After months of rumors, and even longer dreams of fanboy waiting, Sony finally announced that yes, there is a PS3 slim. Available the first week of September, the new PS3 is coming to your hot little hands for, wait for it, $299. Here’s the details:
- Same features as current PS3 models
- 120 GB hard drive
- 33% smaller than the previous PS3
- 36% lighter than the outgoing model
- Still has a built in power supply
In addition to this announcement, Sony also dropped the price of the currently shipping PS3 models as well, to help clear out inventory. So if you have a thing for the old George Forman Grill look-a-like, you may want to get on the stick and snag one while you can. Back to the new slim model though…
One thing to point out is that Sony has made NO MENTION if they are adding backwards compatibility for PS2 games into this model. Recent filing show Sony being issued a patent for a method of software emulation of the Emotion Engine used in the PS2, so we may see a 100% software solution in the future. But honestly, who knows? I will say this though, this little unit is quite the looker, and shows that while Sony may be third in the console war, they still know how to make beautiful electronics. Finally, the console battle really heats up: Sony and MS have similarly speced systems for $299, the first-place champ Wii is still hanging in at $249, and the stripped out 360 brings up the rear at $199. It’s going to be an interesting holiday season. Hit the gallery below for more shots of the PS3 slim.
Oh, one last thing…
It was discovered today on the FCC website that Sony may have a 250 GB PS3 model in the pipes as well. No real confirmation yet, other than the graphic above that was found on the site, but rumors are putting this at as a $349 model that may well indeed contain the PS2 software emulator everyone is salivating for. A $50 price hike for PS2 emulation and a larger drive? Sure, but the price may be a bit steep for this late in the console war, especially since the less-than $300 price barrier has been broken. We’ll have to wait and see.
9 Comments
Sweet!
I really don’t have a feel for the PS3 game catalog. How is it for casual/arcade-like games? I find that’s about all I play on my Xbox 360 and Wii.
I think they are putting together a pretty good collection of downloadable content. At least, those are the kind of games we’ve been playing at adams of late.
Sounds like Sony is slowly catching up. This unit with the cheaper price, plus a broader game selection, should get them some market share. I’m leaning toward getting one before the year is out.
Slightly off-topic… xbox original mod… http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=690166&st=0
Put it next to a regular PS3, and it looks more like a “PolyStation3”, some Famiclone. But the price is great. Just wish it had backwards compatibility right now. The might stick it in a future firmware revision.
I wouldn’t hold our collective breath on the PS2 BC:
http://kotaku.com/5340337/sony-explain-why-the-ps3-slim-has-no-backwards-compatibility
Also, the direct size comparison shows that the PS3 slim is considerably smaller than the old PlayStation 3, a bit thinner and a tad shorter vertically than a 360, and nowhere near the diminutive size of the Wii.
I would like backwards compat. just so I can save a bit of room on my entertainment center. That, and software-hack memory cards and such(ie store game saves on the hard drive). Oh well.
You and everyone else. Sony is lost in their own little world, and have been for the last 4 years.
Innards revealed… http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/08/ps3-slim-tore-down-explored-huge-fan-revealed.ars
Look! A well-thought out cooling solution. Look! An off-the-shelf notebook hard drive
The “Notebook” HDD is in the original too. That’s one of the cool factors about the PS3 in general. Standard, easily accessed HDD. You can actually (in the original at least) pull the drive, slap a nice big fat drive in and initialize the disk with the original Sony OS. Our own Mot Ytrah has done this with a nicely sized 250 GB notebook drive.