Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has made a splash at E3 2008 by announcing a brand new PS3 80GB model that will oust the current 80GB model in the market. Since both have the same storage space, what are the differences between the two? For starters, the new PS3 80GB model will be the mainstay of the company’s gaming hardware line-up, and it will retail for a more affordable $399 that ought to see more sales fly off the shelves in due time. In addition to that, it will also have the entire range of features and functionality found in the 40GB model, albeit with double the storage for you to store a whole lot more movies, graphics, music, photos and other entertainment content without forking out an extra dollar. Other notable features include Blu-ray playback capability, HDMI output, integrated Wi-Fi connectivity, the vaunted Cell Broadband Engine and an integrated 80GB hard drive. In addition to this new 80GB model, Sony also has plans for its PSP handheld platform that is slowly but surely picking up in terms of sales and game quality worldwide. More about that right after the jump.

Following the success of five PSP (PlayStation Portable) Entertainment Packs, SCEA announced the Ratchet and Clank Size Matters PSP Entertainment Pack, a new bundle showcasing PSP’s multi-functional feature set, targeted for holiday gift-giving. Launching in October 2008 for $199.99 MSRP, the bundle will include a limited-edition “Silver” PSP system with the highly acclaimed game, Ratchet and Clank Size Matters; a blockbuster movie on UMD (Universal Media Disc); a PLAYSTATION Network voucher to download the innovative puzzle game, echochrome from PLAYSTATION Store: and a 1GB Memory Stick PRO Duo for storing music, videos, photos and more.

Do these developments make you want to rush out and place and order for one (or both) devices, if you don’t have either one yet? What will it take for you to pick up a Sony console if you’re a Microsoft or Nintendo fanboy?

Press Release