PS3 DVR Torne arriving in Japan in March 2010

The Torne, which is one of the most practical PS3 peripherals, is headed to Japan in March, 2010. Heard of it? No? It’s a shame, as it’s pretty much a tiny unit that attaches to your PS3 and TV and turns it into a DVR. The price isn’t too outrageous either, as it’s ¥9,980 ($111) for the Torne alone, and ¥42,800 ($474) if you purchase it in a bundle that also includes a 250gb PS3.

Here’s the Torne works. You plug it into the TV via cables and into a PS3 USB port. Then, you just set it to record, and it records the programs or movies to the PS3′s hard drive. It supposedly has an easy to use interface with channel listings, the ability to search what you’ve recorded or hoping to record using keywords and online functionality so you can check information on programs. As Siliconera points out, the Torne even helps the PS3 owner earn special Trophies.

It also works with the PSP. You can take programs recorded by the Torne and transfer recorded programs to a PSP’s memory stick so you can watch it on the go. It also supports the remote play feature, so you can watch programs from your PS3 hard drive on your PSP.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been burned by Sony before, but I doubt we’ll see the Torne in North America. Sony has a bad track record with peripherals, remember. North America still hasn’t gotten the PSP GPS or camera peripherals, even after Sony said at CES 2008 that the GPS peripheral would receive a US release. I think PS3 owners’ best bet is to wait until March, 2010, and find out if the Japanese Torne is compatible with PS3s, broadcasts and TVs from other regions. The PS3 part probably won’t be a problem, since PS3s are region-free.

Read [Siliconera] Site [PlayStation.com (Japanese)]