Harrison On PS3 SKU Differences, Controller Redesign, PSP/PS3 Functionality

In an interview with video game consumer website GamePro, Sony's president of Worldwide Studios Phil Harrison addressed several topics, including the differences between the 20 and 60 GB PS3 models, the redesign of the PlayStation 3 controller, and how the upcoming next-generation console will utilize Sony's PSP platform. Regarding the two different SKUs announced by Sony for the upcoming PlayStation 3, Harrison commented: "The main differences are the 60 GB drive and the 20 GB drive in terms of disc storage. The 20 GB has HD component rather than HDMI. The 60 GB machine has additionally memory card slots on it, which are great for archiving photo and other content. But the 20 GB machine has USB ports so you can get all the functionality with external devices." Turning to the redesign of the PlayStation 3 controller, which now adopts a look much closer to that of the PlayStation 2's Dual Shock controller rather than the previously shown “boomerang” design, Harrison stated: "As you will remember when we showed the [boomerang] controller last year every photograph showed the comment 'This is a design concept subject to change.' Nobody in the world picked that controller up and held it in their hands -- nobody did -- because it was always under glass. But everybody formed an opinion based on what it looked like." Finally, with regards to how the PlayStation 3 and PSP will leverage off of each console's functionality, Harrison said: "With the PSP you've seen that, over time, the operating system has been upgraded to include many new features and functionalities and capabilities and we will do the same regarding the PS3." He continued: "We will see the two devices become much more interoperable both at a media level, allowing content from one to the other, and at the applications level, where games for the PS3 will have a PSP component and vice versa. We demonstrated at the press conference one example of this where the PSP serves as a wing mirror for a driving game, a Formula One game." You can read the entire interview at GamePro, including quotes from Harrison on Memory Stick support, the importance of the PlayStation 3's hard drive, and more.