PS3 is most powerful console, says Hirai

Kaz Hirai has declared that PlayStation 3 is the most powerful next-generation console available - despite what Sony's rivals might claim.

Speaking to Blu-ray Today, as reported by IGN, the Sony president said, "I have heard many people say our competitors' systems are just as powerful as the PS3. That simply is not true.

"No other next generation entertainment system pushes the envelope on advanced technology like PS3."

However, he conceded, producing such advanced technology has caused difficulties for Sony - with manufacturing problems leading to stock shortages and launch delays.

"I don't think anyone could have foreseen the difficulties we encountered in the production of the blue laser diode for the PlayStation 3, which ultimately delayed the launch of PlayStation 3," Hirai said.

"We were asking our teams to develop millions of components for the PlayStation 3, like the Blu-ray disc player and cell broadband engine, that had previously only been produced in the thousands."

According to Hirai, it was essential to include Blu-ray in Sony's new machine for data storage reasons. " I have heard people say that a high-capacity game delivery vehicle like Blu-ray isn't necessary in a next generation computer entertainment system. You just can't expect that 9GB of storage capacity found on today's DVDs are going to have enough space to hold tomorrow's games," he stated.

Hirai went on to observe that some of the first wave of PS3 games, such as Insomniac's Resistance: Fall of Man, take up 16GB of space - which "simply wouldn't be possible on any other system without using multiple discs".