The PS3 becomes a 3D Blu-ray player

You have to give it to Sony. When they made the decision to join the 3D battlefield, they jumped in with both feet.  

Starting Tuesday, Sept. 21, every PlayStation 3 on the market will begin supporting 3D playback. (The move will come via a free software update.) That instantly puts 3D hardware into 38 million homes worldwide.

Of course, users will still need a 3D TV to see the effects, but it’s one less consumer objection for Sony (and other TV manufacturers) to overcome. If someone has a PS3, they’ll automatically have a content source for a 3D set. Conversely, an installed base of this size might nudge content companies towards releasing more 3D home content.

Initially planned for the summer, then delayed, the move actually comes a bit earlier than Sony CEO Howard Stringer had predicted earlier this month. At IFA in Berlin, he said 3D Blu-ray playback would hit the PS3 in October.