<Tr> <Th> Successor </Th> <Td> PlayStation 4 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Website </Th> <Td> playstation.com/ps3 </Td> </Tr> <P> The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Computer Entertainment . It is the successor to PlayStation 2, and is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles . It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, November 17, 2006, in North America, and March 23, 2007, in Europe and Australia . The PlayStation 3 mainly competes against consoles such as Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles . </P> <P> The console was first officially announced at E3 2005, and was released at the end of 2006 . It was the first console to use Blu - ray Disc as its primary storage medium . The console was the first PlayStation to integrate social gaming services, including being the first to introduce Sony's social gaming service, PlayStation Network, and its remote connectivity with PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita, being able to remote control the console from the devices . In September 2009, the Slim model of the PlayStation 3 was released . It no longer provided the hardware ability to run PS2 games . It was lighter and thinner than the original version, and featured a redesigned logo and marketing design, as well as a minor start - up change in software . A Super Slim variation was then released in late 2012, further refining and redesigning the console . </P>

When did the ps3 come out in america