The Sony PS3 has been in the losing end of the console wars for a while now. However, diehards have always maintained that it was ahead of its time and will find its place on top once people are able to catch up with its more advanced hardware. Well, that time could be soon, as a modified price point and a new slim version just made the machine considerably more enticing.
That’s right, long-running rumors of a PS3 Slim have now been confirmed by Sony, who unveiled the new machine this week. Measuring 33 percent smaller and 36 percent lighter than the original PS3, it turns the bulky game console into a sleek-looking beauty.
Sporting a black matte finish (with glossy sides), the PS3 Slim comes with much of the same capabilities as its “fatter” predecessor, but completely ditches compatibility with PS2 titles. It features new physical controls on the front panel, a swappable hard disk, quieter operation, better energy savings (it uses the power-sipping 45nm Cell processors) and a BRAVIA Sync feature that lets you control the machine via the TV remote.
Sony is pricing the 120GB Sony PS3 Slim at $299, making the PS3 arguably affordable for the first time during its entire lifecycle. They also dropped the price of the 80GB PS3 to $299, which would make it less of an attraction, unless you’re looking for compatibility with PS2 games (which, I think, is a major selling point).
If you’ve been holding out from getting a PS3 because of the prohibitive costs, it might be a good time to begin considering it. Price drops for existing “fat” PS3s are now effective, with the Sony PS3 Slim expected to hit store shelves beginning September 1.
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