Eh, I have mixed feelings about this. While I think I understand the logic behind this, I would rather have the option to just get the whole thing at once I think. I want my hard drive with my purchase!

The hard drive for the PlayStation 3 will not be bundled with the machine, but will instead be sold as an add-on unit, according to press reports in Japan which seem to confirm earlier hints dropped by SCE boss Ken Kutaragi.

The latest issue of Famitsu includes a feature about the PS3 hardware which says that the device will ship with a slot for a hard drive - which can be found on the underside of the machine, and is designed to accommodate a 2.5″ hard drive package - but not with the drive itself.

The hard drive, Famitsu claims, would be sold separately - much like the hard drive for the PlayStation 2, which is used by a small number of games, most notably Square Enix’ massively multiplayer title Final Fantasy XI.

The PlayStation 3 is expected to use its hard drive for a wide range of media functionality, such as the ability to download media from online stores and possibly even to rip DVDs to the drive. [Read the rest]