back to article Even slimmer PS3 out next week

Sony has introduced the expected new, slimmer, curvier PlayStation 3 and pledged to put it on sale next week. Sony PS3 Even Slimmer The PS3 Even Slimmer takes up just three-quarters of the space the PS3 Slim does. It'll come in 12GB and 500GB capacities, Sony said today at the console revamp's Tokyo Game Show debut. The …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    It's a redesign to cut costs and lower the price. So it makes sense from that point of view. But you do wonder if everyone that wants a PS3 has already bought one in the past?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I concur

      The post is required, and must contain letters.

    2. JDX Gold badge

      a)The media player option might attract a new customer base

      b)kids are always being born so every year there is a new wave

      I think the 12Gb one should come bundled with a remote control if it's aimed at media consumption. It's really good and makes it seem much more a real media system to non-teenagers!

      1. Bill Neal
        Unhappy

        a)The media player option

        It still doesn't like the taste of MKV format & even some AVI format video. Sony really needs an OS update that adds functionality. Or instead of that happening, where is my PC graphics card supporting sound over HDMI?

    3. MJI Silver badge

      Quite a few don't

      Lad opposite me - got PS2, no PS3, wants one

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Quite a few don't

        I have a PS2 with loads of games. If the PS3 had had proper backwards compatibility I would have gotten one in a heartbeat.

        As it was, the 360 at the time was cheaper. It has backwards compatibility which meant some cheap games when the original's titles were getting wound down (such as Farcry) though even this compatibility has bugs (such as car select in Gotham Racing 2) and incompatible titles (XIII with 60hz, Crazy Taxi 3 not at all!)

        Now I have a seperate box Bluray and living room PC, little usp for a PS3.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Even after the PS3 was released, the PS2 was still selling. So one could have made the same argument about that.

  2. JeeBee

    Well, a size reduction is always nice, but ...

    ... I don't want FIFA 13.

    I guess the 12GB + 2.5" SATA drive is the solution there then!

    1. MJI Silver badge

      Re: Well, a size reduction is always nice, but ...

      Why Fifa - sounds totally boring.

      Why not something fun?

      Or Good?

      Or all 3 Uncharted games?

  3. g e
    Facepalm

    Keen to use it as a media player

    Well. Apart from that Cinavia thing which hobbles it for playing back your own DVD/BD rips, of course, via a DLNA server...

    I was going to add more but my typing got muted after 20 mins had elaps.......

    1. DrXym

      Re: Keen to use it as a media player

      The cinavia thing is a complete pain in the backside. Apparently you can workaround it by bitstreaming the audio instead of decoding it in the PS3 so it doesn't have the chance to look for watermarks in the content. Not everyone has that option though.

      1. g e

        Re: Keen to use it as a media player

        Bitstreaming? From the DLNA machine you mean? Might check MediaTomb's capability there, then.

        Mind you I've just plonked OpenElec XBMC onto a Raspberry Pi so don't really use the PS3 for that any more ;o)

        1. DrXym

          Re: Keen to use it as a media player

          Bitstreaming from the PS3 via HDMI bitstreaming or optical out. I'd read up first on AV forums to see if it still works but it did once upon a time. I suppose a PS3 could bitstream *and* decode 1 audio channel just to look for a watermark.

          The only workaround is to use a player / device which doesn't do this stuff but I suspect more and more AV equipment is going to implement cinavia as time goes by.

          Eventually someone will figure a way to strip or corrupt the info without too much loss to audio quality but I'm not aware of any solution yet.

  4. GreggS

    Still, looks pretty good though.

    And a wee bit smaller than my original 80GB model.

  5. Ryan Clark

    Is it quieter

    I only really use our PS3 as a media player, the one downside is the very noisy constantly running fan. Does flash storage mean less heat and less fan?

    1. GreggS

      Re: Is it quieter

      You'd like to think so. Most of the noise is from the fan cooling the CPU & graphics chip on the original models, not the HDD, although I'm led to believe this noise is improved on the Slim. With the addition of an SSD you'd think they'd have improved on the noise levels - this is the only reason I now have a separate Samsung BD player to act as my media & Blu-Ray player

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is it quieter

      My PS3 slim is what I consider to be quiet. There is a very low noise whir from the fan, but it's barely audible. I'm guessing if you are stupid enough to stick it in a closed back cabinet where hot air can't escape and it's sucking in previously heated air, then you should expect the fans to run pretty fast...

      I'm thinking about upgrading my PS3 to a 12GB slim, and then move my 1TB HDD over. Why?

      Well there is an empty drive bay for the 2.5in HDD in the new slim, and when you pop a HDD in there, the 12GB of SSD becomes a magical HDD cache, rather than redundant storage. Meaning even faster load times...

      Nice....

      plus the 45w power consumption is well down on the 75w my slim draws.

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

      2. Bill Neal
        Alert

        AC@19th September 2012 10:49

        Better backup that drive first! they don't like being transferred between systems

    3. SpaMster

      Re: Is it quieter

      I take it you have one of the launch models, the slim is barely noticable at all

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is it quieter

      HD's create more heat and use more power than flash storage and the PS/3's have a heat triggered fan. This combined with possibly a more efficient CPU using a better manufacuring process and it can only be better. They have after all had enough time to work on the noise of the console. But as mentioned a Raspberry Pi is a good option if your not tenchnicaly scared and able to able to use google. I would not rush out to replace a working machine though, unless reviews show you will save enough electricity in a couple of years use to cover the cost of replacing your current model :), But that would be the Raspberry Pi real appeal, especialy for the cost. But I await a nice hands on review that will tell us how improved it is or not on noise and power usage over previous models and what has been removed and what has been added if anything.

  6. Adrian Harvey
    Thumb Down

    Comparison photos needed

    It's supposed to be smaller - but the jpegs on my screen look he same size as ever :-). Really need some side-by-side photos with orig, slim and slimmer. Or even just a Lego mock-up - c'mon Reg.

  7. squilookle
    Thumb Up

    I have an XBox 360 and that takes care of most of my gaming and media streaming needs quite nicely, but would like a PS3 for Blu rays - and I wouldn't mind revisiting Final Fantasy VII and VIII and a few others again.

    However, I might see if any of the current slim models go cheap in the run up to the release of these new models.

    1. auburnman
      Thumb Up

      My main gripe

      about revisiting the Final Fantasies are the obvious gouging on the store. Want to download any normal PS1 title? £4 please. Are you after a smash hit like one of the FFs or Resident Evils? Sorry make that £8 ta muchly.

      I'd rather dig the discs out of the loft.

      1. squilookle
        Unhappy

        Re: My main gripe

        Unfortunately, my discs went with my PS2 a few years back, when I decided my house was too cluttered and I needed to be ruthless.

        I could look for second hand discs on the internet, but I'm willing to pay for the downloads as long as I know I'm going to play the games and get my money's worth, and I know I would with FFVII and VIII.

  8. YARR
    FAIL

    Top loader and no price cut?

    Did they economise this by making it a top-loader rather than a tray-loader, which makes it less practical as a blu ray player under a telly - not to mention a PITA for swapping game discs?

    This cut-down PS3 ought to come with a cut-down price tag, after all the 360 was about the same price nearly 5 years ago!

    1. Mike Judge
      FAIL

      Re: Top loader and no price cut?

      But the Xbox360 is a pile of crap that chock full of last gen PS2 storage tech, and the low price point is propped up by having to pay for online play 5yrs x £40 = £200 Come on wake up.....

      How are those low def movies, and monthly recurring payments working out???

  9. Mike Brown

    still no real USB ports. Sony must be really against them

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Say what??

      You must have a different definition...

      1. Mike Brown

        Re: Say what??

        Whoops, i ment rear. Not real. Thats just daft. of course they are real, and not mystical, or imaginary. They are certainly not cloud USB ports.

        hmmmm I might patent cloud USB.....

    2. Bill Neal
      Unhappy

      real USB

      3.0 would be nice, and/or support for my 1TB USB external drive for backups. For some reason they will not allow network media to be used for a system backup. With almost 250GB to copy, there is no practical solution.

  10. chipxtreme

    I already have a slim PS3 and IMHO the price on the new one is not realistic. The 12GB model should be closer to the XBOX 4GB model for it to sell. I know I won't be getting the super slim like I did going from fat to slim previously.

    1. Perspyro

      Seems OK (not great but OK)

      500GB model is $399 in Aus. Current 320GB is ~$388 (not including any discount).

      So you're getting an extra 180GB for 10 bucks + most probably a more energy efficient model. Not a price drop, but like for like it's OK.

      The 12GB model is $298. So $100 for a 500GB drive isn't bad either. Yes you can get your own for much cheaper, but in terms of straight from Sony, it's OK.

      So the prices are reasonable comparing with what it replaces. Expect the Slim v1 prices to come down to sell out stock. Then by December they'll run some sales/bundles. Bare in mind Slim v2 is going to be cheaper to produce eventually so there will be room for price cuts in the future. Staying with Slim v1 may have limited this capacity.

  11. asdf
    Trollface

    very rare props to Sony

    I loathe Sony and their business practices and won't be buying any more of their kit but my original 20 gig (much bigger hd now of course) launch fatty is still going strong. What you don't have 4 usb ports or a PS2 built in for native emulation? (still use for Manhunt 2 sometimes lol) Sometimes newer is not always better (yes I concede it runs hot and eats up twice the power of yours but still).

    1. asdf
      Headmaster

      Re: very rare props to Sony

      Native emulation, military intelligence, jumbo shrimp you know what I mean. Runs PS2 games native meant to say.

  12. Blake Davis
    Angel

    Sata gen 1?

    One unmentioned feature will make this a very likely upgrade for me: an updated Sata controller.

    Next in line is the optical drive. Please please double the I/O!

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