80GB PS3 confirmed for Korea

PS3 with a bigger hard drive finally due on June 16--but only for South Korea.

Speculation that a new PlayStation 3 model would be coming started back in March, when it was reported that Sony had filed for permission to change the PS3's specs with the Federal Communications Commission, including an upgrade of the console's hard drive to 80GB. Sony's official line was that there were "various possibilities in mind," but a new product was not right around the corner.

Recently, Sony discontinued the 20GB model in North America, and Europeans have never been given the option of the cheaper console--at launch, only the 60GB version was available, and the release of the 20GB version is now looking increasingly unlikely. Microsoft's new Xbox 360 Elite--which sports a 120GB hard drive--recently went on sale in North America.

Now, finally, the 80GB cat is out of the bag. The new PS3 model will be released in less than a month--although currently only in South Korea.

The release date is set for June 16, and the price of the new model will be 518,000 won (approximately $558). However, the Korean market will not have the option of choosing between models of the PS3--Sony has confirmed that only the 80GB version will be available in the region.

The 80GB PS3 on sale in Korea, like the existing European 60GB edition, will rely on software emulation for backward compatibility, as it too lacks the Emotion Engine chip that was present in the original models on sale in Japan and the US. Sony said in a statement that the Korean PS3 version is "identical to the European model in terms of all other technical specs [apart from the size of the hard drive]."

When asked if the release of the new console in Korea would mean that 80GB models would be going on sale in other regions, a Sony spokesperson said, "We have no plans to release the 80GB model PS3 in Europe at this time."

251 Comments

  • azone12

    Posted Sep 7, 2007 6:53 pm PT

    Sony u Fu**** up face it

  • theKSMM

    Posted Jun 4, 2007 8:46 am PT

    My guess is that even with the larger hard drive, the Korean PS3 will be considerably less expensive to produce than the North American PS3 was at launch. The incentive to change the specs or price of North American PS3s is low if it can help slow their bleed-off rate a bit.

  • soupbowl

    Posted May 23, 2007 9:29 am PT

    IMHO, all they need to do is stick to the 60GB model and re-jig the warranty to allow consumers to change the HD... or let certain stores licensed by Sony to do the changes for you... internally of course. This is no big deal, as they - like i have previously posted - are possibly only testing the water, and we will soon enough see the outcome.

    IIRC, didn't someone (Gamespot?) change the HD to a larger model, but then had difficulty with the screws being too tight? That's what Sony might be nervous of, so if an external drive is out of the question, then, as above, why not allow certain retailers to do it with warranty still inclusive?!

    BTW, i do think we are a little off on the price cuts as yet. I mean, they have only really just been introduced [within reason], and it's going to need a good 12 months before they even consider that, surely?

    @ pcmacro. I agree. All this over a HD swap, for all of 20GB more. Hardly a big deal.

    quote:
    People making too much of a fuss for nothing and creating ps3 vs xbox360 wars again for nothing.

  • onlineps2player

    Posted May 22, 2007 11:17 am PT

    I think the 60GB ones are good enough.... aren't they?!

  • doug20666

    Posted May 22, 2007 9:53 am PT

    I don't see the big deal. Sony probably got a better price on these 80 gig hard drives and it probably won't affect the cost or price. If you want a bigger drive go buy one and put it in yourself. They are not that expensive and you don't have to wait for Sony to come out with a really overpriced proprietary hard drive.

  • azizrulez

    Posted May 22, 2007 8:54 am PT

    do south koreans have bigger requirements than others,and isnt 20 GB increase too small i mean i shouldve been something like 100 or 120 GB just to keep in touch with 360 "ELITE"

  • TTDog

    Posted May 22, 2007 7:04 am PT

    As its so easy to change the hard drive it makes you wonder why they didn't just launch the 20Gb version on its own.

    Then its out at a lower price and looks marginally more appealing and if you need a bigger drive you can just go out and buy one.

    Then they'd only have had to produce one version of the console and save on production costs, by banging out a second version with a bigger drive they were shooting themselves in the foot. Or was the whole two price point just a way to milk a few dollars more out of the consumer?

  • Yuck_Too

    Posted May 22, 2007 6:53 am PT

    I'm surprised that Sony continues to offer different packages in different areas.

    Further I agree with everyone here that adding 20gig is all but pointless.

    It does however seem to point towards the fact that sooner rather then later we will see 80gig Emotionless PS3's worldwide.

    The only question left is will Sony drop the price $50 when they send it to America or will they try to preserve their corporate respnsibilities to shareholders and investors.

  • surppo

    Posted May 22, 2007 6:51 am PT

    yall complain about everything! this doesnt apply to anyone on the board this for korea yall sound like whiney babies if u dont like it dont by a korean ps3

  • SolidSnake2020

    Posted May 22, 2007 5:34 am PT

    Ok, you can remove the hard drive and install one by yourself, what is Sony doing I don't know, They should cut the price and release good games because the PS3 is crap with out them. And please don't tell me you can play blue ray movies, I don't want it for moves I want it for games.

  • LOWJ000

    Posted May 22, 2007 4:51 am PT

    And they said a few months back with the addition of the Elite, MS was confusing the customers. Now what do we see from Sony, same BS.

  • billp0887

    Posted May 22, 2007 2:59 am PT

    i'm not planing to buy another concsole until next gen comes out, i want to buy games , i'm not in it for concsoles. i have every one of them and not planing for any more. i dont see the point in buying concsoles but no games

  • NeoNavarro

    Posted May 22, 2007 2:09 am PT

    This multiple councel crap is really getting out of hand in my opinion.

  • anamnawshad

    Posted May 22, 2007 2:03 am PT

    So it sucks to be European! Pay $700+ and get only teh 60GB PS-3. No cheaper 20GB PS-3s....
    Koreans are lucky! They get 80GB for $558!

  • raze-boi

    Posted May 22, 2007 1:30 am PT

    Bigger Hard Drives -> Waste of Time!! We can just buy 1 and replace it with the old one... I dunno why they are keep doing this... useless...

  • AceCometh

    Posted May 21, 2007 10:51 pm PT

    Ugh.

  • Lightchaos

    Posted May 21, 2007 10:41 pm PT

    wow!

  • hovan316

    Posted May 21, 2007 10:20 pm PT

    You can go and buy a 160 gig Hard drive for the PS3 right now...!
    So...Who cares about the 80G?
    Yes, it's a warm welcome, but truly not a big deal, especially seing it being as a negative or that Sony is fearing the X360 Elitte competition. It's just that costs for Hard Drives constantly go down, so production prices for the PS3 go down as well.
    See, the beauty about Sony and customer satisfaction is leaving it up to the customer to upgrade his Hard Drive to the size you want to by just going to a computer store or online and buying a 2.5 Sata Hard drive (5400rpm)...that's it! And a 2 minute setup after. Easy and simple.

    You shouldn't be surprised if you see a PS3 with a 120 or even 160G in the next couple of years...it's simply a hard drive. Just like in your computer.

  • AnFangs_Endes

    Posted May 21, 2007 10:03 pm PT

    damn, they should wait a year before they start killing and creating new lines...they should just give the emotion-engine to all of them, and if people need more memory space they can buy it...

  • thefjk

    Posted May 21, 2007 8:57 pm PT

    How many different consoles will M$ and Sony make to satisfied?

  • vandrius

    Posted May 21, 2007 8:32 pm PT

    Heh, who cares. PS3 can take over-the-counter harddrives.

    If I ever run out of space, I'll go buy another 250GB for cheap.

  • Symphonycometh

    Posted May 21, 2007 7:56 pm PT

    ...This may very well be the best and worst "Next-gen" in the history of gaming on all sides.

  • darendt69

    Posted May 21, 2007 7:26 pm PT

    osxgp ---

    There has already been rumors of Nintendo releasing an "upgraded" Wii with a dvd drive built in.

  • darendt69

    Posted May 21, 2007 7:22 pm PT

    Thats cool, and I dont really care if they release it elsware. It doesnt change the console in any way like "adding an HDMI" or anything like that. When I need a bigger HDD I will just buy one. They are cheap.

  • HighlyToxic

    Posted May 21, 2007 7:19 pm PT

    Is it just me or have console variations gotten out of hand this generation?

  • Pete5506

    Posted May 21, 2007 7:08 pm PT

    That would be cool but we need it in the us

  • Wurz1515

    Posted May 21, 2007 7:07 pm PT

    The best part about this news is that this can only mean Sony plans to drop the PS3 price very soon in the US

  • phaqutomb

    Posted May 21, 2007 7:00 pm PT

    thats weird they get a system with a bigger hdd $41 less i would have bought that instead of the 60 gig model. but what ever im happy with my 60

  • blackace

    Posted May 21, 2007 6:33 pm PT

    I can't see Sony bring this to the U.S. or Europe. If they do, they should do a 120GB drive and include the HDMI cable in the packaging and leave the PS3 at the same price. Wishful thinking, I know. Since we can easily swap out the HDD to whatever size we want, this doesn' even matter to U.S. gamers.
    ____________________________________________________
    YourDaddy88 The size of the HDD means little to us after the fact, since the HDD in the PS3 is changeable to anything out on the larket (of the same type). Some have already done 120GB upgrades.

  • uncledeath2005

    Posted May 21, 2007 6:31 pm PT

    Europe always getting a raw deal

  • osxgp

    Posted May 21, 2007 6:06 pm PT

    Can't these companies pick a product and stick with it? Nintendo is laughing all the way to the bank while Microsoft and Sony are measuring each others penis size. Give it a rest.

  • LittleYoshi

    Posted May 21, 2007 6:02 pm PT

    PS3 (North American) is getting a 120GB upgrade!

  • YourDaddy88

    Posted May 21, 2007 5:52 pm PT

    The size of the HDD means little to us after the fact, since the HDD in the PS3 is changeable to anything out on the larket (of the same type). Some have already done 120GB upgrades.

  • Chris_555_TK

    Posted May 21, 2007 5:46 pm PT

    Considering that you can put any HD into the system, so what? I could have a 350gb HD in my PS3 if I wanted to.

  • jaymib

    Posted May 21, 2007 5:42 pm PT

    Looks like consoles are getting upgrade more faster then PCs. the only differents is that you don't have to buy a whole new PC to upgrade. Sony and Microsoft are just trying rip off the gamers.

  • solidusdeus1

    Posted May 21, 2007 5:32 pm PT

    Big deal- the U.S. got the emotion engine, Korea gets 20 more gigs. woo hoo!

  • MGSFan27285

    Posted May 21, 2007 5:26 pm PT

    why? this is like the elite...and the elite aint worth buy the same console over again.....im starting to hate this gen of video game systems since all the companys are either pumping out new consoles every month or theyre console sucks.

  • mpalacio

    Posted May 21, 2007 5:11 pm PT

    I'd hate to be the 8 year old sweat shop worker in South Korea who gets paid 5 cents an hour making these and then not being able to afford one. Oh, well....back to my game.

  • ofx360

    Posted May 21, 2007 4:49 pm PT

    dragg0n cry me a river, no one else is getting it except South Korea (currently)

  • Gmacrusher

    Posted May 21, 2007 4:37 pm PT

    Here is another Ebay crisis coming up once more...but its okay...thought!

  • speedy2295

    Posted May 21, 2007 4:32 pm PT

    dragg0n instead of throwing them into the toilet sell them on Ebay and use that money to get a Wii or a 360 or both.

  • TKandPBC

    Posted May 21, 2007 4:23 pm PT

    I dont think that this means that there is a price drop, but what angers me is that Sony isnt what it was doing last gen. The PS2 was marketed beautifully, while the PS3... well, read the article!

  • dragg0n

    Posted May 21, 2007 4:18 pm PT

    Sony pee's on Europe again by not offering the 80GB model. Bad business practice if you ask me. All European PS3 owners should revolt by throwing their systems in the toilet and buy Nintendo Wii's to show Sony your ever growing frustrations!

  • Panzer88mm

    Posted May 21, 2007 4:10 pm PT

    I think this is a sign of an inpending price drop. If their selling the 80 gig model in korea for $558 then I'll bet their gonna drop the price of the 60 gig in the fall for the holidays.

  • Anamosa41

    Posted May 21, 2007 4:08 pm PT

    I agree with pcmacro.

  • pcmacro

    Posted May 21, 2007 3:55 pm PT

    Like some have mention, it does not matter. You CAN JUST REPLACE THE HDD YOURSELVES WITH A BIGGER ONE.

    Korea deserve the extra 20gig for waiting so flippin long.

    People making too much of a fuss for nothing and creating ps3 vs xbox360 wars again for nothing.

  • GizmoVirus

    Posted May 21, 2007 3:43 pm PT

    If they sell the 60gb ver for cheaper, that will be the one that will sell.
    Sony found from the release in Japan and the States that the cheaper model is going to be the one that sells more as not everyone is a hardcore gamer.
    By having only 1 model in Euro, Aust and South Korea it makes sure that they are going to sell the higher priced console as it is the only console to buy.

  • AvIdGaMeR444

    Posted May 21, 2007 3:32 pm PT

    The 360 and Wii are officially OWNED! LOL...WTF!

  • enoslives7

    Posted May 21, 2007 3:21 pm PT

    Sony better get their heads out of their @sses if they expect to beat the wii......the xbox isnt really worth mentioning

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