PS3 20 GB A Failure World Wide Say Good-Bye

The smaller capacity version of the Playstation 3 is officially on its way out because it accounted for less than 10% of all unit sales, according to Sony.

The 20 GB PS3 retails for $100 less than the higher capacity model, at around $500. In addition to a smaller hard drive, the 20 GB PS3 was overlooked by many because it does not have built-in WiFi connectivity. Virtually all major retailers, including Gamestop and EB Games, have already stopped selling the basic model.

It's also a way for Sony to cut back, however minimally, on production costs for the system. It is still struggling to catch a massive audience after the hype of the November launch. In January, it was the slowest selling among the three next-gen consoles, with about 244,000 units sold during that month. By comparison, the Wii sold 436,000, according to sales data from NPD Group.

The 60 GB model was so overwhelmingly chosen over the cheaper version that the 20 GB unit was not even released in Europe, Australia, and other Eastern countries.

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