Sony released a statement that they’re starting the production of smaller laser diodes in Blu-ray equipment. A smaller laser means that there’s less material required to produce one, and that results in a cheaper production process and consumer equipment. In the end this should make hardware cheaper, hopefully also the PS3.

The Playstation 3 was never specifically mentioned in the announcement, but it’s not unlikely to think that the new laser will find its way into the console to bring the production costs down even further. When the PS3 was introduced in 2006, the laser was very scarce and expensive. While the scarcity part of the problem has been fixed pretty much, it’s still an expensive piece of equipment. If and when this new Blu-ray laser will end up in the PS3 remains a guess, but hopefully it will contribute to another pricedrop somewhere in the near future.

Via: Tech.co.uk