PS3 set to retail in UK for GBP 425

Senior retail sources have told GamesIndustry.biz that the 60GB PlayStation 3 will go on sale in the UK for GBP 425, as previously stated by Sony UK boss Ray Maguire.

His comments were made in an interview with GI.biz in May of last year, where he defended the price point as "a bargain" for consumers.

Now several retail execs have confirmed that the GBP 425 figure is correct, and said they are expecting an official announcement from Sony next week. It's thought that the 20GB PlayStation 3 will not be made available in the UK, at least during the initial launch period.

The announcement is also expected to confirm a March 23 launch date across Europe, as previously reported.

The UK price is equivalent to just under EUR 647, which is likely to elicit complaints about "rip-off Britain" as Sony has confirmed that the 60GB PS3 will cost EUR 599 in most other European territories. The price for Ireland, however, has been set at EUR 629.99, apparently due to a higher VAT rate.

One retail source said that the higher UK price has not been driven by Sony but by British retailers, who traditionally seek bigger profit margins than their Continental counterparts.