PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 , abbreviated as PS3 , is a video game console created by Sony . Together with the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox 360 , it is a seventh - generation console . It was released in November 2006 in Japan , the United States , Canada , Hong Kong , and Taiwan . The European release , however , was delayed until March 2007 . All models are compatible with original PlayStation games ; and certain early models are also compatible with PlayStation 2 games ( see below ) . It was the first console with access to the PlayStation Network . As of 2017 , the console is no longer being produced , though not formally discontinued except in New Zealand . It is succeeded by the PlayStation 4 in all territories . Hardware revisions . The initial models of the PlayStation 3 released in 2006 ( retroactively referred to in the gaming community as the " fat " or " Spider - Man " models ) were not well - received due to high price points , low storage , and limited third - party game support . Nonetheless , these models were perhaps the most complete in the series , as they included PlayStation 2 support through their discontinuation in late 2007 . The first two North American models ( CECHA and CECHB ) included the PS2 ' s main processors on the motherboard itself to achieve complete backward compatibility . The next two models , the European CECHC and the North American CECHE , removed the PS2 main CPU and transferred its roles to software emulation . By late 2007 , all PS2 compatibility was dropped . On September 1 , 2009 , the " slim " model of PlayStation 3 was released . The PS3 Slim was 32 % smaller than the original and consumed 34 % less power . In 2010 , Sony silently launched new revisions of the Slim console ( CECH - 210x ) featuring both a smaller CPU and a smaller GPU than original models , which led to another 22 % reduction in power consumption , lower heat output , noise reduction and 200g weight reduction . CECH - 210x consoles started to appear in Japan in March , in North America in May , and in Europe in June . In mid - 2012 , a third " superslim " model ( CECH - 4xxx ) was launched worldwide , slashing the power requirements by 15 - 20 % versus the 2009 models and further reducing the size and weight of the console itself . It also replaced the automatic slot - load disc mechanism with a fixed manual - open tray . The base model included an integrated 12 GB solid - state drive ( SSD ) . Limited editions . This bundle was released in Japan along with " Advent Children Complete " and a copy of the " Final Fantasy XIII " demo . It prominently features Cloud Strife ' s Fenrir badge . " Final Fantasy XIII " . This bundle was released on December 17 , 2009 for the release of " Final Fantasy XIII " . It is a ceramic white 250GB PS3 slim with a pink image of the character Lightning on the surface . It also includes a white controller , as well as the limited edition version with Lightning on the cover of the game . This bundle is only available in Japan . A similarly color oriented PlayStation 3 controller with the Chinese edition of " Final Fantasy XIII " was also sold as the Chinese edition was released . The bundle includes a ceramic white controller with a pink image of Lightning on the bottom right , the Chinese edition of the game , and a special PlayStation Network card for an avatar download . " Final Fantasy XIII - 2 " . This bundle was released in Japan on December 15th , 2011 for the release of " Final Fantasy XIII - 2 " . It is a black 320GB PS3 slim with a white image of Lightning from a , with hot - pink accents . A special edition Mog PlayStation 3 was available for prize winners of the Word to your Moogle tour . A special controller for " Lightning Returns : Final Fantasy XIII " was announced . It was manufactured by HORI , sports the logo for the game and comes with a special cleaning cloth . It does not support wireless gameplay as it is a cabled controller . It was released on November 21st , 2013 . . Another limited - edition controller was provided as a Gamestop exclusive , sporting a lightning decal throughout the controller while also featuring an image of the game ' s internal clock .