Sony has locked in 17 November as the Australian launch date for the PlayStation 3, just in time for Christmas. The system will come in two bundles -- a PS3 with a 20GB hard drive (confirmed RRP of AU$829) and one with a 60GB HDD (confirmed RRP of AU$999).
As a comparison, the Xbox 360's core bundle retails for AU$499, while its upgrade bundle which includes a 20GB hard drive retails for AU$649.
The Australian launch date will come one week after the US and Japan release for Sony's next generation games console. European territories will also receive the PS3 on 17 November. The almost simultaneous worldwide launch date is a stark contrast to Microsoft's Xbox 360, which was released in Australia a number of months after its US release. However, we wouldn't bet money on Sony hitting that date, as global launches are a logistical nightmare, and as with Xbox 360, supply issues could cause delays.