PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3 was released first in Japan on 11th November 2006, then in North America six days later on 17th November and finally in Europe on 21st March 2007.
PlayStation 3 is the third home console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. The early models of PlayStation 3 included several features that have gradually been phased out in favour of significant firmware upgrades allowing for major improvements and tweaks to the console.
All models of PlayStation 3 can output video in full HD 1080p resolution and play Blu-ray discs in this format. PlayStation 3 also has built-in 802.11b/g wi-fi which can operate at 108Mbps, as well as having a wired network connection. The official controller for PlayStation 3 is called DualShock 3 and features motion sensitive controls as well as a ‘rumble’ feature. The original controller for PlayStation 3, the Sixaxis, did not feature rumble support and was discontinued in early 2008. All models of PlayStation 3 are able to play PS One games, either downloaded from the PSN Store or on the original PlayStation discs.
The original European launch model, known sometimes as a ‘launch 60GB’, features the ability to play PlayStation 2 games through software emulation, as well as having four USB ports, a 60GB hard-drive, a flash memory card reader and is able to read Super Audio CDs. It was bundled with a Sixaxis controller and originally retailed at £425.
Later in 2007 a hardware revision was unveiled and the ‘launch 60GB’ model was 
discontinued in favour of the standard ’40GB’ model which lacks the ability to play PlayStation 2 games and Super Audio CDs, as well as having only two USB ports. Removing these features allowed Sony to reduce the RRP of PlayStation 3 to £299.
The following year saw yet another hardware revision, though this time adding features to the retail SKU. This new ’80GB’ model features an 80GB hard drive and was bundled with the ‘DualShock 3′ controller that features both motion control and the rumble ability. The RRP remained unchanged at £299.
The biggest hardware revision so far occurred in September 2009, with the release of ‘PS3 Slim’. The new slim model brought the RRP down to £249 (though several retailers including Sainsbury’s sold the console at £199 for a limited period) and added the ’Bravia Sync’ ability, allowing owners of Sony Bravia televisions to navigate the PlayStation 3′s XMB (Xross Media Bar) menu system using their television’s remote control. 
The 80GB hard drive was replaced with either a 120GB hard drive or, for an extra £35, a 250GB hard drive. Finally, PS3 Slim features full support for Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD Master Audio bitstreaming. PS3 Slim does not have any support for installing a third-party Operating System like Linux. Upon release, PS3 Slim was hailed as a significant turning point for Sony, increasing sales dramatically and gaining impressive reviews from the industry.
Alongside the various hardware revision, PlayStation 3 has received several major firmware updates that have added new functionality to the PS3 (and in one case removed functionality). The first few updates were mainly minor tweaks, fixing glitches in games and adding support for minor peripherals like webcams. Later updates added DVD upscaling, Trophy support, 3D gaming support, the ability to access the XMB in-game and an option to automatically switch off the PS3 after downloads have completed.
One of the more controversial updates occurred in March 2010 when the ability of non-Slim PS3s to run Linux was removed. 
Gamers who want to continue to use Linux can still do so but must forfeit any future firmware updates to the console. Sony cited very low usage and security concerns as the main reasons for removing the Linux installation option after a PS3 was hacked via Linux, potentially opening the door to piracy and software cracks on the console in the future.
What does the future have in store for PlayStation 3? 3D gaming is now a reality thanks to a firmware update to allow certain PS3 games to be output in 3D on a television that also supports this feature. The ability to play Blu-ray discs in 3D will be enabled later in 2010, followed by the launch of PlayStation Move towards the end of the year.
As PlayStation 3 progresses there will further firmware updates and hardware revision, some of which are expected but many of which will come as a surprise. The most requested feature is the ability to use cross-game chat – gamers can already chat to friends using a bluetooth headset but this is currently restricted to those friends playing the same game as you. Cross-game chat would break down this barrier and allow audio communication between friends no matter what games were being played. It is likely that PlayStation 3 will feature cross-game chat at some stage in the future, though nothing has officially been confirmed by Sony.
The other major feature frequently requested by gamers is backwards compatibility with PlayStation 2 software. Sony have repeatedly stated that they have no plans to release a firmware update that will enable this on non-launch models of PlayStation 3, but the rumours persist. Whatever any future updates have in store, PlayStation 3 has evolved significantly since its original launch back in 2006 and we can be certain that it will continue to do so in the future.