Mourning 60 gigabytes of loss

They might have been $600 at launch, but nowadays there are plenty of gamers who are glad that they sprang for the original 60GB model of Sony's PlayStation 3. The system features built-in WiFi, every memory card slot you could want, a roomy hard drive, and, most importantly, full, hardware-based backwards compatibility with the PlayStation 2. These 60GB models are prized, hoarded, and, if you don't have one, hunted. Why? Because not only did Sony discontinue the 60GB PS3, but later versions of the console have actually lost features.

In this article, we'll take a look at what has happened to Sony's flagship console SKU, and we'll recount our experience of trying to get one of these precious 60GB models replaced under warranty. If you've got a 60GB PS3, you'll want to read this in case yours ever croaks. And, if you don't have one, read it anyway and wonder what Sony is thinking by discontinuing their best unit.

The glory days

Though the PlayStation 3 has been steadily gaining steam, buying one of Sony's consoles can be a slightly confusing process. Prior to the latest generation of consoles, gamers have typically enjoyed one standard SKU for the entirety of a console's life cycle; in the past most updates were internal and mostly unnoticeable to the end user. But with the latest generation of consoles from both Sony and Microsoft, different versions of each console differ significantly, to the point where key features are lost and gained across SKUs.

When the PlayStation 3 launched in North America back in November 2006, two SKU options were available: the 20GB model and the 60GB model. The 20GB PS3 sported a small hard drive, no internal WiFi, no flash card readers, and four USB ports. The 60GB had the bigger hard drive, integrated WiFi, a bevy of flash card readers, and four USB ports. Both included the PS2's original Emotion Engine chip, which offered full backwards compatibility with the older console.

By April 2007, the 20GB unit had been discontinued, leaving only the 60GB SKU for consumers. Though PS3 sales were slow for the first half of 2007, the 60GB remained the unit of choice. Hundreds of thousands of gamers got on board with the 60GB, unaware that their purchase could become an issue down the road. In July, the 80GB SKU was announced alongside a $100 60GB price cut.

The 80GB units hit retail in August. Aside from the inclusion of MotorStorm and the slightly bigger hard drive, the unit was almost identical to the 60GB. However, a key hardware revision had taken place: the Emotion Engine chipset had been removed. This change meant that the console's PS2 backwards compatibility had gone from full-blown, faultless hardware emulation to mostly-compatible software emulation.



The 60GB, 20GB, 80GB, and 40GB PlayStation 3 configurations

In spite of the new SKUs, the 60GB became the preferred unit for many, but it quickly became apparent that its future wasn't so bright. Talk of the discontinuation of the line began as word of yet another SKU surfaced. These rumblings were ultimately confirmed when the 40GB SKU landed in November, with the new unit sporting integrated WiFi and two USB slots. However, the 40GB no longer included even software emulation for PS2 titles.

In the wake of the 40GB model's launch, Sony effectively killed the 20GB and 60GB units, leaving only the 40GB and 80GB SKUs to carry the torch. While the 20GB unit was never all that popular, stock of the 60GB continued to dwindle despite the new SKUs. And why not? The 60GB unit was easily the top-of-the-line PS3, boasting all the features of its predecessors and successors alike.

Whether it was for purposes of cost-cutting or a desire to keep the sales of the PS2 strong, Sony effectively killed the best PS3 SKU when it quietly discontinued the 60GB. Those wanting full, integrated backwards compatibility for their PlayStation 3 in lieu of picking up a PlayStation 2 on the side were out of luck. It's a confusing situation, to be sure, but the takeaway here is that the discontinued 60 GB unit is effectively the top-of-the-line PS3 SKU, ahead of the two units that are still in production.

This is perhaps the first time that a relatively popular console SKU has been completely eliminated from production during the ongoing life-cycle of the product without an equivalent replacement.

He's dead, Jim

Given the situation, it's easy to understand the worry that many 60GB owners may be feeling in the wake of reports of irreplaceable broken 60GB units. My own 60GB died after almost a year of use; the unit stopped reading discs during a long session of Grand Theft Auto IV.

The unit was manufactured in February 2007 and purchased in September 2007. Though the unit itself is still functional, the laser diode has worn out, hindering the system's ability to read discs. This is one of the very few PS3s anyone on the Opposable Thumbs team has heard of breaking down. With admittedly heavy use and lots of transport, the PS3 seems to be an incredibly hardy piece of equipment.

Nevertheless, mine was dead. And though I was disappointed, it was time to see how easily we'd be able to get a 60GB unit replaced or fixed in North America. Losing backwards compatibility simply wasn't acceptable.

I had purchased an extended warranty at a local GameStop outlet (still called Electronics Boutique in Canada) in the event that the unit should break. However, having heard about the issues with returning the now-discontinued unit around the 'net, I knew that the process wasn't going to be as painless as one would hope. Turns out I was right.