Sony Drops PS3 Price, Adds Video Downloads

By Nick Mokey July 16, 2008

Sony may have given up on catching the Nintendo Wii (an “expensive niche device,” as Sony CEO Howard Stringer knows it,) but the company hasn’t lost hope of catching up with Microsoft’s Xbox 360. At its E3 press conference, Sony revealed two major strategies for nabbing the big green X: another price drop, and online video downloads.

The price drop will apply only to the current top-of-the-line 80GB PS3, which will fall from $499 to $399. The 40GB model, which currently sells for that price, will disappear completely, leaving just one system in the line-up.

Recommended Videos

The video delivery service, which seems to be aimed squarely at Microsoft’s Xbox Live, will allow Internet-connected PS3s to download movies and TV shows to rent or own. The initial library of over 300 movies and 1,200 TV shows will come from studios including Paramount, Disney, 20th Century Fox, and Sony Pictures. Some content will even be available in high definition. Movie prices will range from $2.99 to $5.99 for rentals and $9.99 to $14.99 for purchased titles.

Sony will change up its PS3 price structure in September, while the video delivery service for existing PS3 owners began operating Tuesday night.

Managing Editor

As Digital Trends’ Managing Editor, Nick Mokey oversees an editorial team delivering definitive reviews, enlightening…

Gaming

PS Plus adds Evil Dead, OlliOlli World, and more in February

A still from Evil Dead: The Game showing a man holding a gun in a supermarket.

PlayStation Plus Essential's February game lineup was announced today, and it consists of four titles: OlliOlli World, Evil Dead: The Game, Mafia: Definitive Edition, and Destiny 2: Beyond Light. These games will be available to download starting February 7. Overall, this is a really solid batch of games.

OlliOlli World was one of my personal favorite games of 2022 because of its amazing level design and 2D skateboarding gameplay that only becomes more fun as you get better with the game. "Like the best games of the genre, it knows that easy-to-learn-but-hard-to-master mechanics, rewarding obstacles, and high speeds that test one’s reaction time are the hallmarks of a great platformer," I wrote in a four-and-a-half star review of the game last February.

Gaming

Sony’s Project Leonardo controller is only compatible with PS5

A close up angle of the Project Leonardo controller shows off its button panels.

Sony's new adaptive controller, codenamed Project Leonardo, will only be compatible with PS5 when it launches. In a statement to Digital Trends, the company confirmed that the accessibility-focused tech won't work with PS4 or PC.

Project Leonardo was announced at Sony's CES 2023 showcase. The unique controller aims to let more players experience PlayStation games thanks to its highly customizable design and functionality. Digital Trends reached out to Sony following the presentation to ask if the controller would work with PS4. In its response, Sony confirms that it's built to work with PS5 exclusively.

Gaming

Sony revives a PlayStation 2 deep cut as a PS VR2 launch title

Fireworks explode in Fantavision 202X.

Sony announced a new batch of games coming to the PlayStation VR2, including a handful of titles that'll launch with the hardware on February 22. The most notable game on that list is Fantavision 202X, a left-field revival of one of the PlayStation 2's most peculiar launch games.

The announcement comes from a new Sony blog post focused on Japanese-developed games coming to PS VR2. The post includes five games, four of which are newly announced launch titles for the tech. Fantavision, which launches February 22, especially stands out as it has some historical significance for PlayStation fans.