40GB PlayStation 3 Model Materializes in Europe, Lacks Backward Compatibility

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Confirming the torrent of rumors surrounding a cheaper baseline PlayStation 3 SKU, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe unveiled a 40GB stripped down console for European territories today. Retailing for 399 Euros (299 Pounds in the U.K.) beginning October 10, the new model will be the cheapest PS3 SKU available in the region.

As predicted, the 40GB model will feature two USB ports rather than four, have no flash card memory slots, and lack any kind of backward compatibility with PlayStation 2 titles. Regarding this last point, the announcement reads: "The new model is no longer backwards compatible with PlayStation 2 titles, reflecting both the reduced emphasis placed on this feature amongst later purchasers of PS3, as well as the availability of a more extensive line-up of PS3 specific titles (a total of 65 titles across all genres by Christmas)."

Since later PS3 models used software rather than hardware emulation to support the PS2's game library, it's unusual that this new model would exclude that capability entirely.

Sony coupled the announcement with a 100 Euro price drop for the formerly 599 Euro 60GB Starter Pack bundle in European territories, except for the U.K. and Ireland, where the Starter Pack will be replaced by a 349 Pound Value Pack. The now 499 Euro Starter Pack bundle will still contain an extra Sixaxis and two first-party titles and be sold until stocks run out, while the newly introduced Value Pack model for the U.K. and Ireland will only include one Sixaxis in addition to two first-party titles.

Though the different global branches of Sony make their own decisions regarding introductions of new SKUs, it's highly unlikely an entirely new model like the 40GB PS3 would remain exclusive to the region. The 80GB SKU debuted earlier this year in Korea, but made its way to North America and other territories shortly thereafter.

From The Chatty
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    October 5, 2007 10:22 AM

    Completely not interested at all if I can't play my PS2 games. Way to kill my excitement for an impending price drop. :(

    Hopefully they will decide to have emulation later on.

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      October 5, 2007 10:25 AM

      If there's no backwards compatability, I'm not getting one of these. :(

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      October 5, 2007 10:36 AM

      Yeah, same here. There seems to be this attitude of "no one cares about b/c...who wants to play old games" and that pisses me off to no end. *I* care about old games and if I buy a game I want to be able to play it until the sun burns the fuck out dammit! Some games...yeah I'll never go back an play, but some games I can't get enough of...hell there's a reason I still have my Dreamcast hooked up...that I still have my good old SNES and Sega Genesis. Then again I'm the exception I guess...the minority...but I hate getting shit on for being the exception/niche/whatever.

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      October 5, 2007 10:39 AM

      Yeah, what the hell? Every time they're about to do something that might not be retarded, they shoot themselves in the foot.

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      October 5, 2007 10:41 AM

      Pretty much everyone has a PS2 by now.. What happened to yours ?

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        October 5, 2007 10:53 AM

        The lack of video/audio inputs is what happened.

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        October 5, 2007 11:14 AM

        with an xbox, ps2, wii, and a dvd player fighting for the rights on my tv. I would have liked to have the cheap ps3 include a ps2 compatibility. Would have made my purchase decision a little bit easier.

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          October 5, 2007 11:22 AM

          just have the ps3 replace your dvd player and keep your ps2
          you'll have a nice upscaling dvd player and an awesome blu ray player!
          plus you can encode movies from the internets and just load them on the ps3 hard drive

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        October 5, 2007 11:53 AM

        well the 20/60gb models can upscale ps1 and 2 games, which is nice.

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      October 5, 2007 11:21 AM

      I agree, this is a bummer, but that's a MUCH nicer price.

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      October 5, 2007 7:56 PM

      I wish just ONCE Sony would do something awesome without the footnote fucking everything up. I would buy a PS3 for this price but not without backwards compatability.

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