PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3 (officially marketed PLAYSTATION 3,[5] commonly abbreviated PS3) is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the 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.

A major feature that distinguishes the PlayStation 3 from its predecessors is its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network,[6] which contrasts with Sony's former policy of relying on game developers for online play.[7] Other major features of the console include its robust multimedia capabilities,[8] connectivity with the PlayStation Portable,[9] and its use of a high-definition optical disc format, Blu-ray Disc, as its primary storage medium.[10] The PS3 was also the first Blu-ray 2.0-compliant Blu-ray player on the market.[11]

The PlayStation 3 was first released on November 11, 2006 in Japan,[12] November 17, 2006 in North America,[13] and March 23, 2007 in Europe and Oceania.[14][15] Two SKUs were available at launch: a basic model with a 20 GB hard drive (HDD), and a premium model with a 60 GB hard drive and several additional features[16] (the 20 GB model was not released in Europe or Oceania).[17] Since then, several revisions have been made to the console's available models.