Updated: Sony has confirmed to SPOnG that Europe has, in fact, received BD-R LTH support in firmware update V2.20 for the PS3.

Sony has quietly slipped support for cheaper-to-manufacture recordable Blu-ray discs into firmware update V2.20 for the PS3.

Support for LTH (Low to High) Blu-ray recordable discs, which use an organic dye recording layer, was kept quiet in the European announcement for the update, but has been confirmed by Sony's Japanese website. It is likely that the European update will also include the feature. SPOnG has contacted Sony for confirmation.

The process used for creating the discs enables companies to upgrade existing facilities that produce CD-Rs and DVD-Rs to produce Blu-ray discs rather than kitting them out from scratch. The upshot is that the format makes it easier and cheaper for new companies to produce the discs.

The new, version 1.2 BD-R's went on sale in Japan last month. Five can be bought for ¥4,704 (£23.75), compared to £52.00 for existing BD-Rs.

A price drop on Blu-ray discs could (when the cheaper versions make it over here) make the PS3 a more appealing purchase for consumers who actually want to treat it as a media hub rather than a games machine.