|
|
| PlayStation 3 |
 |
| Manufacturer |
Sony, Foxconn and ASUSTeK for
SCEI[1] |
| Type |
Video game console |
| Generation |
Seventh generation era |
| First available |
November 11, 2006 (details) |
| System storage |
2.5" SATA hard drive
(20, 40, 60, or 80 GB included) |
| Controller input |
Up to 7 wireless controllers |
| Connectivity |
Flash memory input
Audio/video output
Other
*60/80 GB versions only
**default cable
|
| Online service |
PlayStation Network |
| Units
sold |
5 million+ (as of October 9, 2007)[2] (details) |
| Units shipped |
5.5 million (as of March 31 2007)[3] |
| Top-selling
game |
Resistance: Fall of Man,
2 million (as of June 15, 2007)[4] |
Backward
compatibility |
PlayStation (all models)
PlayStation 2 (20 GB, 60 GB, 80 GB models) |
| Predecessor |
PlayStation 2 |
The PlayStation 3 (officially trademarked PLAYSTATION 3,[5] commonly abbreviated PS3) is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer
Entertainment and successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox
360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles. In sales and market
share, it is currently in third place.[6]
The system was first released on November 11, 2006, in
Japan, November 17, 2006 in
North America and Asia, and March
23, 2007 in Europe and Oceania. It is the first console with next-gen primary storage media, Blu-ray
Disc, though it also supports DVDs, CDs,
HDDs and with some models SACDs.[7][8] It is
capable of playing back content from Blu-ray (BD) disc at a bit rate of multiplex 48Mbps,
the maximum bit rate defined in BD standards.
History
Silver PlayStation 3 prototype (
E3 2005 specs).
Sony officially unveiled the PlayStation 3 to the public on May
16, 2005, during the E3 2005 conference. A functional
version of the system was not present there, as a working system was not readily available due to power failures and hardware
problems, nor at the Tokyo Game Show in September
2005, although demonstrations (such as Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots) were held at both events on
devkits and comparable PC hardware.
Video footage based on the predicted PlayStation 3 specifications was also shown (e.g. Mobile Suit Gundam).[9] The system was initially planned to have two HDMI ports and three Ethernet ports, though this
was later reduced to one of each, presumably to cut costs.[10]
On September 22, 2006, at the 2006 Tokyo Game Show, Sony
announced that it would be including HDMI on all versions of the system, and reducing the launch price on 20 GB
models by over 20%;[11] the
60 GB version of the system has an open pricing scheme in Japan.[11] During the show, Sony demonstrated 27 playable PS3 titles running
on final hardware.[12]
Launch
-
The PlayStation 3 was first released in Japan on November 11, 2006, at 07:00. There were reports that many of the systems were obtained by businessmen who paid mainly Chinese
nationals to buy the systems without any problems to resell on eBay.[13] According to Media Create,
81,639 PS3 systems were sold within 24 hours of its introduction in Japan.[14]
Soon after its release in Japan, the PS3 was released in North America on November 17
2006. Reports of violence surrounding the release of the PS3 include a customer shot,[15] campers robbed at gunpoint,[16] customers shot in a drive-by shooting
with BB guns,[17] and 60
campers fighting over 10 systems.[18]
The PS3 was launched in Europe, Australia and New Zealand on March 23, 2007. After the first two days of sales, the system had sold approximataly 600,000 units.[19]
Retail configurations
As of October 2007, there have been four announced hardware models of the PlayStation 3: a
20 GB model, a 60 GB model, an 80 GB model, and a 40 GB model (the
xx GB names referring to the size of the internal hard drive of the system). All retail packages include one
SIXAXIS controller, one USB
cable, one composite video/stereo audio output cable, one Ethernet cable and one power cable.[26]
At its launch in Japan and North America in November
2006, two versions of the system were released; the 20 GB model for $499 and the more expensive 60 GB model for $599
with additional features. Sony discontinued the 20 GB model in the US and Canada on
April 11, 2007, citing a lack of "consumer demand",[27] though it is still on sale in Japan. Many suggest that the
cut was probably to save manufacturing costs, as the difference of cost between the two models is only around $30.
Sony announced on 6 September 2006 that the
PAL (European and Australian) launch had been delayed until March, 2007 due to a shortage of diodes
used in the Blu-ray Disc drive. At midnight on January 24 2007,
Sony announced that the Playstation 3 would go on sale on March 23 2007 in Europe, Australia, the Middle East, Africa and New Zealand. The Singapore launch took place in March 7 2007,
with the price of 60 GB announced as S$799. The 80GB model has been released in
Singapore in September 2007.
The PlayStation 3 launched on March 23 2007 in
Europe, Australia, the Middle
East, Africa and New Zealand. Only the 60GB
was launched in these territories.
On May 21, 2007, Sony announced that the PlayStation 3 would be
launched Korea on June 16, 2007[28] in one
configuration featuring an 80 GB hard drive.[29]This is the first time that the PlayStation 3 released with an 80 GB hard
disk, and it was speculated that the larger-capacity hard drive may be to accommodate IPTV
applications[30] such as the
set-top box functionality for Korea Telecom's MegaTV
service set for launch in November 2007.[31] South Korea is currently one of four regions with an 80 GB PlayStation
3 (the United States, Singapore and Mexico being the others).
The PS3 officially went on sale in India and Pakistan on
27 April 2007, priced at Rs39,990/$869 for the 60 GB
version, however smuggled components were available as early as December 2006 and were easily sold around $1,500. Games cost
about US$60.80. In Pakistan, the PS3 costs Rp. 30,000 ($500). [32]
PlayStation 3 20GB and 60GB models (NTSC-UC Zone 1) were released in Mexico in 2007. The 80GB model bundled with
Formula One Championship Edition is now on sale in Mexico for $9,999 (MXN).[33][34] Local PS3 game standard
price is $8,999 (MXN).[35]
In June 2007, Sony Computer Entertainment
Europe president David Reeves stated that there were no plans for an 80 GB system
to be released in PAL territories, and that a 20 GB version is "highly unlikely."[36]
On July 9, 2007, Sony announced a North American 80 GB
model, bundled with MotorStorm,[37] to be available beginning August 6, 2007.[38][39][40] In addition, Sony announced a price drop in which
the 60 GB model would sell for US$499.[37] Around this time it SCEE president David Reeves and SCEI president Kaz Hirai clarified
that the North American "price drop" was in fact a clearance sale intended to eliminate stock of the 60 GB unit, the
production of which had actually been halted at the time of the price drop announcement. After all 60 GB units were sold,
only the 80 GB unit would to remain in stores in the United States.[41]
On August 30, 2007, SCEA senior director of corporate
communications Dave Karraker stated that it had sold and shipped all of its remaining North American 60 GB models to
retailers, and that the company no longer has any inventory in its warehouses.[42] According to spokeswoman Kimberly Otzman, retailer supplies for the
North American 60 GB model would probably last through October 2007.[43]
On October 5, 2007, SCEE announced a 40 GB model of the
PS3 for release in its territories (Europe, the Middle East, Africa) on October 10,
2007. In Oceania, it was announced for October 11 2007, for the price of AUD$699.
The 40 GB model debuted in Europe in October 10, 2007
with a Eurozone price of €399.99; with the 60 GB Starter
Pack receiving a reduction in price to €499[21] except in the British Isles, where the
Starter Pack will be replaced by a £349 Value Pack with two first party games
(Motorstorm and Resistance: Fall of Man) and
one Sixaxis controller (as opposed to two controllers in the £425 Starter Pack)[44]). Once stocks of 60 GB PAL model are exhausted, the 40 GB model
will be the only one available in the SCEE territories.[44]
On October 9, 2007, it was announced that the the 40 GB
model will be released in Japan on November 11, 2007; with a
new Ceramic White color, in addition to the original Piano Black. Both models will retail for a recommended retail price of
JP¥39,980. As with the SCEE announcement, an accompanying price drop was announced in Japan
for older PlayStation 3 models, with both the 20 GB and 60 GB receiving a JP¥5,000 price reduction in the
suggested retail price to JP¥44,980 and JP¥54,980, respectively.[45]
On October 18, 2007, SCEA announced that the 80 GB
model would receive an immediate price reduction in both the United States and Canada to $499 (USD/CND). In addition, the
40 GB model would be released in the region on November 2, 2007 for $399, with Spiderman 3 on Blu-ray. (USD/CND).[46]
Differences
In addition to all of the features of the 20 GB model, the 60 GB model has internal
IEEE 802.11 b/g
Wi-Fi, multiple flash card readers (SD/MultiMedia Card, CompactFlash Type I/Type II, Microdrive[47], Memory Stick/PRO/Duo) and a chrome coloured trim.[20] In terms of hardware, the 80 GB model released in Korea is identical to the 60 GB
model released in European territories, except for the difference in hard
drive size.[29] Like
the Korean and European models, the North American 80 GB model also excludes the PlayStation
2 "Emotion Engine" chip, instead providing PS2 compatibility via software
emulation, thereby reducing the level of compatibility (see Removal of hardware
support for more details). The 40 GB model has two USB ports instead of the four USB ports on other models, and does not
include a multi memory card port, SACD support, or any backwards compatibility with
PlayStation 2 titles.[21]
No official Wi-Fi or flash memory card readers have yet been released by Sony for the 20 GB system, although plans for
such add-ons are in place.[48] Nevertheless, as the model
features four USB 2.0 ports, wireless networking and flash memory card support can already be obtained through the use of widely
available external USB adapters.
Sales and production costs
- See also: PlayStation 3 launch - Release data and
pricing
| Region |
Units sold |
First available |
| Japan |
1,143,798 as of September 3, 2007[49] |
11 November, 2006 |
| North America |
1,498,800 as of July 23, 2007[50] |
17 November, 2006 |
| PAL territories |
1,300,000 as of August 23,
2007[51] |
23 March 2007 (more...) |
| Worldwide |
5 million+ as of October 9, 2007[2] |
The PlayStation 3's initial production cost is estimated to have been US$805.85
for the 20 GB model and US$840.35 for the 60 GB model;[52] however, they were priced at US$499 and US$599, respectively.[53] The high manufacturing costs meant that every unit was sold at a loss of
approximately $250,[52] contributing to
Sony's games division posting an operating loss of ¥232.3 billion (US$1.97 billion) in the fiscal year ending March 2007.[54] In
April 2007, soon after these results were published, Ken Kutaragi, the head of gaming at
Sony, announced plans to retire. Various news agencies, including The Times[55] and The Wall
Street Journal[56] reported that this was due to poor sales, whilst SCEI maintains that Kutaragi had been planning his retirement for six months prior to the
announcement.[56]
Since the system's launch, production costs have been reduced significantly as a result of phasing out the EE chip[57] and falling hardware
costs.[58][59] The cost of
manufacturing Cell microprocessors has fallen dramatically as a result of moving
to the 65 nm production process[60][59] and Blu-ray diodes being around $100 cheaper to manufacture.[58][61]
The cumulative reduction in production costs is as follows:
- Blu-ray (cost reduction: US$100)
- Cell B.E. (cost reduction: US$29 – US$40)
- EE removal (cost reduction: US$27)
- Chipset Modifications: Sony has removed a CXD9208GP, 2 RDRAM chips (US$5), and some passives and are planning on moving the
RSX graphics chip from 90 nm to 65 nm production process and "the unification of separate smaller ICs — such as
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi — into single chip solutions and a change to a more specialized Southbridge." (cost reduction: unknown)
This brings the total cost reduction to at least $156 excluding the chipset modifications. Excluding the 65nm Cell B.E. change
(which is not yet used), the minimum cost reduction based on this approximation becomes $127.[62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69]
On January 7, 2007, Sony met its goal of shipping 1 million
units to North America.[70] Just over a week later, on January 16,
2007, Sony confirmed they had shipped 1 million units in Japan,
bringing the worldwide total to over 2 million shipped.[71] As of April 1,
2007, approximately 5.5 million units had been shipped worldwide.[54]
In the worldwide marketplace, PlayStation 3 is currently behind its competitor systems, the Xbox
360 and the Wii, both overall and in monthly sales. In Japan
the Wii outsold the PS3 by 3 to 1 in August, 4 to 1 in July, 6.5 to 1 in June, 5.6 to 1 in May and 4
to 1 in April;[72][73][74][75] likewise the PS3 sold 2.5 times more units in June than the Xbox 360. In Japan 2,800,576 Wiis have been sold in total, compared to 1,143,798 PS3s; however the Xbox 360,
which was released almost a year earlier than its competitors has sold only 380,131 units.[76][77]
In North America, the PS3 was outsold 4.4 to 1 by the Wii and 2.2 to 1 by the
Xbox 360 in June 2007, and sold the least units of any seventh generation console in the period January through
April.[78]
Additionally, the PS3 saw the largest drop in sales of the three systems, selling 37% less in April than the previous month; Sony
has attributed the poor sales in April to a lack of new software for the console.[78] In many cases, the system has been outsold by its predecessor,
the Playstation 2.
Sony has stated that the PS3 has been consistently outselling its competitors in Australia,
although it still lags behind both in total units sold.[79]
Games
-
The PlayStation 3 launched in North America on November 17, 2006 with a total of twelve titles, while another three were released before the end of the year.[80] After five days of sales it was confirmed
that Insomniac's first person shooter Resistance: Fall of Man was the top-selling game, and was heavily praised by numerous video
game websites, including GameSpot and IGN, both of whom awarded it
with their PlayStation 3 Game of the Year award for 2006.[81][82] Some titles missed the
launch window and were delayed until 2007, such as The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, F.E.A.R. and
Sonic the Hedgehog. During the Japanese launch,
Ridge Racer 7 was the top-selling launch title, while Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire also fared well in sales; both of which were offerings
from Namco Bandai. The PlayStation 3 launched in Europe with twenty-four titles,
including some that were not offered in the North American and Japanese launched, such as Formula One Championship Edition, MotorStorm and Virtua Fighter 5. Resistance: Fall of Man and MotorStorm have been
the most successful titles so far; each has sold over one million copies worldwide.[83]
At E³ 2007, Sony were able to show off a number of their upcoming video games for the
PlayStation 3, including Heavenly Sword, Lair and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune,
all of which are set for release in 2007. They also showed off a number of titles set for a
2008 release; most notably Killzone 2, the
highly-anticipated sequel to the 2004 first person shooter. LittleBigPlanet was also demonstrated during the event and subsequently won the award for 'Most
Original' game of the show.[84] A completely new title
called Infamous was also presented to the media, expanding on the ever-growing
sandbox genre. Several PlayStation
Network titles were also on display, including SOCOM: Confrontation
and Warhawk, both of which will be released as downloads via the PlayStation Store as well as on Blu-ray Disc.[85][86] It was also revealed that the first-person shooter Haze will
be exclusive to the PlayStation 3,[87] adding to the
selection of exclusive titles available for the holiday season. Perhaps the biggest announcement, however, was that the
highly-anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the
Patriots will be exclusive the PlayStation 3, amid rumors that the game would appear on other platforms. Two other
important exclusive titles to be released by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3,
Final Fantasy XIII and Final
Fantasy Versus XIII, a dual installment in the Fabula
Nova Crystallis compliation, were shown at TGS 2007 in order to appease the
Japanese market,[88] as well as other exclusive titles
such as Star Ocean 4, White Knight
Story and Yakuza 3.
Development
The PlayStation 3 is based on open and publicly available application programming interfaces. Sony has selected several
technologies and arranged several sublicensing agreements to create an advanced software development kit for developers.
Open standards for OpenGL, matrix algorithms, and scene data are specified by the
Khronos Group, and are intended to work with nVidia's Cg programming language. Scene data are stored with COLLADA
v1.4, an open, XML-based file format.[89] Rendering uses PSGL, a modified version of OpenGL ES 1.0 (OpenGL ES 2.0 compliant except for the use of Cg instead of
GLSL), with extensions specifically aimed at the PS3.[90] Other specifications include OpenMAX, a collection of fast, cross-platform tools for general "media acceleration," such as matrix
calculations, and OpenVG, for hardware-accelerated 2D vector
graphics. These specifications have GPL, free for any use, and/or
commercial implementations by third parties.
Sublicensed technology includes complete game engines, physics libraries, and special
libraries. Engines include Epic's Unreal engine 3.0.
Physics libraries include AGEIA's PhysX SDK, NovodeX,[91] and
Havok's physics and animation engines.[92] Other tools include Nvidia's Cg 1.5 (a C-like
shading language, which HLSL was
based upon), SpeedTree RT by Interactive Data Visualization, Inc. (high-quality virtual
foliage in real time), and Kynogon's Kynapse 4.0 "large scale A.I."[93]
Sony has considered using IPv6, the next generation of the Internet Protocol.[94]
Some titles, such as Genji: Days of the Blade and Ridge Racer 7, allow users to install 4–5 GB of game data
to the hard drive, which dramatically improves load times. In Genji, for example, the cached data reduces load times from
15 seconds to around 4 seconds.[95]
Recently, Sony announced a new tool set that will be free to all developers known as "PlayStation Edge" that will offer highly
optimized lightweight libraries for CELL SPUs. These libraries will provide code for animation, compression (expected to greatly
improve loading times), and many more features. The package will also provide 'GCM Replay', a powerful RSX profiling tool to
allow developers to gain the most out of the PlayStation 3's graphics chip.[96]
Backward compatibility
Sony stated that every PlayStation and PlayStation 2 game that observes its respective system's TRC (Technical Requirements
Checklist) would be playable on PS3 at launch. SCE president Ken Kutaragi asked developers
to adhere to the TRC to facilitate compatibility with future PlayStations, stating that the company was having some difficulty
getting backward compatibility with games that had not followed the TRCs. Initial NTSC PS3 units
include (see circuit board
image) the CPU/rasterizer combination chip used in the slim PS2 (EE+GS) to achieve backward compatibility.[97] The backward compatibility function is
region-locked.[98]
Initially, at launch, approximately 3% of PlayStation and PlayStation 2 titles had minor compatibility issues, including poor
audio, system freezes or controller malfunctions.[99]
Popular games reported to have these glitches included Tekken 5 and Gran Turismo 4.[100] Many
games had also been reported to have problems with garbled or unreadable text on-screen and generally blurry image quality, but
the January 24, 2007 software release, which updated the system
to version 1.50, has fully resolved this issue.[101]
Removal of hardware support
In order to reduce manufacturing costs,[102] the Emotion Engine (EE) is
not included in European and South Korean systems.[29][103] The 80 GB model released in North America also lacks hardware support for legacy titles.[104] Software emulation is used in place of
hardware support and as a result, backward compatibility for PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games is reduced.[102]
Backward compatibility is improved periodically through PlayStation 3 System
Software updates, however Sony has stated that its focus will eventually shift to developing
content exclusively for the PS3.[105][102][106] In the 40 GB model, backwards compatibility
with PlayStation 2 titles was omitted completely;[21] compatibility for most PlayStation titles will still be provided through software
emulation.[23]
On March 20, 2007 Sony released a compatibility list; 1,782 of the 2,451 PS2 games
(72%) released in Europe were playable on the European PS3, subsequent system software updates have improved software backwards
compatibility and added support for upscaling of PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games up to 1080p resolution.[107] Upscaling can improve picture quality in some situations.[108]
The Japanese PlayStation and PlayStation 2 game compatibility database has been updated with system software update version
1.93 in September 2007 and is also available on the official Japanese PlayStation website.[109]
Software
Operating system
-
Sony has added the ability for the operating system, referred to as System Software, to be updated. The update process
is similar to the firmware updates for the PlayStation Portable (PSP). The updates
can be downloaded from the PlayStation Network directly to the PS3 and subsequently installed. Sony has also provided users with
the ability to download system software updates from the Official PlayStation website to their PCs and then storage media, from which the update can be installed to the
system. Updates can also be installed from game discs that require the updates to be able to play the game.
The latest version of the software, 1.93, was released on September 13, 2007. This update fixes the random disconnecting issue caused by installation of the previous software update.
Version 1.92, released on September 4, 2007, changed the
playability status of some PlayStation 3 games on Europe [110] and changed PS2 games playability status (expanded backwards compatibility on the 80GB model) on
the US. The update was apparently released to fix a problem where users were not able to connect when playing Warhawk and game crashes during Warhawk play, but caused other errors which 1.93 fixed. [111]
Version 1.90, released on July 23, 2007, added Chinese character input options, allows the user to change the wallpaper on the XMB, and increases the speed of the Web browser. Also, users can now add emoticons to chats and messages
with Friends and eject discs using the controller. Finally, controller buttons are shown on-screen to identify menu shortcuts and
options.
Version 1.82 expanded codec support to allow for playback of AVC High Profile (H.264/MPEG-4) format video.[112] Version 1.80 provided the ability to upscale DVDs, along with PS1 and PS2 games, to
1080p resolution, as well as the ability to downscale Blu-ray video to 720p. It also enabled users on a home network to use the PS3 to view images, listen to music, or play videos that
are stored on their DLNA-compatible devices (including PCs and laptops)
elsewhere in the house, on the same network as the PS3. Software version 1.80 added support for the xvYCC color space for AVCHD-encoded media and set
the stage for improvements in the PSP Remote Play function; thanks to the firmware update, PSP owners are now able to access
their PS3 from anywhere in the world — as long as a broadband connection is available and firmware 3.50 for the PSP is installed.
A new type of slideshow display pattern was added, along with zoom and trim functions for images. In addition, the Memory Card
Adaptor can now be used to transfer PS/PS2 game saves from the PS3 hard drive to a PS/PS2 memory card; the update also allowed
for the transferral of copy-protected PS/PS2 game saves. CD information can now be edited, and users can submit information to
All Music Guide. Finally, software version 1.80 included the ability to print photos
stored on the PS3’s hard drive or inserted storage media with a selection of Epson printers via USB.[113] Users with version before 1.6 will not be able to restore their backed up data
on another PlayStation 3 with 1.6 or later. The user will need to update his/her firmware on his/her PlayStation 3 before backing
it up in order to restore onto another PlayStation 3.
Graphical user interface
-
The PlayStation 3 version of the XrossMediaBar (pronounced Cross Media Bar, or abbreviated XMB) includes 8 categories of
options. These include: Users, Settings, Photo, Music, Video, Game, Network and Friends (similar to the PlayStation Portable media bar). The PS3 includes the ability to store various master and secondary
user profiles, manage and explore photos with or without a musical slideshow, play music and copy audio CD tracks to an attached storage device, play movies and video files from the hard disk drive, an
optional USB mass storage or Flash card, or an optical disc (Blu-ray Disc, DVD-Video or VCD), compatibility for a USB keyboard
and mouse, and a full web browser supporting in/compatible file download function. The
Friends menu allows mail with emoticon and attached picture features and video chat which requires an optional PlayStation Eye or Eyetoy webcam. The Network menu allows online
shopping through the PlayStation Store.
Also, the PlayStation 3 adds the ability to multitask in ways such as listening to stored audio files while surfing the web or
looking at pictures.[114] The PlayStation 3 XMB supports
a variety of file formats (audio, image, video).
Because the PlayStation 3 is capable of running Linux, other formats can be played through the operating system, assuming the
correct codec is present. In a separate demo Sony presented the "Marketplace" where users can buy and download music. The PS3
reserves 64 MB of RAM at all times for XMB functions.
The XMB's default background color changes depending on the current month of the year, and it changes brightness depending on
the time of day. However, a later firmware revision (1.90) lets users change the background of
the XMB to display anything saved under "Image" in the XMB. This was released on July 23
2007.[115]
Q-Games Ltd, a small development company based in Kyoto,
Japan, developed the graphics technology behind the XMB,
its stylized background, and the built-in music visualizers. The PlayStation 3 uses a version of the NetFront browser by Access Co. as its internal web browser. It is the same
browser used in the PlayStation Portable (Sony-branded NetFront 2.81) with the same interface, menus and virtual keyboard. Sony
has also worked with Stanford University to bring the Folding@home project to the PS3.[116] Once downloaded, the program can be configured to run when the system is idle or executed manually
from the XMB.
Linux
-
Sony has included an option in the XMB menu to install other operating systems.[117] Among other Linux distributions, Ubuntu, Fedora 7, Gentoo, Debian, and Yellow Dog
have been run on the PS3.[118][119][120][121]
Sony currently implements a hypervisor restricting RSX access,[122]
though the graphics are fast enough for emulation of some old systems. Linux has access to 6 of the 7 SPEs, and IBM provides an introduction to
programming parallel applications on the PlayStation 3.
As of Linux kernel 2.6.21, the PlayStation 3 has official Linux support and does not require any special patching to function.
An up to date Linux kernel source with all the latest PlayStation 3 bug fixes and improvements is listed here; and a
frequently updated user
friendly build (currently based on the Linux kernel 2.6.23-rc3) is also available.
| “ |
Because we have plans for having Linux on board the PS3, we also recognize Linux
programming activities… Other than game studios tied to official developer licenses, we had like to see various individuals
participate in content creation for the PS3. |
” |
|
—Izumi Kawanishi, on the presence
of Linux in the PS3.[123]
|
PlayStation Network
-
In response to Microsoft's success on their Xbox Live network, Sony announced a unified
online service for the PlayStation 3 system at the 2006 PlayStation Business Briefing meeting in Tokyo. Sony has confirmed that
the service will be always connected,[124] free and include multiplayer support; however, developers are permitted to charge a
subscription fee, as is common with MMO games.
At the Tokyo Game Show on September 21,
2006, it was revealed that users will be able to download some of the thousands of PlayStation 1
and PlayStation 2 titles from the PlayStation Network for about US$5–$15, starting with those with the smallest game data. The
reason to allow this kind of functionality is that Sony to allow the users to choose the games of their preference.
Ken Kutaragi also announced functionality with other systems, similar to Nintendo's Virtual Console, including confirmed Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16 functionality; however,
Sega replied that Sony had been too hasty with calling it a fact, and that it was still "under
examination".[125]
The registration interface can only be accessed through the PS3 system interface.[126] As of firmware update 1.60, there are three methods for typing on the PS3,
which includes an on-screen T9 "dial pad" system (similar to writing a text message
on a mobile phone) that predicts words as they are typed. Another is a traditional on-screen keyboard, and finally the use of a
physical USB or Bluetooth keyboard is also available.[127] The predictive text does not predict any capitalized words, causing users that want to make
use of this feature to input all words in lowercase and then go back and capitalize the first letters (if needed). An alternative
is to add words to the system’s built-in predictive text dictionary; also, the unit automatically keeps track of any inputted
terms.[127]
Credit cards and electronic money (via the Edy system) are two ways PlayStation 3 owners
in Japan can purchase content through the Japanese PlayStation
Store. On May 8, 2007 Sony Computer Entertainment announced
PlayStation Network Cards,[128] a form of electronic money that can be used with the Store. PlayStation Network Tickets, available
in units of 1,000, 3,000, 5,000, and 10,000
