The worst-kept secret in modern gaming history has officially been confirmed by Sony at this year's GamesCom convention in Germany, and despite our complete lack of surprise, is still more than welcome. Sony's own Kaz Hirai has not only confirmed the existance of the fabled PlayStation 3 Slim hardware, but that its coming much sooner than anyone expected - the first week of September. The new unit will sport a larger 120 GB HDD, streamlined surface, and all the features of the existing PS3 hardware.
Keep reading for more details on PS3 Slim, as well as Sony officially dropping the PS3's price to $299!Sony is also reporting their redesigned PlayStation 3 hardware won't just save you money at the register, but probably on your electric bill as well. The PS3 Slim will consume 34% less power than its predecessor, all while taking up 32% less space as well. No word if the newer model will include any newer features or options from its existing model, although the company's proclamation that it will retain "all the original PS3 features" certainly puts a damper on its chances of built-in backwards-compatability with PS2 software.
But you won't have to wait until the first week of September to get in on the PlayStation 3 price-droppage, as Sony has also announced an immediate price-cut on existing PlayStation 3 (PS3 Fat?) hardware, effective tomorrow at retailers across the country. This means that all PS3 hardware and bundles will now come in $100 less than their original price-tags, effectively halfing the original PlayStation 3's price of $599 to a considerably more reasonable $299. But with the PS3 Slim sporting such a streamlined, cleaner look and bigger HDD (120 vs 80) at the same price, its difficult to imagine anyone not being patient for just a few more weeks until its released to the wild.
Our thoughts? Nearly three years into the PlayStation 3's life-cycle, it was time for the inevitable system redesign keeping in line with previous PlayStation models in the past. Newer, less expensive hardware will help alleviate much of financial strain that often drove potential PS3 owners into the arms of other consoles, and will perhaps help give Sony the boost it needs to help not just survive, but thrive in these uncertain economic times. The new price virtually eliminates the financial line between the PS3 and its closest competitor, the Xbox 360, so it will be interesting come October to see just how the console fares from this point on.
Looking for more images on the new PlayStation 3 Slim? Cast those eyes downward!
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