White PS3 heading Stateside?

FCC filings reveals that Sony is planning to bring the system's latest hue to the US.

Sony announced that its new 40GB PlayStation 3 model would be coming to Japan back in October, along with a brand new "ceramic white" colour. Although the company said at the time that it had no immediate plans to bring the new colour to other regions, a new set of filings on the US Federal Communications Commission's Web site show pictures of the new model.

In Japan, the launch of the new 40GB SKU--which is also the cheapest PS3 model at 39,980 yen (approx $341)--saw PS3 hardware sales surge, and the console even outselling the Wii.

Analysts also stated that Sony had managed to halve the cost of manufacturing the PS3 since it first went on sale, down from $800 to $400, meaning that is likely that the new version of the machine, which comes with fewer USB ports and no backward compatibility, costs significantly less to make.

[UPDATE]: A Sony Computer Entertainment America representative responded to GameSpot's request for comment with the following: "As you may know, there are many FCC filings like this each year. We haven't made any announcements about upcoming PS3 plans, but are comfortable with our current two SKU strategy. We are continually evaluating the market trends and consumer input to determine the appropriate PS3 models for our territory."

173 Comments

  • PumpkinBoogie

    Posted Jan 24, 2008 5:19 am PT

    @ simo_93_

    Yeah I would have loved silver too--woulda went better most of silver entertainment components (plus my silver ps2!), but white don't do too bad, LOL.

    @ v8nnwilder,

    I'd love to of had a dark red/burgundy (my fav color) too, but I believe there's a website called Colorware PC--www.colorwarepc.com--that specialize in coloring anything from PCs, Macs, Ipod; all the way to gaming consoles like 360, Wii, and PS3. It's a pretty cool site. Unfortunately, it still doesn't have the kind of red that I'm lookin' for (both reds they off still a bit too bright for my liking).

  • simo__93_

    Posted Jan 24, 2008 5:08 am PT

    I prefer silver

  • v8nnwilder

    Posted Jan 24, 2008 1:31 am PT

    Who cares what color they make it... Whatever floats your boat. I would've liked mine in dark red or something but that is just my opinion. Would be cool if you can custom order any color you want....

  • PumpkinBoogie

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 10:50 pm PT

    "Krammin I have a 60gig with BC and to be honest, never use it - People rave that it's the biggest loss ever, if you need it that much buy a second hand PS2 slim for $99. Things were needed to be shed to make a PS3 more affordable which consumers screamed for... so they made a cheaper one and people still complain."

    Amen to that! I tell ya people can be so damn picky.....HELLO, it's not like you all (meaning the ones that haven't bought a PS3 yet) don't have options--if you want BC, then save up a bit more extra and buy the 80gb. If it doesn't matter, then the 40gb will suit just fine (my cw 40gb is fine by me, since I still have my ps2). Really now, is there a need to complain about something like this? Either way judging by Sony's elevated December sales--due in large part to availablity of the more affordable 40gb--they could probably care less about what any of us (good or bad) have to say, as the money made in this case is far out-talking any of us.

  • rob3nelson

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 10:20 pm PT

    It doesn't matter how you color it: a piece of crap is a piece of crap!!!

  • dark13string

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 6:05 pm PT

    i could care les about it it stills doesn't have any games worth getting

  • woofie13

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 5:03 pm PT

    You'd think they'd want to keep the USB ports considering games like time crisis and features like playTV that are soon to come.... weird
    that's cool though that they've managed to lower the price.

    White sounds like apple.
    I wish that they would've released the silver one in the original 60gb specs... that would've been Godly. I'm fine with my 60 black though.

  • thesaxmaniac

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 4:56 pm PT

    Wow. Another, lower quality PS3 released in the U.S. to make gamers hate the console even more. I mean, no one likes backwards compatibility right? People hate PS2 games. Nice strategy.

  • leimeisei

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 4:17 pm PT

    the white PS3 looks similar to the teeth of celebrities after they have their real teeth ground down to little stubs and put little fake ones on. ITS JUST TOO WHITE!!!! MY EYES!!!! Seriously Sony, stick with black.
    White on Xbox 360 Arcade and Pro is better than White on PS3 white (I dont know what they'll call it)
    Black on Xbox 360 elite is beaten by Black on PS3 20, 40, 60, 80GB models

  • peeweeshift

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 3:41 pm PT

    i am willing to buy my 4th ps3 if it is going to be sexy white. ill just transfer my hard drive no prob. white is dam sexy. its a shame i nvr picked up the white ps2(or any other limited color for that matter)

  • CaptainHerlock

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 2:55 pm PT

    I take that as a "no comment".

  • Senor_Kami

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 1:14 pm PT

    "hell i cango to best buy and buy a sony blu-ray player for $400 buck ."

    That $400 stand alone won't be 1.1 complaint, won't support Bonus View, won't support Internet Content and can't be upgraded to support these things (most of them need additional hardware or a seriously powerful processor... which the cell is). Your $400 will get you a player that can't play all the special features on 1.1 disc (and 1.1 has been declared the official standard) and can't do internet stuff. Not only that, but the PS3 supports most of the audio formats and is rumored to be getting support for the only two that it can't decode. Your $400 stand alone certainly won't be able to do any of that.

    Let alone play games. I'm a 360 fan boy but reality dictates that the PS3 is easily the most well rounded Blu-ray player for the price. To get a standalone that has the Blu-Ray functionality of the PS3, you'll have to spend way more than $400. Really, well more than $600.

  • dark13string

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 11:41 am PT

    even if they do bring it stateside, im still not going to get a PS3 until they get a couple of more games worth getting. hell i cango to best buy and buy a sony blu-ray player for $400 buck .

  • Autolycus

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 11:06 am PT

    xanderzane. We know the production cost is PROBABLY ( according to researchers GUESSES ( not actual knowledge ) ) cut in half, but do you a source showing that they are actually still loosing money on the system?

  • XanderZane

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 10:57 am PT

    I already have a 60GB Black PS3 and am very happy with that. I see no reason to waste money on a 40GB White PS3. I actually like the black Elite XBox 360 better then the white. So somewhere down the road I may get the Elite when the price is right. The PS3 is still losing money on every system sold, even the $400 PS3 (40GB). I would think they will start making a profit on the 40GB sometime this fall though. Both the Wii and 360 has been making profits on their systems for awhile now.

  • Nawras

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 10:48 am PT

    I saw the white PS3 in the store and it looks ridiculous - definitely not something I would want in my living room. The X360 white is matte and the PS3 white is gloss!

    The black PS3 gloss looks slicker than the matte black X360

  • Autolycus

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 10:40 am PT

    "All your opinion. The PS3 has been out a lil over a year, and already has much better exclusives than the 360 did in this time of it's life cycle." - ( reply ) the only people that say that are the die hard fan boys AND the ones that purchased a PS3 and are internally trying to justifity that it was a smart purchase. But hey, if the exclusives and high frame rates that the 360 has doesnt interest you so be it, cause I dont see even close, to a single one (That is out now, not 10 years from now) that interests the casual gamer....especially enough to spend 400 on one game for the ,blu-ray main purpose, ps3

  • Autolycus

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 10:32 am PT

    : yawn :

  • Get_Shorty

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 10:00 am PT

    Are companies still making different color game consoles?? Nope that stopped doing that last gen (except for limited editions). What for? There's no reason for it.

  • thekey

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 9:25 am PT

    jahoousa "I think this is a more positive trend for sony than that of Microsoft. Early 360 buyers ( like myself) are probibly kicking themselves for getting one sooner rather than later. I got a PS3 early with no regrets, and backwards compatability (hey I can't live without my resident evil 4)... As for the white version, I'm sure it's a slick machine just like the black one, but no regrets there either. I think this is a sign of an overall better company. Microsoft I think is loosing competative edges in many markets and I hope it gets worse"

    I couldn't agree with you more. I don't trust MS anymore. And I'm going to think thrice.(3 times) before I buy another Xbox. Yeah I said it. PS3 doesn't have the games, but it's a far better device than the crap 60.(Even though I'm on my 2nd PS3) I'm happy I have my 60GB with full BC. My 360 is good but it looks like my 2nd 360 is about 2 die so I'll just go through the motions get it fixed on MS tab, and then after I get my refurbished one get rid of it. I just hope the PS3 catches on this year instead of that stupid Wii. (I'm so sick and tired of that corny console it's nothing more than a Gamecube with motion sensing controllers, that's it.) LAME!

  • carljohnson3456

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 9:15 am PT

    "dandoc2 Analysts also stated that Sony had managed to halve the cost of manufacturing the PS3 since it first went on sale, down from $800 to $400,

    Ummm my arse it cost that much to make at first -- they are making profits on every ps3 sold they just say that crap to warrant the price."

    You think Sony was making money on it when it was hardly selling at 600? Sony isnt that stupid to try and sell something for 600 just to make profit. Everybody usually loses on every console sold, and makes it up through software.

  • mohmaaytah

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 9:10 am PT

    dandoc2, what you are saying is pure idiocy, respected 3rd party websites confirmed the cost when it came out.

  • dandoc2

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 9:07 am PT

    Analysts also stated that Sony had managed to halve the cost of manufacturing the PS3 since it first went on sale, down from $800 to $400,

    Ummm my arse it cost that much to make at first -- they are making profits on every ps3 sold they just say that crap to warrant the price

  • Natdaddy

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 8:55 am PT

    "All your opinion. The PS3 has been out a lil over a year, and already has much better exclusives than the 360 did in this time of it's life cycle."

    Uh, that's also all your opinion as well?

  • carljohnson3456

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 8:42 am PT

    "Phazevariance Yet another version of the PS3. WOW, they are seriously trying to get people to like them. "look at me, i'm hite now like the Wii and Xbox".

    Oh - you mean like how Microsoft launched the BLACK 360 Elite???

    Any game on teh PS3 worth playing is pretty much on the 360. The odd 1 or 2 I can't play on the 360 really don't interest me enough to get a PS3.'

    All your opinion. The PS3 has been out a lil over a year, and already has much better exclusives than the 360 did in this time of it's life cycle.

  • Hvac0120

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 8:40 am PT

    I think the Wii and the Xbox360 both look good in white on my entertainment center. It would be nice to have all three with a similar look. That would allow me to find a home theater system that is white too and all my devices would be matching.

    Sony wants to know what consumers think. HERE WE ARE. Bring them the Ceramic White and they WILL come.

  • Jokul

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 8:14 am PT

    Sweeeeet, I got a Ceramic white PSP from Japan when they first came out, If i get a PS3 I want a ceramic white one as well!!

  • JAK4ever

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 7:07 am PT

    I want the silver one.... I like silver

  • Phazevariance

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 6:22 am PT

    Yet another version of the PS3. WOW, they are seriously trying to get people to like them. "look at me, i'm hite now like the Wii and Xbox". Any game on teh PS3 worth playing is pretty much on the 360. The odd 1 or 2 I can't play on the 360 really don't interest me enough to get a PS3.

  • zoe256

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 5:29 am PT

    Ugh, that is hideous. I didn't think anything could look worse than the big, bulky George Foreman grill-esque black PS3 but I've been proved wrong.

  • cwhistler

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 5:02 am PT

    jahoousa - I'm not kicking myself at all. Got a 360 as soon as it came out and love it. There isn't a game out there today that I want that I cannot play on my 360 so I don't get your point.

    If the PS3 had more games that I liked then I would get one of those too, though it would be the 80 gig with BC. I still don't get why the 40 gig doesn't have BC since it is supposedly all software emulation now. Anyway, I'm probably the only gamer in the world who doesn't like FF or MGS so if those are the only system selling exclusives then no reason for me to get a PS3.

  • xgalacticax

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 3:41 am PT

    That white PS3 is the cutest machine ever but sorry, I've already got a 60GB model, I dont need that crappy cut down 40GB PS3.

  • Col-Neil

    Posted Jan 23, 2008 12:13 am PT

    You do know i was being sarcastic dumb ass idiots lol

  • lamprey263

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 10:49 pm PT

    a matte finish would be a lot nicer than a glossy one

  • central09

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 10:36 pm PT

    overall, more choice is better...so quite **** about it, when they first showed the console they showed it in 3 colors...this is NOT new...the white ps3 has been around sense the black and same goes for the silver...they just havent released the other two colors yet...so NOBODY is copying anybody...as if a company that pulls in more money than god needs to copy anyone...

  • digitalpro

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 10:17 pm PT

    White PS3... big deal they can make it any color. They need to get better games out before i buy one. Killzone2 and MGS4 just won't cut it

  • Abfranestra

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 10:13 pm PT

    I want them to make a red one, those look awesome, then maybe a blue one, id like to see it first

  • reactionsok

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 9:48 pm PT

    how about make it smaller?

    good god the ps3 is ridiculously huge.

  • raahsnavj

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 9:10 pm PT

    Paint it white... that'll fix it. NOT.

  • Azwhtknight

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 9:02 pm PT

    I like the idea of a white console so it doesn't have to be constantly dusted, and I am all for cheaper, but the whole " fewer USB ports and no backward compatibility" thing bites.

  • Khoo1992

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 8:39 pm PT

    I like White PS3, looks great!!!

  • tenorio_rotc

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 8:13 pm PT

    Oh man, I was planning on getting this blu ray player soon, I think maybe i should wait, i dont know

  • incredibilistic

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 8:09 pm PT

    All the 360 fans cracking PSWii comparisons should have a zipper mounted to their lips. Yes, I'm talking to you Elite owners.

  • AvIdGaMeR444

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 8:05 pm PT

    Sony ---> "Wii is white...maybe that is why it sells well! We need to copy teh Nintendo and make PS3 white! Our sales will quintuple!"

  • xophaser

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 7:41 pm PT

    File one for the grey/ silver one. That one looks cool.

  • GrimGravy

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 7:36 pm PT

    white is cool but black is the way to go. wish the WIi was balck

  • thekey

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 7:00 pm PT

    60GB white PS3 with BC I'm sold.

  • V-r0cK

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 6:48 pm PT

    I think white is soft and new. Pure per say. Ipods, DS, Wii..they look best in white cuz they new of its kind and innovating. Black i feel is more hardcore and gives a more powerful feel. But i think for sure you cant go wrong with black.

  • Shomb22

    Posted Jan 22, 2008 6:36 pm PT

    White is a new colour for tech. The Wii has already picked up on this.

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