PlayStation 3 still on track for spring 2006 - report

Reuters reports that Sony still plans to launch PlayStation 3 in spring 2006.

The company originally named that date at its E3 unveiling in May, and reiterated it during its showcases at Games Convention in Leipzig and the Tokyo Game Show.

Reuters cites a Sony spokesman saying that the company is still targeting a spring 2006 launch for the PS3, although it doesn't name the spokesman or directly quote him.

The past few months have seen widespread speculation that Sony's next-generation gaming platform will actually launch at a later date in 2006. Even Larry Probst, CEO of Electronic Arts, has weighed in, speculating that the console would actually arrive during the autumn.

The Reuters report is set against the backdrop of growing unease about the perceived war between Sony's Blu-ray disc format and HD-DVD, which Microsoft has said it may support during Xbox 360's life cycle.