While the world is expecting the next console from Sony to be the highly anticipated PlayStation 4, the Japanese company has shocked by revealing a new super slim model of the current PlayStation 3.
This is a console that we’ve seen before in various pictures online, but today Sony made it official at its media event. The new console is a fairly different design to the slim PS3 that came before it, with a corrugated effect across the roof rather than a smooth finish. For those who follow model names, this is the new CECH-4000 series console.
Sony hasn’t yet given the new console a name, so we’re going to stick with ‘super slim’ until we’re told otherwise. The super slim console is 50% lighter than the original PS3, and a good 20% lighter and 25% smaller than the current slim console – we didn’t think it could get much smaller!
As well as a new design, Sony is using the console to usher in two new storage options, and it’s very a la Xbox 360. There’s a new 500GB version, which offers more storage than ever before on a PlayStation console – or any Xbox, for that matter – and also a 12GB option which uses flash memory, similar to the 4GB Xbox 360.
The super slim PlayStation 3 will come in two colours to start with; black and white, although we’d expect Sony to sneak out blue and red ones as well, as it has done with other versions of the PS3.
There are still two USB ports on the front of the console, along with HDMI, power, Ethernet, optical out and AV out ports on the back. Despite the sheer awesomeness of the render done earlier in the year, the console doesn’t house a see-through CD drive in the roof – it’s still in the side, but is well hidden and is a pop-out drive rather than a ‘feed’ drive that the previous 2 models had.
The 500GB model will hit Europe on September 28th at €299 bundled with FIFA 13, and the 12GB console will land on October 12th, priced around €229. Sony confirmed a 5-inch external SATA hard drive will be available as an add-on, and can either stand vertically next to the console or be mounted to it. Check out the console in full in our gallery at the bottom of the page.
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