More Info Hits On Gimped PAL PS3

[wraggster]

Well, slightly more. Last month, we reported that the PAL PS3 was going to come up rather short. The console's innards will be different from ones sitting around Japan and the US, and the machine PS2 backwards compatability will be, and we quote, "limited." But with the TV division finally turning a profit, and Sony losing money on each PS3 sold, it's time to cut games costs. And cut 'em for PAL regions!

Today in Tokyo, Sony pretty much riterated what we've heard before: The PAL PS3 won't carry the microchip that dishes up PS2 data and graphic processing functions. Instead, it will be outfitted with a different chip altogether — A cheaper, crappy chip that will lower the console's BC.

What's more, Sony aims to roll out Cell chips with a smaller circuity width (the new ones will be 65-nanometers as compared to the current 90-nano ones). Narrow circuitry means smaller chips, lowering production costs. Not sure how that will effect quality. Japanese investors were happy by today's announcement as company shares rose 3 percent. But what do gamers in PAL regions think? Oh, right. They're pissed!

via kotaku

[RicardoG]

Well first of all the PS3 won't use any chip to emulate the PS1 or PS2 it will be emulated by software, for the smaller chip it's good news...because it won't get the CPU to overheat, this new CPU/PS3 will be cooler than the rest of the others.
The only bad news there is until now is the missing Chip Emotion Engine.

[DPyro]

They should have done this from the beginning.

[Shrygue]

Indeed.

[Psumoni]

Call me crazy, but don't you think they might actually sell 2-3 PS2 games to owners of PS3's?

Seems full PS2 compatibility would pay for itself.

[mavsman4457]

I can't imagine that it would be too difficult to fix up the software so that most of the PS2 games are compatible on PS3. It's just a matter of time I think.

[Triv1um]

lets say sony was a sandwich company -

the new cheese sandwich

jap model comes with -
bread
butter
cheese

costs £100

they are releasing it in europe

europes cheese sandwich comes with -
bread

and it costs £1000

obviously the ps3 is like a sandwich

its not fair.

[F9zDark]

We have known for quite some time that Sony was going to phase out the PS2 chip in favor of a software solution. Sadly they chose Europe as the first adopters of software. But is it really something to complain about?

Software is better in the long run and eventually (probably in the next 6 months) all said BC issues will be solved and us in Japan and America would have paid for something that isn't even utilized anymore.

Obviously it sucks to pay more for less, as our fellows in Europe are forced to do and I still firmly believe Sony should have waited until March to do a worldwide launch, but thats not how the cards were played.

[jimjamjahaa]

65nm tech is better in every regard... the post makes it sound like its a bad thing

and i wouldnt mind about the lack of emotion chip if there was a price cut to reflect it... but there isnt.

just knock that 25 quid off and make it a round 400... that seems alot more tempting to me.