Sony denies report of 40 per cent PS3 failure rate

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has moved quickly to dismiss a report claiming that the 40GB PlayStation 3 suffers from a 40 per cent failure rate as "totally inaccurate".

The report appeared on Dutch website Gamed.nl but appears to have since been removed.

"We are very proud of the quality and reliability of PlayStation 3 and are disappointed that such extremely sloppy journalism has resulted in this totally inaccurate story," Sony Europe boss David Reeves said in a statement.

"Since launching the 40GB PS3, we have experienced a fantastic jump in sales and the failure rates have remained at the very low level that we not only strive for, but have been achieving since the launch of PS3."

The 40GB PS3 launched in the UK on October 10, priced at GBP 299.