Sony: '40GB PS3 still a powerful machine'

Global Sony chief Kaz Hirai has told European customers who have recently purchased a 40GB PS3 console that they still have "a very powerful machine".

Following news that Sony is to phase out the 40GB model and replace it with a 80GB PS3, Hirai is keen to reassure customers that their games system was still a worthwhile buy.

Speaking to MCV, Hirai said: "The PS3 is a console that evolves and specifications will change over time. Ultimately, if the consumers require a higher capacity hard drive, the ability to do that is there.

"40GB is obviously less than 80GB, but it’s still a high number and a very powerful machine. We strive to evolve and offer the most compelling value we can at any point in time. If consumers require extra hard drive, they can just swap it out.

“We brought in the 80GB because we wanted to make sure we continued offering the value proposition to consumers in the true fashion of PlayStation.

"We heard a lot of response from the consumers basically saying 40GB is nice, but with a lot of additional download products we were offering via the PlayStation Network, consumers were looking for a higher capacity hard drive.

"We thought it was a great time to introduce it at E3, but also make sure that we continued to keep the pricing the same.”