Gadgets and Gizmos

Sony discontinue 20GB and 60GB Sony PS3 in Japan

Sony announced that it is going to discontinue the 20GB and 60GB models in Japan as soon as stock has been depleted. It means that the Japanese consumers will only be able to by the 40GB and 80GB models of the console.

The 40-gigabyte PS3 is seen as a way for Sony to reduce costs. The 40-gigabyte version doesn’t support PS2 games and consumes less energy, allowing the company to use smaller, more tightly-packed components. Sony offers the 40-gigabyte model of the PlayStation in the U.S., along with an 80-gigabyte model.

The company discontinued shipments of the 60-gigabyte model in Europe last October, leaving only the 40-gigabyte model for that market.

Sony said that this does not mean the 40GB machine will be the only model available in Japan and that it will launch new models to respond to end-user preferences sometime in the future.

The 40GB model, launched in November in Japan, sells for $364 (39,980 yen), less than the 20GB machine.