Sony’s PS3-sized hole keeps on getting deeper

So at the current count, the European PS3 is going to be more expensive than the US or Japan, the British PS3 is going to be more expensive than most of Europe or Ireland, the PS3-only games are going to suck until Metal Gear Solid comes out and you’re not going to be able to play all your old PS2 titles, although you’re going to be able to play ‘some’, because they’ve done a “cost reduction” (without actually reducing the cost).

Even more infuriating is that while one of the very few good decisions Sony have made with the PS3 is to make PS3 games region free, this doesn’t apply to the PS2 part of the system. As a result, you can’t play our PS2 games on an American PS3, but you will be able to play more of the American games. Lovely.

If you really must have a PS3, you can buy a British PS2 (now £50 from ASDA) and an American 60GB PS3 for less than the £425 you’ll be screwed by if you buy a single PS3 here, even when you include VAT and Customs charges. It’ll probably arrive before the launch too. Such a shame that Sony keep on threatening retailers who try and sell even a control pad over here (and apparently perfectly legally, too) – why would you want to encourage them, anyway?

Anyway, a price comparison worth pointing out: the US Xbox360 Premium pack is $400 (£204.74). Adding VAT to that, you get £240.57. Considering shipping costs from the US that you’d have to cover, the British price of £269 actually starts to look reasonable, especially when you consider that bundles are starting to show up at around that price with actual games in it – and, what’s more, there’s actually more than one 360 game you’d want to own. When Microsoft are playing fairer than the competition, Sony really need to consider exactly why they’re in the wrong and how to get themselves out of it before the PS3 sinks them.