Sony reveals PlayStation 3

In a glitzy event Monday at Sony's Los Angeles film studios, the company unveiled its PlayStation 3 and released eagerly anticipated details about the console. The device will reach store shelves in spring 2006, said the company, which hasn't yet released pricing information.

Out of the box, PlayStation 3 will have the capability to support seven Bluetooth controllers, which will be usable for nearly 24 hours before recharging is needed, according to GameSpot. A typical boomerang-shaped controller will have six USB slots for peripherals, as well as Wi-Fi connectivity to the PSP, which will be usable as a remote screen or controller

Sony said the new console will have wireless controllers, a detachable 2.5-inch hard drive, slots for compact flash and Sony's memory stick media, and a built-in Wi-Fi connection for linking up to the PlayStation Portable. Click here for a full list of specs.

At the core of Sony's new game machine is the Cell chip. With a radical new design that includes nine separate processors, with one controlling "brain" that will divvy up tasks among the other eight, the Cell has been touted by developers as a middle ground between the traditionally separate graphics processors and central processors, with advantages over both.

The PlayStation 3 will come in white, silver and black. The console is built around a new chip touted as being at least as fast as those in the most powerful PCs on the market today. The chip, called Cell, was developed by IBM and Toshiba.