PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, followed by November 17 in North America and March 23, 2007, in Europe and Australasia. It competed primarily with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.
The PlayStation 3 was built around the custom-designed Cell Broadband Engine processor, co-developed with IBM and Toshiba. SCE president Ken Kutaragi envisioned the console as a supercomputer for the living room, capable of handling complex multimedia tasks. It was the first console to use the Blu-ray disc as its primary storage medium, the first to be equipped with an HDMI port, and the first capable of outputting games in 1080p resolution. It also launched alongside the PlayStation Network online service and supported Remote Play connectivity with the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita handheld consoles. In September 2009, Sony released the PlayStation 3 Slim, which removed hardware support for PlayStation 2 games and introduced a smaller, more energy-efficient design. A further revision, the Super Slim, was released in late 2012, offering additional refinements to the console's form factor.
At launch, the PS3 received a mixed reception, largely due to its high price— for the 60 GB model and for the 20 GB model—as well as its complex system architecture and limited selection of launch titles. The hardware was also costly to produce, and Sony sold the console at a significant loss for several years. However, the PS3 was praised for its technological ambition and support for Blu-ray, which helped Sony establish the format as the dominant standard over HD DVD. Reception improved over time, aided by a library of critically acclaimed games, the Slim and Super Slim hardware revisions that reduced manufacturing costs, and multiple price reductions. These factors helped the console recover commercially. Ultimately, the PS3 sold approximately 87.4 million units worldwide, narrowly surpassing the Xbox 360 and becoming the eighth best-selling console of all time. nearly 1 billion PlayStation 3 games had been sold worldwide.
The PlayStation 4 was released in November 2013 as the PS3's successor. Sony began phasing out the PlayStation 3 within two years. Shipments ended in most regions by 2016, with final production continuing for the Japanese market until May 29, 2017.
History
Development of the PlayStation 3 began on March 9, 2001, when Sony Computer Entertainment president Ken Kutaragi announced a partnership with Toshiba and IBM to develop the Cell microprocessor. Around the same time, Shuhei Yoshida led a team focused on exploring next-generation game development. By early 2005, Sony shifted its focus toward preparing PS3 launch titles.In September 2004, Sony confirmed that the PlayStation 3 would use Blu-ray as its primary media format, with support for DVDs and CDs. Nvidia was announced as the partner for the console's graphics processing unit in December 2004. The PS3 was officially unveiled on May 16, 2005, at E3, alongside a prototype of the Sixaxis controller featuring a boomerang-shaped design. No working hardware was present at E3 or at the Tokyo Game Show in September, though demonstrations such as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots were shown running on software development kits and comparable PC hardware. Sony also showcased concept footage based on projected system specifications, including a Final Fantasy VII tech demo.
The 2005 prototype included two HDMI ports, three Ethernet ports and six USB ports, but by E3 2006, these had been reduced to one HDMI, one Ethernet, and four USB ports to cut costs. Sony also announced two launch models: a 60 GB version at / / and a 20 GB version at / /. To further reduce costs, the 60 GB model was to be the only configuration to feature HDMI output, Wi-Fi, flash card readers and chrome trim. It was scheduled to launch on November 11, 2006, in Japan and November 17, 2006, in North America and Europe.
On September 6, 2006, Sony delayed the PAL region launch to March 2007 due to a shortage of Blu-ray drive components, and announced it would not sell the 20 GB model in the region. Later that month at the Tokyo Game Show, Sony confirmed that it had decided to include HDMI output on the 20 GB model. The Japanese launch price for the 20 GB model was also reduced by more than 20%, while the 60 GB model would be sold under an open pricing scheme. Sony showcased 27 playable titles running on final PS3 hardware at the event.
Despite the cost-cutting efforts, the PS3 would still be sold at a loss due to high component costs, including the GPU and Blu-ray Disc drive. The 20 GB model was estimated to cost US$805.85 to manufacture, about US$307 more than its retail price, while the 60 GB model was estimated at US$840.35, or US$241 above its retail price. Subsidizing the hardware contributed to SCE reporting an operating loss of ¥232 billion for the fiscal year following the launch of the PS3. Sony later acknowledged cumulative losses of about US$3.3 billion on the PS3 hardware through mid‑2008.
Launch
The PlayStation 3 was first released in Japan on November 11, 2006, selling over 81,000 units within 24 hours. It launched in North America on November 17, where demand was high and incidents of violence were reported at retail locations. The console was released the same day in Hong Kong and Taiwan.The console launched in Europe, Australia, and other PAL regions on March 23, 2007. It sold 600,000 units across Europe in its first two days, with 165,000 sold in the UK, making it the region's fastest-selling home console at the time. Sales dropped sharply in the following weeks, with some retailers citing high price points and early cancellations.
The PS3 launched in other markets throughout 2007, including Singapore, India, Mexico, and South Korea. Sony often hosted promotional events or offered bundled content in these regions to drive interest.
''Slim'' model
Following months of speculation, Sony officially unveiled the "Slim" hardware revision on August 18, 2009, during its Gamescom press conference, and it was released in major territories by September 2009. This model featured a significantly slimmer and lighter chassis, reduced power consumption, and a quieter cooling system. These improvements were made possible in part by transitioning to smaller fabrication processes for the system's CPU and GPU. The manufacturing changes reportedly reduced production costs by about 70 percent. Nevertheless, due to the console's simultaneous price reduction to US$299, Sony was still estimated to be losing around US$37 per unit at launch, with losses per unit reduced to approximately US$18 by early 2010.''Super Slim'' model
Sony announced the "Super Slim" hardware revision in September 2012, which launched in major markets later that year. Compared to the previous "Slim" model, the new chassis was approximately 20 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter, featured reduced power consumption, and replaced the slot-loading disc drive with a top-loading drive, changes that further lowered manufacturing costs. While the redesigned disc mechanism helped cut costs and save space, reviewers criticized it as feeling cheap and described it as "ultimately a step back". The Super Slim was offered with larger 250 GB and 500 GB hard drives, as well as a low-cost model featuring 16 GB of eMMC flash storage, with the option to install a hard drive later.Games
PlayStation 3 launched in North America with 14 titles, with Resistance: Fall of Man emerging as the top seller. The game received critical acclaim and was named PS3 Game of the Year by both GameSpot and IGN. Some anticipated titles, such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion ''and F.E.A.R., missed the launch window and arrived in early 2007. In Japan, Ridge Racer 7 led launch sales, while the European launch featured 24 titles, including MotorStorm and Virtua Fighter 5. MotorStorm and Resistance: Fall of Man became the platform's most successful titles of 2007, and each received sequels.At E3 2007, Sony showcased its upcoming first-party lineup including Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, and Warhawk, along with future titles such as Killzone 2, LittleBigPlanet, and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Key third-party games such as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and Grand Theft Auto IV also helped drive platform momentum.
Sony introduced stereoscopic 3D support to PS3 via firmware updates beginning in 2010. The technology was first demonstrated in the January 2009 Consumer Electronics Show, with Wipeout HD and Gran Turismo 5 Prologue used to show how the technology would work. Firmware update 3.30 enabled 3D gaming, while 3.50 added support for 3D movie playback.
nearly 1 billion PS3 games had been sold worldwide. The platform's best-selling titles include Grand Theft Auto V, Gran Turismo 5, The Last of Us, and the Uncharted'' franchise.
Hardware
The PlayStation 3 retained the same basic design across its three major hardware revisions, featuring a black plastic shell with a convex top when placed horizontally, or a convex-left side when oriented vertically. The original model used glossy piano black plastic and featured a logo inspired by the font used in the 2002 Spider-Man film, also produced by Sony. According to PlayStation designer Teiyu Goto, this logo was one of the first design elements selected by SCEI president Ken Kutaragi and helped shape the console's overall aesthetic.The font would be abandoned at the introduction of the "Slim" revision in favor of an updated version of the PS2 logo with more curved edges, a design that would remain in use for the PS4 and PS5 logos.