In response to our earlier reports of the increasing market rarity of the 20GB PlayStation 3, Sony Computer Entertainment of America has officially confirmed with DailyTech that the less expensive variant of its console will no longer be offered in North America.

“At launch, we offered two separate models of PLAYSTATION 3  to meet the diverse needs and interests of our PlayStation fan base,” explained Dave Karraker, senior director of corporate communications for SCEA. “Initial retail demand in North America was upwards of ninety percent in favor of the 60GB sku, so we manufactured and shipped-in accordingly.”

“Due to the overwhelming demand for the 60GB model from both retailers and consumers, we have ceased offering the 20GB model here in North America,” Karraker confirmed.

Even before launch, it was estimated that the 60GB would be the preferred version of the PlayStation 3. Original shipment ratios were 80 percent 60GB and 20 percent 20GB, but with the larger HDD version outselling the 20GB model 10 to one, Sony may have decided that it would be more effective or efficient to concentrate its production capacity to a single model.

“In addition to the larger internal hard drive, the 60GB PlayStation 3 features added storage media slots and built-in Wi-Fi not found in the 20GB system,” added Karraker. “Based on retailer and consumer feedback, we have decided to focus our current efforts on the more popular 60GB model.”

It would be reasonable to expect that any remaining stock of 20GB consoles on the market is the last of its kind. Thankfully, the 20GB PS3 has the same basic feature set as the 60GB model, making it equally capable and compatible with both games and Blu-ray movies – and every model made is assured to have the EE+GS PS2 chip for backwards compatibility. Sony has also indicated that the 20GB model, while discontinued, will still be supported by software and services, such as warranty.