Kutaragi: PS3 is "clearly a computer

June 8th, 2006, 17:33 Posted By: wraggster

Sony Computer Entertainment boss Ken Kutaragi has bigged up PlayStation 3 as a full-on computer today, noting that PC-style upgrades and build to order systems could be on the way.

"Speaking about the PS3, we never said we will release a game console," Kutaragi said, In an Interview with Japan's PC Watch. "It is radically different from the previous PlayStation. It is clearly a computer. Indeed, with a game console, you need to take out any unnecessary elements inside the console in order to decrease its cost. ... This will of course apply to the PS3 as well."

The PlayStation boss continued, saying that the PS3's highly configurable hardware overrides any issue of cost, and even suggested that the next-gen PlayStation could keep up with PC technology. "The PS3 is a computer," said Kutaragi. "Lowering costs is important but more important is its capacity to evolve.

I think the HDD will gain in capacity. If a new technology gets into mainstream PCs, the PS3 will have to adopt it as well. Maybe the Blu-ray drive will become writable. Well, maybe not at this point.

Kutaragi then continued his 'PS3 as a computer' campaign, saying that the HDD is not the only element that gives the console a computer nature. "Everything has been planned and designed so it will become a computer. The previous PlayStation had a memory slot as its unique interface. In contrast, the PS3 features PC standard interfaces. Because they are standard, they are open.

Kutaragi continued: "We put up no restrictions. Because it is a computer, it can interact with anything, freely. If someone is familiar with PC building, he or she can easily upgrade PS3's HDD."

Console traditionalists might be put off by all the talk of yearly tweaks and upgrades, but by the looks of it this is exactly the kind of route Kutaragi would like to take with the PS3.

"I think a year from the launch we could indeed extend the configuration of the PS3. Why not!" conceded Kutaragi. "Okay, this is may be joke or a personal opinion. I mean we have no such plan at this very moment. However, companies like Dell or Apple have such programs. In the PC world, specifications rarely last more than two years. You need to update them. I believe the PC is always evolving. I think that the time may come that the 60GB HDD would become too small or the RAM to low. Such issues are numerous."

It looks like the days of tamper-free, technically inferior consoles could be over. But can the PS3 really compete with PC technology? Do gamers really want to upgrade their consoles every few years? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Via CVG

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