Sony PS3 to Hit Hong Kong, Taiwan on Nov. 17

A month after cutting back international launch plans for the PlayStation 3 console, Sony Computer Entertainment has expanded them again, and will start selling the device in Hong Kong and Taiwan on Nov. 17, it said this week.

Sony PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3, Sony’s first new game console in six years, is scheduled to debut in Japan just over a week from now on Nov. 11. Then it will hit stores in North America on Nov. 17. It was originally scheduled to go on sale in Europe and Australasia at the same time, but Sony postponed the launch in those regions until March 2007 because of component shortages that meant it wouldn’t have enough consoles ready in time.

Typically the launch of game consoles in Asian markets outside of Japan has lagged behind both North America and Europe, but now Sony will put the PlayStation 3 on sale simultaneously with its North American launch.

Sony was not immediately available to comment due to a public holiday in Japan on Friday.

The more expensive version with a 60GB hard-disk drive will go on sale in Hong Kong and Taiwan on Nov. 17 and cost Hong Kong $3,780 and new Taiwanese $17,980 (US$486 and $544), respectively. The cheaper version with a 20GB hard-disk drive will hit the two countries in December and cost HK$3,180 and NT$14,980, respectively.

-Martyn Williams, IDG News Service (Tokyo Bureau)