Sony has launched its long-anticipated 3-D social network PlayStation Home; week after Horizons discussed the potential death of Second Life. Today, its digital doors will open for a public beta, which could be availed via a free software update on PlayStation 3.

Through the Sony’s latest 3-D social network PlayStation Home, users would be able to mix instant messages and mini games with the dollhouse aspects of ‘The Sims’. They can pick an avatar, outfit their virtual apartment and even shop for digital clothes using real dollars. They can roam about 3-D areas lined with advertisements and even go for outings with their e-mates.

Home, which is a quite ambitious project, seems to be inherently hindered by the fact that it’s stuck on a video-game console. It takes quite a lot of time to type and require an extra keyboard. Another drawback of Home is that it ties up the family TV, which your parents or roommates might object to.