Sony to Release White PlayStation 3

Sony announced the company will be releasing a new classic white PlayStation 3 as part of the Classic White PS3 Instant Game Collection Bundle.

The Classic White PS3 Instant Game Collection Bundle will also come with a one year membership to PlayStation Plus. It is set to release on Jan. 27 in the U.S. and Canada with a price tag of $299.99.

With a free year of PS Plus, gamers will need a large hard drive to store their Instant Game Collection. The PS3 included in the bundle comes equipped with a 500GB hard disk drive.

PS Plus, the subscription service from PlayStation Network, gives players unlimited access to a constantly refreshed library of 12 PS3 games. The service was recently introduced to the PlayStation Vita. Currently, six titles are available for the handheld device through PS Plus. Subscribers are able to download each game at no additional charge. With new games being added every month, a free year of PS Plus represents a major value for consumers.

In addition to access to free games, PS Plus members receive exclusive offers on games and downloadable content, early access to betas, and automatic updates for both games and the latest system software. Subscribers also get up to 2GB (1GB on PS3 and 1GB on PS Vita) of online storage.

PS Plus normally costs $49.99 for a year or $17.99 for three months.

Members of PS Plus saved a combined $2,472 in 2012. More than 50 free PS3 games, 90 add-ons for PS3 and 8 free PS Vita games were available to players throughout the year. Some of the free games offered to PS Plus subscribers included BioShock 2, LittleBigPlanet 2, Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition, Resident Evil 5, Saints Row 2, Borderlands, The Walking Dead Episode 1: A New Day, Uncharted: Golden Abyss and Gravity Rush.

A white PS3 is a welcome option for gamers but the real attention is on next-gen consoles. Recent rumors suggest Sony could be announcing a PS3 successor as early as March.