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PlayStation 3 Slim becomes reality, priced $299
As was evident before this years E3, Sony can't keep shit secret these days. Back then it was all the PSPGo stuff, pictures and everything. Now it was the PS3 Slim. Leaks of the PS3 diet version have been plentiful, and today it has become official.
So, what's changed? Guess what? It's smaller! That's right! You heard it here first! Confirmed!
Okay, fine, seriously. There's an unboxing video at 1UP that you may want to check out, it shows pretty well the size differences between the old Hulk and the new slim. It's also lighter, and looks quite different. Most of the surface is now matte, as opposed to Hulk's fingerprint magnet glossy surface. And perhaps the most important change is that they ditched the Spiderman font. That alone makes me want to buy it.
Other things to note is that it has 120GB hard drive, and has no hardware for backwards compatibility with PS2 games. Software emulation is still a possibility, but I wouldn't know anything about that.
The obvious and the most important part (aside from the Spidey font) is the price cut that it brings with it. The Slim will cost $299 or 299€, and apparently the old Hulk of a model will also have it's price slashed. So far there has been no clear notion on what the old model will cost, but the general consensus around the gaming media seems to be that it will also get a $299 price.
What remains to be seen is whether it's durable or not. Obviously the chips inside the console are smaller and generate less heat, but I just get the feeling that maybe they packed it too tight and it might suffer from overheating. So, you can be sure that I'm not going to be one of the first to rush to buy one. I'll let all of you be the guinea pigs. 
Now, another obvious question is, is this too little too late? For someone with limited amount of cash to spend on video games, chances are that a big chunk of the audience has already picked their console, of the two cheaper ones. I know I have, 360 was my choice and I can't see myself getting the PS3, no matter how slim it is, in any foreseeable future. So, who knows how this will go for Sony.
on August 18th 2009 at 8:54pm
10 Comments
on August 19th 2009 at 9:01am
I agree fully with Charon's comment about backwards compatibility. My PS2 has seen better days, and I might actually consider dipping into the pie and getting a PS3 console, if I didn't have my doubts about all of my PS2 games working with it. There are not a whole heap of PS3 games that I cannot just get for my 360, so it would be primarily an upgrade for my PS2, to keep those games alive without needing to have both consoles on my shelf. This has always been a big drawback for me when considering what consoles to buy.
(I have a 360 and a Wii already now, so Sony already failed at winning my vote twice!)
on August 19th 2009 at 10:49am
I'm definitely interested in this. My roommate owns the 60gb PS3 in the living room. Sooner or later, we're not going to be living together, so I'll need a replacement. Being able to watch Blu-rays and play PS3 games all in one machine for $300 is a deal. (And I care nothing for hardware backwards compatibility anymore.)
If it does weight 2/3 less than the original, then that plus the redesigned matte finish is just super sweet.
Sign me up, yo.
on August 19th 2009 at 6:14pm
Yep, it's a deal if you care about Blurays at all. But yes, I also haven't given crap about backwards compatibility even when it first launched. I get a new console to play new games.
I've been looking at getting a PS3, but I want the backwards compatibility to play all those awesome PS2 games that I've missed out on. There is no compatibility at all on the newer consoles, right? Just the now-hard-to-get 60GB version (which is awesomest in the US cuz it's hardware and not software emulated)... or did I get it all wrong?
on August 20th 2009 at 9:24am
I think that is about right. I wouldn't rule out software emulation in the future though, it could be easily added with a firmware update. The quality of such emulation is another thing entirely though.
on August 20th 2009 at 9:31am
See, I'm not the only nut who wants to be able to play his PS2 games on the new console! You never know when I might get the urge to play FF8 again... 
Plus my PS2 is kinda clunky now, the laser struggles to read some discs. I am curious, does the PS3 read PS2 memory cards, and is there an option to save your game to the harddisk instead? (I know the games wouldn't support it, but they could have made an emulated memory card to overcome that). That would certainly boost my interest, as I always hated juggling memory cards, and I am spoiled by my other consoles now saving to harddisk 
on August 20th 2009 at 9:47am
Apparently PS1 emulation is just fine, actually, since it's already a software based emulation. I mean, you can download PS1 games from the PSN stores and play them on your PS3. It's just the PS2 emulation that is the question. I would guess that if the system is emulated, the memory cards will be as well. Moving your old saves to hard drive might be a bit difficult though, but certainly should be the case for new saves.
So adjust the laser height on the PS2, Locke? Worst case scenario the laser unit can be replaced. Sure it ain't cheap, but cheaper than a PS3 for sure.
I still own a fully functional Ps1 and 2 so I'm good for backwards compatability. All Sony has to do now is convince me that I want one for the current compatability. O_O Are there any good games for Ps3 yet?
on August 21st 2009 at 8:00am
As far as games go, I can't think of many exclusives. I'm mostly interested in the Uncharted games, Infamous looks like it is good, and Metal Gear Solid 4 of course. That's about it.
Poll
How do you feel about vocal songs in the radio rotation?
I heard it weighs two thirds less and has a two thirds reduction in power consumption too.
The slim was always gonna happen. They did it with the PS1 and the PS2, so it's hardly a shock to see them go this way. That non-backwards compatability is a killer though. Clearly aimed at grabbing a new slice of the market rather than an upgrade for existing gamers. Christmas market methinks, for those still not decided between the seventh gen consoles.