Sony to continue PS3 support

Sony has confirmed that it will continue to support the PlayStation 3 even after the PlayStation 4 has launched.

When a new console cycle begins there are always worries that the platform holder will leave behind old hardware to fully focus on the new system.

Sony Japan president Hiroshi Kawano said that there is no danger of this happening, and the PS3 remains an important part of the company's plans.

"It's been seven years since the release of the PS3," he told Famitsu [via Kotaku], "and the console continues to sell at a constant pace, plus we have many upcoming titles.

"We have no intention of immediately shifting from the PS3 to the PS4."

There are still a few big exclusive titles coming to the PS3 before the launch of the PS4, such as Beyond: Two Souls and Gran Turismo 6.

Kawano said a cloud service that allows players to access their PS3 games on a PS4 will launch in 2014, meaning that more people will make the switch to the newer hardware.

At the moment there are no plans to cut the price of the PS3.