PS3 Update: 12GB Flash PS3 Released in US, Priced at $199

The heavily-rumored flash-based edition of the Sony PlayStation 3 is now available in the United States and Canada, The Verge confirmed.

The flashed-based 12GB PS3, which was released in Europe last year, is now on sale at retailers like Best Buy and Future Shop with the retail price set at $199.99 per console.

Best Buy is also selling the console bundled with games like Uncharted 3 and The Last Of Us for the price of $259.98. The deal is relatively close to the $299.99 retail price of the 500GB SuperSlim PS3 console that is being sold with Gran Turismo 5 and Infamous 2 as bundled games.

The release confirmed earlier rumors suggesting that the flash-based console would be released on Aug. 18. Canadian retailer Future Shop fueled the speculation after listing the console on their website before removing it. 

Engadget also obtained an image of the 12GB PS3 from Kmart's stockroom in the United States. The image showed a box of the console labeled "do not sell or display prior to 08/08/2013," which could be the reason why Future Shop immediately removed the listing on their website.

Dubbed as the "family-friendly" edition of the console, the storage can be expanded by adding a standalone 250GB hard disk drive. The 12GB storage is often criticized in different reviews, but the console received positive remarks with its balance of price and performance.

"This could have been a cost-cutting exercise gone too far, a compromise doled out to a territory that historically Sony has tended to place last in the pecking order when it comes to hardware. The fact that the 12GB PS3 isn't available in Japan or the USA does suggest that the full weight of the firm's confidence doesn't rest in this entry-level offering, but the truth is that the product is solid, offering an intriguing balance of price and performance," EuroGamer said in one of their console reviews.

The console's successor, the PS4, will be released later this year. Sony recently said that the release date for the PS4 will be announced on Aug. 20 at the Gamescom 2013 in Germany.