Kutaragi Says PS3 is Actually a PC

That's funny, because all this time we thought it was just a super-expensive games console.

When you think of Sony computers, you probably think of the company's wide range of Vaio notebooks and desktops. If PlayStation boss Ken Kutaragi has his way, though, the next computer you buy from Sony could be the PlayStation 3.

Ask either of them, they'll tell you the same thing

Kutaragi has become known for making outrageous statements about Sony's new system, and most recently he's argued that the PlayStation 3, unlike previous PlayStations, is not a game console but a genuine computer.

Part of his evidence for this is the hard drive, which owners will be able to replace with off-the-shelf components, just like they can with their computers.

"The [hard drive] is not the only element which gives the PS3 its computer nature," Kutaragi told Japanese site PC Watch. "Everything has been planned and designed so it will become a computer. The previous PlayStation had a memory slot as its unique interface. In contrast, the PS3 features PC standard interfaces. Because they are standard, they are open."

"We put up no restrictions. Because it is a computer, it can interact with anything, freely. If someone is familiar with PC building, he or she can upgrade easily PS3's [hard drive]."

Staying on this line of thought, Kutaragi joked that we could be seeing multiple configurations of the PlayStation 3 after just a year.

"Okay, this is may be joke or a personal opinion. I mean we have no such plan at this very moment. However, companies like Dell or Apple have such programs."

"In the PC world, specifications rarely last more than two years. You need to update them. I believe the PC is always evolving. I think that the time may come that the 60 GB [hard drive] would become too small or the RAM to low. Such issues are numerous."

Does that mean you'll be throwing out our PlayStation 3 as often as you do your computer? Probably not.

While Kutaragi may desperately want people to not think of the system as a game console, the company has been clear in the past that the core specifications won't be changing. Whether the PlayStation 3 becomes a true digital hub or languishes as a "mere" game console is up to owners to decide.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games