Sony PlayStation announced today that coming this fall there will be two new models of the PS3, a 160 GB and a 320 GB version. The same features and functions the previous versions will remain untouched, providing us with just a refresh of higher capacity drives, giving the units proximally 33% more storage.

The pricing will remain competitive:

  • 160GB PS3: $299.99 (MSRP) (shipping today)
  • The 320GB PS3: $399.99 (MSRP) (in stores September 19th)

The 320GB PS3 launch is planed to coincide with the launch of the PlayStation Move, and will include the PS3 Sports Champion Bundle, banking on the success the Nintendo Wii has had bundling Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort with their systems.

This pricing structure seems to be, as usual, competitively matched with the Xbox 360, and the Xbox Kinect. Add to that the PS3’s recent rise in sales and it looks to be quite the battle brewing for domination in the upcoming motion controller market. The battle may again come down to title exclusivity and controllers. As much as you may love Heavy Rain, you might not want to hold a stick with a glowing orb on it, or if you're a Fable 3 fan, you still might not want to flail around to control the games. Maybe motion control isn’t your thing at all either way.

There is however, the strange fact that the Xbox has taken the more casual gamers approach to Kinect, where the PS3 is counting on the hardcore gamers to boost Move sales. Ether way, the pricing is now so similar, the gap that much smaller that I think it will come down to titles, and the type of gamer you are, which gives me pause, because don’t the casual gamers already on a Wii?

If you have been putting off buying that console you have been eyeing, now might be the perfect time. Fresh new titles, a new control system, and lower price point makes these systems very attractive to buyers. Are you going to grab a new system? Or get on board with the new motion controls? Which way do you think you will go, Xbox or PS3?