80GB PlayStation 3 arrives early at Best Buy, Friday in Europe

Lookie, lookie, an 80GB PS3 snapped up for $400 from a local Best Buy. Although not officially due until September, reports are trickling in from around these United States of Gaming of an early release. Not too much of a surprise, we guess, what with European retailers all showing a Friday retail launch. One interesting thing to note is the SKU: at least one of these early rigs reads CECHK01, not CECHL01 as seen in the FCC... hmmm. SKU pictured after the break.

[Thanks, Mr. Abulia]

Read -- early 80GB Core PlayStation 3
Read -- CECHK01 SKU [Warning: sub req'd]
Read -- Europe release on Friday

[Ayle @ Aug 19th 2008 2:11AM]

How do you differentiate it from the BC model? I'm planning to get a ps3 soon and don't want to buy the wrong model...

[Johnny @ Aug 19th 2008 2:15AM]

From what I know. The Metal Gear Solid bundle PS3 is the BC one.

[Mush @ Aug 19th 2008 2:39AM]

yes that is right...the last of the BC PS3s is the 80GB bundle with MGS4, not to be confused with the gunmetal ps3 40gb limited MGS4 edition

[The Aggie CEO @ Aug 19th 2008 7:58AM]

Wait for the 120GB+ Backwards compatible model coming out later this fall.......

[I LOVE THE CAPS LOCK KEY @ Aug 20th 2008 1:26AM]

This next batch of 80GB PS3's has been "rumored" to have zero backward compatibility with PS2; but PS1 will work via software emulation (which looks sh*tty vs Hardware).

[Byzil Mystwing @ Aug 19th 2008 2:20AM]

I was at Fry's Electronics in California today and they had them everywhere, they just got them tonight and put them all out for sale. Ironic as I bought a 40GB one just a few days ago after being told the 80GB was a month away; but no worry, I plan to just put a 120-160GB drive in later anyway

[Ravi @ Aug 19th 2008 2:30AM]

If you bought just a few days ago, can't you just return it?

[Juxtah @ Aug 19th 2008 4:36AM]

Well if he plans to stick a 2.5" drive into it of his own it's probably a better choice to go the cheaper option and save yourself a little money to get an even bigger hard drive.

[Pete @ Aug 19th 2008 6:38AM]

Remember the new 80gb is bundled with a Dualshock3, and the old 40gb not. It may make sense to return it.

[Aaron @ Aug 19th 2008 9:34PM]

The Fry's in Dallas, Texas didn't have it yet, but they expect it by the end of the week!

[Siva @ Aug 19th 2008 2:37AM]

I am more interested in SACD capability than backward compatibility with PS2. I never owned a PS2 but have bought several SACDs after buying my 20GB PS3. I know that the 40GB one was the first one to not have SACD capability. Why would Sony do this? Does this 80GB also eschew that capability. Will there be another model with SACD playability still intact.

[NHAnimator @ Aug 19th 2008 8:00AM]

"eschew"

God Bless You.

[John @ Aug 19th 2008 9:34AM]

If you buy the new 80 gig SKU, you lose the SACD support, flash card readers, and PS2 compatibility.

[Greysquirrel @ Aug 19th 2008 2:41AM]

Yeah we've had the 80gb models on the sales floor at my BestBuy in PA for a couple weeks now. Didn't realize it wasn't due to come out this soon

[gabe @ Aug 19th 2008 2:41AM]

why so expensive?

[icepop4who @ Aug 19th 2008 2:46AM]

because it's a luxury, not a necessity

[ScooterDe @ Aug 19th 2008 3:37AM]

'cos it cost them money to hunt down such small HDDs.

[Phil @ Aug 19th 2008 9:06AM]

@ Gabe

$400 for a state of the art games console AND blu-ray player is a bargain if you ask me!

I'm getting one this weekend.

[shivaz @ Aug 19th 2008 5:37PM]

it you see the Product Features on Best buy it say Backward compatibility - Lets you play PlayStation 2 and PlayStation games, DVDs and CDs, so you can merge all of your entertainment into one machine. so its cheaper but still has the backward compatibility with PS2

[eiki @ Aug 19th 2008 4:33PM]

isn't it $500 retail? still not bad if you have a HDTV, i'm getting a 360 w 60GB, in the UK they offer better value for money than the arcade package some reatilers are selling, plus more games in the top 30 w higher scores

[eiki @ Aug 19th 2008 6:52PM]

ignore that, with the PS3 still being the equivalent of just under $600 in the UK, I was thinking $500

[Rymix @ Aug 19th 2008 2:42AM]

Does anyone know if this ships with the rumbling Dual Shock?

[icepop4who @ Aug 19th 2008 2:47AM]

yes it does. look at the picture

[gpdrummr @ Aug 19th 2008 2:58AM]

im pretty sure it is.
if you dare to look at the picture. you can see a logo with "rumble" bars around the controller.
and. if you think it means wireless. zoom up. you'll read it say dual shock three.
:]

[Rymix @ Aug 19th 2008 12:12PM]

Yeah, I was the "smell lines" but couldn't make out whether that meant "wireless" or "shhhhaken'"

[MastrCake @ Aug 19th 2008 3:10AM]

Well, I'm buying it!

But my Xbox 360 just got stolen today, so maybe that's the grief talking. :(

[Ayrkain @ Aug 19th 2008 3:27AM]

My condolences. A loss in the gadget family is always rough.

[phinn @ Aug 19th 2008 3:35AM]

maybe they'll plug it in and it'll RROD. karma can be a bitch.

[xValentine @ Aug 19th 2008 3:24AM]

Some shops are selling these SKU already.

They broke the street dates. Again.

[houseofmick @ Aug 19th 2008 3:43AM]

an 80GB PS3 for $399? is that a typo?

[MastrCake @ Aug 19th 2008 4:33AM]

Well, considering that an 80GB fujitsu HDD is exactly $4 more than a comparable 40GB fujitsu HDD on Newegg.com, I'd say no.

And those HDDs are 5400 RPM, 2.5 inch, 1.5GB/s SATA drives.

[Juxtah @ Aug 19th 2008 4:39AM]

Well at least they aren't complete rip offs like the Xbox 360 hard drives.

[JaseK @ Aug 19th 2008 4:42AM]

Yes in fact it is a typo. It should be $399.99.

[xValentine @ Aug 19th 2008 5:20AM]

Not a Typo.

Sony is just being generous.

Adding a 40GB on the hard drive and making the SIXAXIS controller to a Dualshock3 but not increasing the price tag.

I don't see why anyone would feel bad about this. The upgrades are F.R.E.E.

[ScooterDe @ Aug 19th 2008 5:52AM]

@xValentine, these are not free upgrades, but an effort to remain competitive and provide a reason for punters to buy. Holiday season is over, Xmas is a long way off and Sony desparately needs revenue. Fact is, 80GB is minimum spec for a laptop. Why buy a modern gaming computer with such a low capacity? The 80GB HDDs are probably cheaper for Sony to source than 40GB, since there is so little demand for 40GB.

[xValentine @ Aug 19th 2008 8:10AM]

^
Then ask Microsoft on why they are only putting 60GB on their latest 360 SKUs.

Upgrading HD on the PS3 is way cheaper than the 360, so the HD thing is not really a big deal.

If you don't think it's not "Free" then I don't know what "free" is to you. :)

[chefgon_ign @ Aug 19th 2008 9:54AM]

@xValentine
FREE upgrade, until you consider that they removed PS2 compatibility, two USB ports, a card reader, and SACD playback. That definitely doesn't sound like a FREE upgrade to me.

[eiki @ Aug 19th 2008 4:37PM]

they did that ages ago, chefgon, better to have 80 than 40 for the same price tho surely?

[Eugene @ Aug 19th 2008 5:34AM]

Does anybody know where can i purchase/pre-order one in Europe?

[Pete @ Aug 19th 2008 6:43AM]

Amazon UK are accepting pre-orders. Comes out Friday. Happy shopping.

[The Aggie CEO @ Aug 19th 2008 8:10AM]

why has no one said anything about the Model number being different from the FCC listing a month ago???

I'm guess that they will anounce a new model this week in Germany.........

[The Joker @ Aug 19th 2008 11:46AM]

I'm thinking the FCC model number may be the one with the upcoming smaller and cooler running graphics chip.

[The Aggie CEO @ Aug 19th 2008 8:12AM]

if you want the Dual Shock 3 then return it........if not I wouldnt to much worry about it since you are changing out the HDD.........

[rjj130 @ Aug 19th 2008 9:33AM]

Man... I'm torn...

80GB PS3 (Blu-Ray, WiFi, and nobody else I know with one) or a $325 360 Elite (120GB HDD, streaming Netflix, more people I know have one to play LIVE with, but possibility of RRoD)....

Ugh... decisions, decisions....

[chefgon_ign @ Aug 19th 2008 9:57AM]

Microsoft fixes RRoD for free. Just get the system that you're more likely to enjoy. Losing it for a one week repair once or twice during the entire time you own the system is fairly inconsequential.

[pekosROB @ Aug 19th 2008 10:08AM]

If you want to watch movies, then PS3. If you game (especially FPS), then X360.

[Alex @ Aug 19th 2008 9:44AM]

So if GO is gigaoctet (gigabyte), is there a gigamonet (gigabit)?

[SuperDre @ Aug 19th 2008 10:05AM]

Has anyone already unpacked the bugger and checked what's different from this version to the 40GB version? somewhere there was a claim the 80GB would have an extra USB-port on the back of the bugger..

[Alexander @ Aug 19th 2008 1:36PM]

luckily i have a 120gb

[andy @ Aug 19th 2008 2:27PM]

i've been waiting for a while to get a ps3. was dumb and let a mgs4 bundle slip through my fingers a few months back...

is this unit worth buying now?