PS3 Slim Now Official

Remember the rumours of a slimmer version of the PS3 around the time of E3? Well it turns out that it has been announced officially by Sony. Over on the PlayStation blog there is a video with Sony Computer Entertainment America President and CEO Jack Tretton presenting the PS3 Slim and announcing a $299 price Worldwide for the existing PS3. The PS3 Slim will be out on the 1st of September with a matt finish and 120Gb hard drive, not long to wait!

The higher price of the PS3 was the last issue in competing with the Xbox 360 and now that barrier has almost been removed, buyers looking to purchase a console from this generation will be considering their purchases even more.

Check out the pictures of the PS3 Slim over on Flickr

Sources: PlayStation Blog, PlayStation Blog Flickr

Want a cheaper PS3? You’re in luck…slightly

Looks like something has changed at Sony. Last week they announced a new addition to their line-up of SKUs to provide cheaper access to the PlayStation 3 in Euurope, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.

The latest iteration becomes cheaper not just as a result of cheaper manufacturing, but due to cutting down of some features that not all users may need.

The changes include a 40GB hard drive, 2 USB ports instead of 4, has no built in memory card reader and backward compatibility hardware has been removed. The unit goes on sale October 10th at £299.

The newer model doesn’t massively threaten Microsoft’s Xbox 360, whose prices have dropped without the need for a cut back, with newer high capacity and limited editions taking the place of the original Premium price-point. If however, you are looking for a cheap HD movie player the

On the other-hand, the 60GB PlayStation will see an actual price drop from £425 to £349 and will be more than a match for the equivalent Xbox 360 Elite when purchased with the external HD-DVD drive which comes out more expensive than the PS3.

According to a quote on the BBC News article, Ray Maguire, head of PlayStation UK said the release of the 40GB PS3 was a “strategic decision”. Yes, strategic…to get some sales in for Christmas and gain ground on the other consoles.

Links: BBC News: Sony offer cut-price PlayStation