Much has been made about the X360's hardware failure rate (which Microsoft won't release hard numbers on) and the accompanying lawsuits/warranty extensions, so it's been interesting how few stories we've heard about PlayStation 3s dying. Turns out the reason we haven't heard about widespread PS3 hardware issues is because, well, there aren't any.
Speaking with Spong at this week's Edinburgh Interactive Festival, Chris Deering, the founder of SCEE mentioned that the failure rate for the PlayStation 3 is a teeny-tiny 0.2%. Industry standard for hardware failure rates on consoles has historically been 3-5%, so the PS3's fantastically low failure rate really showcases how well Sony designed the system. Old Ken may have been crazy, but he was one hell of an engineer.
[Via N4G]
Only 0.2% of PS3s are faulty according to Sony
Posted Aug 15th 2007 4:45PM by Colin Torretta
Filed under: Hardware, News
Tags: failurerate, ps3
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
8-15-2007 @ 4:58PM
shase said...
It is great news but not being biased - all these "blu ray need", "low failure rates" news don't really move sales and that is the bottom line.
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8-15-2007 @ 5:02PM
Darkdrium777 said...
That's like 2 consoles for every thousand. :o
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8-15-2007 @ 5:10PM
Andy said...
Sony's Playstation 3 is engineered really well except for one thing. The screws on the HDD cover a cheap and strip.
Also I think it could be lower than 0.2%. They just can't say its 0%, this is why Lysol kills 99.9% of germs not 100%.
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8-15-2007 @ 5:13PM
Stef Geiger said...
It's probably worth pointing out that the lower failure rate of the PS3 relative to say, the 360 means that Sony's $250 per console loss isn't that bad. See, with the 360, since the failure rate is apparently around 30%, that means that for every console sold, it costs Microsoft 1.3 times the cost of a single console, since they have to replace 30% of the those that sell. Sony, however, only loses 1.002 times the manufacturing cost of a PS3 per customer. I'm sure Sony's still losing more money than Microsoft, but I wonder how much of a financial blessing their well-put-together console is.
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8-15-2007 @ 5:28PM
Supino said...
Good news.
But we must give it a little time to be sure. I like my PS3 a lot, though PSN is seldom updated here in europe..
Hardware quality aside - it needs games that show us, that it in fact, has horsepower. (killzone)
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8-15-2007 @ 5:36PM
JL said...
@andy - Haha I remember a post that you wrote saying you stripped the screws. I didnt strip them but yeah, they were shitty.
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8-15-2007 @ 5:43PM
kingofwale said...
regardless how much Sony losses per console, at least they are able to deliver a quality product.
it's not like Microsoft's making a profit on xbox, with the new 1+ billion dollars warranty program, I really doublt they will ever gain a net profit in the entire lifespan of this gen console.
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8-15-2007 @ 6:07PM
Carlo said...
The real reason why the PlayStation 3 hasnt died on everyone yet is because it has an Energizer inside.
LETS GO BUNNY!!
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8-15-2007 @ 6:16PM
mAK said...
And this is what happens when you launch your product when it's ready, not rushing to market and catching the holiday $$$.
Microsoft lost this generation, the day they decided to rush the 360 out early. The relability and design shortcuts will haunt the console for the rest of this generation.
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8-15-2007 @ 6:28PM
never$$hort said...
I find it funny how much every topic that concerns the video game media gets repeated over and over again... and of course they are followed up with the same, re-used, stale debates and lame arguments time and time again... Wake me when something exciting happens, ZZZZzzzzz....
And I agree with you 100% #9 mAK...
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8-15-2007 @ 6:28PM
never$$hort said...
ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......
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8-15-2007 @ 6:31PM
Bozzie said...
Tell ya what though with ever reducing manufacturing costs, i wouldn't be suprised if sony are, or are near making profit on there consoles. There releasing new models, and now manufacturing is up to quantity, i can forsee if sony have a good year next year they will definetly break even.
Although this may seem a while, the lifespan of this console is expected to be 7-10 years, and breaking even means covering your initial development costs. Bet they were alot!
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8-15-2007 @ 6:32PM
Jay Are said...
Sony may be losing money on every PS3 sold but the PS2 is still the #1 system in the world. it has outsold more than the xbox 360 since the 360 launched (that means since November 2005 ps2 sold more than xbox 360)
BTW i am finally makin some progress in Castlevania: SOTN
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8-15-2007 @ 6:53PM
ClarkyCat said...
Being in that 0.2% makes me feel all warm and fuzzy :]
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8-15-2007 @ 7:05PM
Justin said...
clarky cat...how did your ps3 break?
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8-15-2007 @ 7:05PM
Justin said...
clarky cat...how did your ps3 break?
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8-15-2007 @ 7:14PM
Pieman523 said...
to bad it still has no games
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8-15-2007 @ 7:16PM
Byron517 said...
That's just good quality enginering PERIOD!! I'd rather make a good product that is going to withstand punishment then rush some garbage to have it break on me to only have to send it back once or twice in a year COME ON!!
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8-15-2007 @ 7:22PM
Matt B said...
My games run awesome Pieman. I have 5 and 2 of them are multiplat.
You should try them. They actually are fun.
BTW, what are going to say after the next few months? Or in the tired "No games" just going to stick?
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8-15-2007 @ 7:27PM
plyx said...
I'm a 0.2%'er, too. My problem was really strange. My PS3 would completely shutdown when playing THP8 or COD3(both made by Activision, coincidentally.) By completely shutdown I mean I had no standby light or anything. Sony hooked me up with what I would be willing to bet is a brand new replacement and I've had no problems ever since.
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