Sony ships 80GB PlayStation 3

Sony today announced that its 80GB PlayStation 3 is shipping, returning the company's game console lineup to two models. As promised, the new version both adds the extra 20GB of storage and bundles a copy of MotorStorm, marking the 80GB model as one of the first standard-issue Sony consoles to ship with a full game since the original PlayStation. Features remain unchanged from the 60GB model except for the removal of direct hardware compatibility with PS1 and PS2 games in order to save cost on the system, which should be available this week for $599.

Despite initial worries, the 60GB PS3 remains available through retailers and is selling at the same $499 price as before, though Sony has yet to issue an official statement explaining if or when the lower-end system will be either canceled or replaced with a version that strips out hardware PS1/PS2 support.