Italian website names 40GB PS3 price
Dollar-Euro exchange rate rewritten
Sony's 40GB PlayStation 3 will cost €400 ($566/£277) in Europe, if a product page posted on an Italian retail chain's website is to be believed. It's expected to cost $400 (€283/£196) in the US.
The website, Se-Dici Film, claims the console is available to buy immediately, which seems unlikely given the anticipated US release date of 28 October. The page lists the new console's hard drive specification as "2.5in Serial ATA (40GB)" and it also mentions the presence of four USB ports - features early reports about the new PS3 claimed would be absent from the cut-price console.
Se-Dici Film's 40GB PS3 page
There's no mention of PS2 backward compatibility, another features said to have been left out of the 40GB PS3 to help get the price down. However, the site's other PS3 pages don't mention it either, leaving that point unclear for now.
The Se-Dici Film chain comprises over 15 stores in cities around Italy, and the website includes an option for buyers to pick up their consoles at the shops. We'd love to hear from any Register Hardware in Italy who feel like popping in and making inquiries about the product.
Readers may recall it was an Italian retailer who busted the Sony-imposed release schedule on the PS3 back in March, offering the 60GB console three days before the official release date. Other Italian suppliers quickly followed to ensure they weren't left out.
Thanks to reader Joerg for the tip
COMMENTS
According to the BBC ...
... the 40Gb model will cost £299, with the 'regular' PS3 being reduced to £349. The link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7030164.stm
Best snippet from the article was this:
"Mr Maguire said the release of the 40GB PS3 was a "strategic decision" and not the result of lower-than-expected sales of the PlayStation 3."
Mmmm .... right. Dry that one out and you could fertilise the Sinai desert.
Plus Tax what ??
@Mark: What ? Plus tax ? $399 is street price period. What plus tax are you talking about ? Also, additional taxes for products are to be paid only in same states like New York,California... So, what are you talking about,really ?
no need
@Mark again..
'Are all your editors as stupid as Tony Smith.'
Surely something on the lines of:
'your editor has not taken into consideration higher european taxing and levvies on non-eu goods. Taking this into consideration, the pricing is reasonably close'.
would have sufficed..?
More Italian shops selling PS3 at 399Euros...
This one is claiming to have the PS3 40GB available for shipping on October 10th for 399Euros :
http://www.cipcipstore.it/php/catalogo.php?art_code=1083
And this one is selling the PS3 60GB at just 399Euros:
http://www.yammo.it/product.php?productid=366
re: Michael
Yes, the current PS3s in the US are without the EE now as well. Only the 60Gb model had it, and nearly all of those have gone from the shelves now, leaving just the $599 80Gb one that is like European machines.
If/when I ever get a PS3, I'll just go for a US model. They're multi-voltage and multi-region for PS3 games, so it's no problem as long as I keep my UK-spec PS2.
