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Flash-based PlayStation 3 goes on sale in the U.S. for $199

This version of the game console sports 12GB of flash storage, and is now Sony's lowest-priced PlayStation 3 in the United States.

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Sony's PlayStation 3.
Sony's PlayStation 3. Sony Entertainment America

Sony has begun offering its flash-based PlayStation 3 for sale in the United States for $199.

The console, which boasts 12GB of flash storage, is now listed for sale at Sony's U.S. online store. It made its North American debut last week when it went on sale in Canada. An offering in the U.S. was rumored to be near.

In addition to a 2.5-inch flash drive, the unit features a wireless controller, a Blu-ray player, and support for 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi.

The console is now Sony's lowest-priced PlayStation 3 in the U.S., beating out a $269 super-slim PS3 with a 250GB hard drive unveiled last September. The same flash-based console launched last year in Europe, but Sony said at the time that it had no plans to bring the console to North America.

Another new PlayStation is also expected at the end of the year. Sony said in June it would charge $399 for the PlayStation 4 in the U.S., which it plans to launch in time for holiday shopping in the U.S. and Europe.