me to believe all new models will no longer play ps2 games.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 23rd 2008 3:51AM]

Fuck you all, I'm getting a 250 GB PS3 :-)
with bundle for £577 (thats US$1154 to you)

[supermarioman50 Posted Jul 24th 2008 1:42PM]

I know what I'll do, I'll weld my PS2 slim to my newly bought PS3.

[Blue On Blue Posted Jul 26th 2008 11:19AM]

Xbox 360 rocks! What other game machine that is out there in which you can integrate music download subcription streaming throught your home audio distribution system, use Windows Media Center, integrate other extenders, and use other home integration software and hardware technology like Life|ware, etc.

I have a Wii and it is only limited to 720p on many games, but I'm an old fan of Zelda and that was the only reason I agreed on buying the Wii. My wife, however, loves it because of the Wii Fit.

PS3 is something I will be looking at getting sometime by the end of this year. Based on many reports from industry experts, the PS3 is the best deal and the best bang for the bucks as a Blu-ray player as its latest firmware upgrade makes it BD Live capable compared to the rat nest of stand alone players with confusing versions.

There are all pros and cons in all three systems... others, more cons than pros. I would like to have my cake and eat it to, but it would be better in all three flavors. :-)

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 29th 2008 10:37PM]

You can simply install Linux on your PS3, and turn it into one of the
most powerful computers available today. It searches for Audio,
Movie, and other servers connected to your network, and has a ton of
room to upgrade. Blu-Ray was one of the main reasons I bought it, M$
simply can't compete with that, and it showed with how quickly HDDVD
disappeared. That, compiled with the fact that online gaming is
FREE, and I got my system for a ridiculously cheap price, I had no
other choice.

To those saying that the PS3 can't compete, it is doing more than
that. Wii is still the number one selling next-gen, but Sony is
winning overall with PS2, PS3, and PSP sales. 360 may have a larger
game market available at the moment, but they are mostly thriving off
sequels, whereas PS3 has released and continues to release new and
innovative games. Game developers have come out and admit that they
didn't know exactly when it came to PS3 gaming, but they are learning
and constantly improving. This means there's only room for expansion
on the system's/game's capabilities. Games will become much more
in-depth and will visually blow the competition out of the water, as
they are already starting to do (see GT5), even in their infancy.

This being said, I am not a Sony fanboy, MS fanboy, nor Nintendo
fanboy... I am a gamer, I don't discriminate like so many. Like you
said X, they all have their pros and cons, and it's stupid to try and
say one is better than the other, etc. I own a PS3 and a Wii. I will
get a 360 eventually, just waiting for them to drop in price a bit
(haven't paid over $300 for either of the other next-gens, don't plan
to here either).

@JerkFacedFed:
Do your research yourself before attempting to sound like you know
what you're talking about. Though I will admit that you are correct
on wireless speeds being slower in theory vs wired, you need to do
some learning. First of all, not every device offers 100Mbps or
1Gbps LAN, there are 10Mbps (Cat3) devices out there (hence 10/100 on
many NICs). Second, I could go in and have my wireless connection
update more often than a wired connection to make it, in essence,
faster, as it will respond quicker. Third, if you're running a
connection capable of gigabit connection, you have to have some deep
pockets. You're going to want to make sure you're running Cat7 to
take full advantage of it. At that price though, you might as well be running fiber. Finally, you speak of interference only
for wireless, yet wired connections also suffer from this, especially
since most people are running UTP. They (both connections) also
suffer from something called 'attenuation', which if you don't know,
you may want to look into. That means you aren't going to be running
at your full advertised speed in short though. And I do know what I'm
talking about, I've been a network administrator for years.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 5th 2008 2:09PM]

Does anyone know when in September the price drop will occur? Is it closer to the beginning, middle, or end of September?

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 13th 2008 4:48AM]

The funny thing is through all this bickering and conversation about the $100 price drop, nobody mentioned how it is really only a $40 price drop since the current 80gb comes packaged with a $60 game.

[(Unverified) Posted Aug 20th 2008 2:12AM]

WhO ThE HeLL CaReS AbOuT BaCkWaRdS CoPaTiBiLitY?!?! ThAtS ThE WhOLe ReAsOn oF GeTTiNg a ps3 to PlAy NeXt Gen NoT 2 bE Able 2 PlAy ps3,ps2,and ps1 games on 1 SyStem!!PlUs BoTToM LiNe iS ps3 iS WaY BeTTeR ThaN 360...AnD tO Jared WhEn YoU CaN gO oN XBoX LiVe FoR FrEE E-MaiL mE!!!! pS3 RuLeS!!!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 13th 2008 4:51AM]

hi i want to buy a ps3 what do i get?