FCC filing points to lower-cost PS3

Substantiating rumors that Sony is planning to deliver a new, relatively low-cost Playstation 3 designed specifically to tackle the price gap between the Blu-Ray console and Microsoft's $350 Xbox 360, a new FCC filing points to an upcoming Playstation 3 model that sports two USB ports instead of four, and other differences from the currently available 80GB, $599 model. While explicit details like photos and technical specifications were blocked from public view, the filing does discuss various technologies, including Bluetooth, 802.11b/g WiFi, that required FCC certification. We previously reported that, in addition to an expected price cut that would bring the new 80GB PS3 down from $600 to $500 once existing supplies of the 60GB are exhausted, Sony is expected to release a 40GB version for $400 -- the lowest price yet for the system and a $100 price difference versus the launch console of November 2006. Either the 80GB model or both would also come packed with a Blu-Ray copy of Spider-Man 3 as an incentive.