Sony has followed its announcement of a European 40GB PlayStation 3 by saying it will cut the prices of its 20GB and 60GB PS3s in Japan, a move that will pave the way for the introduction of the 40GB model there.

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The price cuts will take place on 17 October, Sony said, and see the 20GB PS3 fall from ¥49,980 to ¥44,980 ($426/£209/€303 to $384/£188/€273), while the price of the 60GB console will come down from around ¥60,000 to ¥54,980 ($512/£251/€364 to $469/£230/€334).

The 40GB PS3 will arrive in Japan on 11 November, priced at ¥39,980 ($341/£167/€243). That's less than the price of the 20GB model, but Sony said that's not a problem because the lower-capacity console offers backwards compatibility with old PS2 and PSone games, which the 40GB PS3 does not.

Sony will be particularly keen to see if the 40GB PS3's price point can address the big imbalance between Japanese demand for its console and rival Nintendo's hugely popular Wii.