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Sony’s plans to launch a third refresh of the PS3 seem to have made it out into the open, ahead of a rumoured reveal at next month’s Gamescom event in Cologne, Germany.
We’ve already seen a mystery new console pass through the FCC for some checks, sparking rumours that an even slimmer mode would be launched in the very near future. Dubbed the ‘PS3 4000’, the new console has now appeared in some rather blurry looking images, courtesy of Brazilian tech site Technoblog.
Interestingly, the filing by Sony states that three models will be launched that are identical except for the storage: 16GB, 250GB, and 500GB. Both the 16 and 500GB sizes are new for the PlayStation, with the former looking set to be the cheapest PS3 to date.
The website claims it received these images from Anantel, a telecoms regulator, who would have obtained the snaps as part of a filing by Sony. Reasoning aside, the console looks to be much more of a radical redesign than we first thought. For starters, the disc tray has been moved to the top of the console.
The original and slim models feature an automatic slide-in disc tray, but it seems that Sony has opted for a top-loading option that will slide out, leaving the user to pop a disc in the tray and push it back in, DVD player styley. The top of the console now features glossy black edges and a sort-of corrugated black plastic dominating the middle section.
Images show two USB ports on the front, and the video out, HDMI, Ethernet, digital out, and power sockets on the rear. Although the images are rather fuzzy and this may be a prototype model, it seems pretty clear to us that Sony is looking to launch one final redesign of the PS3 before it moves on to the PlayStation 4.
Finally, to give us a little something nicer to look at, some nifty-looking digital renders of the console have been posted to Neogaf, based on the design in the leaked pictures. This design shows a see-through disc tray, a part which seems to be covered with black plastic in the real photos. We’re hoping a clear area is the final design, as it looks pretty darn awesome.
What do you think of the super slim PS3? Good design, or should Sony hurry up and launch the PS4?
Let us know your thoughts on our comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.
Via: MCV, Neogaf, Technoblog
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