In adding online capabilities to its Playstation 3 gaming console, Sony has pulled a trick out of its sleeve - voila, a virtual world - that may just outdo XBox 360's and Nintendo Wii's attempts.

Called Playstation Home, the virtual world lives inside the console, reports Kotaku, while psfk compares it to Grand Theft Auto - as in, it's not as customizable as the open-source maelstrom that is Second Life.

The free service, which will go into beta this April and hit consoles this fall, will allow players to customize a realistic rendition of themselves and allow them to "pimp" their apartments.

The world includes dynamic ad billboards, games you can walk up to and play in mini-arcades, and a list of commands for talking to others, whom you can invite to your apartment for multiplayer gaming.

Playstation Home will also have public places like a lobby to meet others and a movie theater, and brands can create their own destinations to show off up-and-coming games via video and demos.