Leipzig, Germany  - Sony has announced plans to begin offering the Playstation 3 in a version with more memory for storage. The gaming console will be available with 160 Gigabytes (GB) of capacity starting on October 31.

That represents a doubling of the console's storage space. The internet-ready units will cost $449, the manufacturer indicated at the recent Games Convention trade fair in Leipzig.

Sony Computer Entertainment also announced an October 15 release date for a new Playstation Portable, the PSP-3000, which the manufacturer touts as having an improved display.

Thanks to an integrated microphone and the WLAN functionality already included in the PSP line, the portable gaming console can also be used for voice over IP applications. The price for the PSP-3000 is $199.

Possibly one of the biggest changes is that related to color; besides the Piano Black, users of the new device can also go for either Pearl White or Mystic Silver. The PSP 3000’s dimensions are 169.4 by 18.6 by 71.4 mm and it weighs about 190g.

Judging by the huge success the first edition of the device has had, one can easily draw the conclusion that, despite the absence of some spectacular new feature, the PSP 3000 will probably have a similar market response.