Sony has changed the dimensions of its PlayStation 3 console and the dynamics of the current generation console wars with the introduction of the PS3 “Slim” from September 1 at $299 in the US.
Sony gave me a quick tour of the new console in San Francisco on Wednesday. Take a look at the smaller, lighter, less shiny PS3 in a video after the jump.
The latest version of the Cell processor inside is on a smaller chip with 45-nanometre circuitry, compared to 65nm and 90nm in earlier versions.
The new PS3 comes five years after Sony did a similar shrink of the PS2 in September 2004.
The original PS3 had a 60Gb hard drive, the new one has 120Gb. The power supply is smaller and a redesign of the cooling system inside the PS3 has reduced it to two-thirds of its original size, making it an easier fit under the TV or in an optional vertical stand.
Power consumption is also reduced to two-thirds, cutting down fan noise.
The main reduction though is the price – the $100 cut making it just $50 more than a Nintendo Wii, which lacks a hard drive, Blu-ray player and high-definition.
At $299, it is the same price as the Xbox 360 Pro version, which only has a 60Gb hard drive, no Blu-ray and no Wi-Fi internet connection.
This makes it likely that Microsoft will soon drop the Pro version, as rumoured, and reduce its top of the range Elite, with a 120Gb hard drive and Wi-Fi, from $399 to $299.
In the meantime, Sony is far more competitive on price and can expect a significant pickup in sales, although the quality of the games released for the console later this year will remain a key driver.
