Sony will cut costs for European PlayStation 3
Sony is going to cut costs for European PS3 by removing a chip, a move that cuts costs but means users cannot play some of their old games.
Unlike the PS3 being sold in the United States and Japan, the European version will not carry a Sony-made microchip that offers graphic- and data-processing functions for PS2 games, cutting production costs, said a spokesman for game unit Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE).
The console will still be equipped with a different chip that processes graphics for PS2 games, but the backward compatibility of the machine will be lessened, the spokesman said.
Sony packs the PS3 with its cutting-edge technology such as a Blu-ray high-definition DVD player and the Cell microchip, dubbed a "supercomputer on a chip", which provides lifelike graphics and high-speed downloading of game software and video clips.
In another cost-cutting measure, Sony is planning to introduce Cell chips with circuitry width of 65 nanometres this year, replacing the current 90-nanometre ones.Narrower circuitry makes microchips smaller, cutting per-chip production costs. A nanometre is one billionth of a metre.
The basic model of the PS3 sells for 49,980 yen ($426.5) in Japan and $499 in the United States
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