PlayStation 3 Turns 20, and the Launch Model's PS2 Slot Still Reads as Romance
The PlayStation 3 launched in Japan on November 11, 2006, and GAME Watch marks the 20th anniversary with a feature on the console's place in the shift from standard definition to full HD.
1 source 1h ago
Reporting from 1 source: GAME Watch (Impress).
Why it matters
The anniversary reading is that the PS3's legacy rests less on its launch lineup than on the hardware bets, PS2 compatibility and Blu-ray, that defined the generation and the Sony Group's disc format.
Key Facts
- The PlayStation 3 released in Japan on November 11, 2006.
- The PS3's Cell Broadband Engine was developed by IBM, Sony, and Toshiba.
- The PS3 included a Blu-ray Disc drive as standard, with a maximum capacity of 50GB per disc.
- The launch model included PS2 compatibility, which the feature calls its ultimate romance.
- PlayStation Home was a 3D virtual space that players crowded into at its peak.
The piece singles out the Cell Broadband Engine, developed by IBM, Sony, and Toshiba, and the standard Blu-ray Disc drive, which held up to 50GB on a single disc.
The feature is written by someone who lived through the launch, and it spends its space on two things the spec sheet cannot carry: the launch model's PS2 compatibility, which the writer calls the console's ultimate romance, and PlayStation Home, the 3D virtual space players crowded into at its peak. The Cell Broadband Engine gets the technical paragraph, credited to IBM, Sony, and Toshiba pooling funds and engineers. The Blu-ray drive gets the strategic one: DVD topped out at 8.5GB dual-layer, and the 50GB disc was a wager on the Sony Group's format as much as a game medium.
Written with AI by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited. See our editorial policy.
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Sources
- GAME Watch (Impress) 「PlayStation 3」が発売20周年！ HD時代の扉を開いたPS3が刻んだ軌跡と栄光