Originally announced at E3 in 2005, and released in Japan on November 11, 2006, the PlayStation 3 is Sony's third video game home console.
The initial launch of the PlayStation 3 included a 20GB and a 60GB model. When it was released, the PlayStation 3 supported backwards compatability with PlayStation and PlayStation 2 games. Eventually, Sony removed PlayStation 2 support.
On September 1, 2009, Sony released a revised "Slim" version of the PlayStation 3. The new console was smaller, quieter, and featured a matte black finish, as opposed to the Piano Black glossy finish found on the original models.
The PlayStation 3 is best known for its support and involvement in the growing adoption of Blu-Ray technology, as well as the free PlayStation Network online system.
