The mid-2000s were wild. If you were a gamer back then, you probably remember the absolute fever pitch of hype surrounding Sony’s follow-up to the most successful console ever. People weren't just curious about the successor to the PS2; they were obsessed. But the rollout was messy. Honestly, it was a bit of a localized disaster in some spots. When you ask when is the ps3 released, the answer depends entirely on where you were standing in 2006.
Sony had this grand plan for a "simultaneous worldwide launch." That didn't happen. Not even close. Instead, the world got a staggered, drama-filled release that saw some people fighting in parking lots while others had to wait nearly half a year just to see the thing in person.
The Short Version: Release Dates by Region
If you're just looking for the hard numbers, here’s how the initial "Fat" models hit the shelves:
- Japan: November 11, 2006
- North America: November 17, 2006
- Europe & Australia: March 23, 2007
Yeah, you read that right. Europe got left in the cold for four months. Sony blamed a shortage of the blue laser diodes used in the then-new Blu-ray drives. It was a huge blow to their "United" marketing strategy, and it gave Microsoft’s Xbox 360 a massive head start in PAL territories.
Why the PS3 Release Was Such a Headache
The launch wasn't just late; it was expensive. You might remember the infamous E3 2006 press conference where Kaz Hirai announced the price. Five hundred and ninety-nine US dollars. For the 60GB model. That’s about $930 in today’s money. It was a "giant enemy crab" moment for the brand.
Sony was essentially selling a supercomputer. The Cell Broadband Engine—a chip they developed with IBM and Toshiba—was incredibly powerful but notoriously difficult to program for. Early developers hated it. They called it a "nightmare" because the architecture was so different from the PC-like structure of the Xbox 360.
Then there was the hardware itself. The original launch units were absolute tanks. They had:
👉 See also: Why the Invisible Black Knife Assassin Is Elden Ring’s Most Terrifying Skill Check
- Four USB ports (luxury!)
- Built-in flash card readers (SD, CompactFlash, etc.)
- Full hardware-level backwards compatibility for PS2 games.
That last bit is why those original 20GB and 60GB models are still highly sought after by collectors today. They literally had a PS2 chip (the Emotion Engine) stuffed inside the PS3 casing. Eventually, Sony realized this was way too expensive to manufacture, so they started stripping features out to lower the price. By the time the 40GB model arrived in 2007, the PS2 chip was gone.
The Evolution of the Console
If you missed the 2006 madness, you probably bought one of the later revisions. Sony has a history of slimming down their consoles, and the PS3 was no exception.
The PS3 Slim arrived in September 2009. It was smaller, quieter, and—most importantly—only $299. This was the turning point. This was when the "PS3 has no games" meme finally died, thanks to heavy hitters like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Killzone 2.
Later, in 2012, we got the Super Slim. It had a sliding top-loader disc tray that felt a bit "budget," but it was incredibly efficient. It’s funny looking back; the console started as a high-end, heavy-as-lead multimedia hub and ended its life as a sleek, plasticky little machine that could fit in a backpack.
A Quick Look at the Launch Library
What were people actually playing on November 17, 2006? The lineup was... okay. Not legendary, but okay.
- Resistance: Fall of Man (The clear winner)
- Ridge Racer 7
- Genji: Days of the Blade (The "Giant Enemy Crab" game)
- Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom
- Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire
Compare that to the end of the console's life—titles like The Last of Us and Grand Theft Auto V—and you can see just how much power developers eventually squeezed out of that complicated Cell processor.
What Most People Get Wrong
A common misconception is that the PS3 "lost" that generation. It didn't. Even though it launched a year later than the Xbox 360 and cost a fortune, it eventually caught up. By the time the PS4 launched in 2013, the PS3 had sold roughly 87 million units worldwide, effectively tying with or slightly edging out the Xbox 360 depending on which month's data you look at.
It was a marathon, not a sprint. Sony pivoted from being an arrogant market leader to a company that focused on high-quality exclusives. They learned that tech specs don't mean much if people can't afford the box.
Actionable Next Steps for Enthusiasts
If you’re looking to pick up a PS3 today, don’t just buy the first one you see. Here is the move:
- If you want the "Ultimate" machine: Look for model numbers CECHAxx (60GB) or CECHBxx (20GB). These are the only ones with the physical PS2 hardware inside. Be warned: they run hot and are prone to the "Yellow Light of Death" (YLOD). You'll probably need to replace the thermal paste immediately.
- If you just want to play PS3 games: Get a Slim (not Super Slim). Specifically, the 2100 or 2500 series. These are widely considered the most reliable models. They are less prone to overheating and much quieter than the launch "Fat" units.
- Check the Controller: Authentic DualShock 3 controllers are getting hard to find. If the "P" logo on the home button looks slightly off, it’s probably a fake. Fakes usually have terrible analog dead zones that make shooters unplayable.