We just got done talking about the possibility of a slimmed-down PlayStation 3 in our E3 rumor collection , and lo and behold, some pics have arrived.
One of them is right here; to see the rest, head on over to CVG . Apparently, these were leaked from a production line in a Chinese factory: if you look closely, you will find a Blu-Ray disc drive, USB ports, and of course, the PS3 branding on the top and bottom of the obviously slimmer machine. Now, wouldn't it be nifty to have a smaller, more efficient and 'cough' cheaper PS3 on store shelves? Okay, maybe it won't be cheaper but even so, a Slim PS3 is a more attractive buy for a variety of reasons (most all cosmetic, but whatever) and we'd love to see it arrive sooner rather than later. As the technology gets better with every passing day, manufacturers can quite simply fit more stuff into a smaller space. Sony has already removed many of the now-unnecessary parts in the production of the PS3 and it costs about half as much to make as it did back in 2006. Therefore, it may seem perfectly logical to assume we no longer need the huge heaviness of the PS3's outer core. …of course, some of us kinda like that sexy giant sitting there in the entertainment center. It just looks right, you know?
But anyway, Sony has unsurprisingly denied everything, saying very clearly to CVG: "We don't know anything about the system in the photos." So, it could all be one big joke. Or, it could be unveiled at E3…
Looks as fake as Joan River's face…
That packaging (box) didn't look terribly fake, and the logo on the box matches the logo on the clearly unfinished (possibly fake) slimline casing.
I say it's real. Whether or not it is a prototype, it's real. The only thing that kills the idea of this being a prototype is the box. Why would they have a retail box for an unfinished product?
Too many things are correct to claim this to be a fake.
Maybe Gogaku means it looks cheap and inferior….like the sixaxis and dualshock 3.Dualshock 3's weighty feel makes it seem more quality.
@Nynja
The casing could be pre-production, and the logo may not be on the final units. The image on the product box doesn't have sufficient detail for good analysis, but I don't see a logo on the unit on the box.
@Highlander;
Nice, didn't notice that till just now. That could possibly be due to the lighting / glare. The PS3 logo is a very dark flat black just like what the glare creates.
I have to agree that the image of the PS3 is not clear enough to make a final determination. Though, the other logos (Sony, Playstation, PSN, Bluray) appear to be clear enough to prove that this is not a knockoff.
It just looks too cheap and plasticy to be real. People have gone through more trouble to start an internet rumor before, so the packaging box doesn't prove anything.
I might be wrong, but it sure looks like one of those fake consoles you can buy at markets in Thailand that's loaded with some bullshit roms.
i think it looks a tad ugly from wut i've seen…i'll keep my ps3, don't need it all uglied up…
IF, and its a big If, the system looks better than this "prototype", then i might consider it…
it kinda looks like those renders everyone makes, like say a new system comes out, ppl will make up designs 4 it… to me it looks like one of those ppl gained access to a production line..
doesn't the system hdd's go up like 20, 40, 60, 80 then 160? where does 120 GB fit? i unno, could be a stupid question, but i just felt like asking it..
Last edited by Gregory Freeman on 5/14/2009 3:36:49 PM
lol
I had to Google Joan Rivers, but PERFECT comparison!
u mean as plastic as micheal jacksons nose
If there is a new slimline system that would be a perfect time to bring a price cut. It might also be a perfect time for a phat PS3 with backwards compatibility to be the premium SKU at the higher (current) price.
Just sayin'….
The biggest cost items in a PS3 are :-
Cell BE, RSX, BluRay, Motherboard, PSU, Case/HSF, PSU.
If the Cell BE and RSX got to 45nm, then they become cheaper through higher yields, and they use less power and produce less heat. This would allow the motherboard to be redesigned to bring components closer together without any risk due to heat. The HSF solution can be smaller. Newer BluRay drives are simpler, smaller and quieter. A slimline BD drive could reduce size and weight as well as power requirements and heat production. Reducing the power requirements allows the PSU to be smaller, and also less of a heating unit. shrinking all these other components and reducing their heat output would permit a smaller casing.
The BD drive is the most expensive component after the Cell and RSX. But the street prices for BluRay drives are dropping rapidly. You can pickup a BluRay burner for $150 now for instance.
With new 45nm chips and cheaper BD parts, Sony may be finally able to bring the cost of manufacture close to $300, which would let the price of the unit drop to that level too.
Last edited by TheHighlander on 5/14/2009 11:09:39 AM
I believe the pictures are real. After close investigation of the photos too many things make sense. If it is a photoshop, then this is the best I've ever seen and this person needs to work in movies. The graininess of the picture throughout and the perfect lighting all around.
First: Knock offs don't use real names. They change company names and product names to sound similar. Example: Vii, which never used the Nintendo name on the product or box.
Second: The box is very convincing. If it were a knockoff product designed for the Chinese (like the Vii) there would be Chinese characters. The folded box is complete with the Sony, Playstation, Playstation Network, and the Bluray logos all in English.
Third: If this were a knock off, I think they would cut costs where ever possible. So why would this knockoff use a slot drive vs the tray drive? Tray drives are cheaper to manufactor than the self loading.
Forth: Notice in the pic with the label showing the USB ports. There are 2 little circles that show the PS3's HDD and Wireless activity.
Fifth: The photo showing the back of the PS3 case has the correct number of ports currently supported by the PS3 which all are in the correct position. Again, something that would not likely change when shrinking a motherboard. The largest port on the bottom for the power supply. Next slot over is the port used for the old classic AV output. Then we have the smaller digital and LAN port. Last up is the HDMI port just like in the current model.
I say this is the big announcement from Sony, whether or not it is coming at E3. Of course they will deny and/or reply "No comment". Admitting this now would only hurt them in the short term as it would cause a slump on sales that they really cannot afford right now.
See for yourself:
http://gamecolumn.blog17.fc2.com/blog-entry-3136.html
I think it's fake
I don't like the look of it. Finished or not.
The PS3 logo isn't the one they're using this generation. Somebody photoshopped a PS2 to have a 3 instead.
well, it makes perfect sence to drop the spidey font, and adopt the fonts currently being used on the rest of the current playstation's… that font's used everywhere on playstation products, and the whole spiderman font really doesn't fit in anywhere… plus i kinda like this new font, its not quite ps2/psp font, but it does look nicer then the ps2/psp fonts. i guess i've changed my mind… it grew on me… i want one now >:)
Last edited by Gregory Freeman on 5/14/2009 3:57:32 PM
im not saying those pics are real or fake but think about it…
maybe Sony found some way already to make the PS3 slim like the PS2 and save themselves money from making these slim PS3's and actually start turning a profit? now a day anything is possible.
That thing looks fake.
I still think it's too soon in the PS3's life to be doing this, but who knows..Less materials means more environmentally friendly, and a lot of companies are using that approach to draw in consumers during this economic downturn. Green washing is the thing to do these days…Kind of sucks to think that my big black beast of an 80gb system is obsolete already, but since it's got B/C, 4 USB ports and compact flash/memory card ports, I won't be trading it in anytime soon, that's for sure.
But this could be the answer to the B/C issue, the people that just shelled out 99 bucks to have their new slim PS2, can now afford to have a slim PS3 and enough room in their entertainment unit to put both (because they're both Oh So slim) and voila! for the price of a big PS3, you now have a sexy slim B/C PS3 with 2 optical disc drives! lol
Last edited by CH1N00K on 5/14/2009 11:21:21 AM
Not too soon. Cheaper (cost) is better, right?
I agree with nynja…
in a perfect world (like ps2's lifespan), sure. the ps3 would make the change later on… but due to sony's record losses taken this gen, if they can find a way to turn this expensive whale of a console into a cheaper unit that can start turning positive profit, then they most definitely will do it… cuz as it is, they are bleeding out cash (not as bad as in 07-08, but still bleeding) and if theres a way to mend the wounds and start gaining strength, they'll take it..
the ps3 logo doesn't look real
What about the SONY, PSN, and Bluray logos? Do they look real?
One word: PHOTOSHOP
Who let Josh in?
A SONY UK rep said: "We currently don't have any plans for a redesigned PS3." That might be true, but SONY Japan might have plans for a redesigned PS3. But then SONY says: "We don't know anything about the system in the photos." which is harder to pick apart at. Who knows, but I'm all for it if true.
Technically, there is no system in the photos, just an empty and clearly unfinished casing. So technically Sony can say anything it wants about that 'system' in the photos and they're being truthful.
Not to mention I found an old Gamespot article where Sony denied the existence of the slim PS2 the Friday before they revealed it.
The news was revealed Sept 21, 2004. Check your calenders, how many days was it between a Sony rep saying "Not a chance" to "Yes it's true".
You can also find the news about the 'new' PS2 slim release here on PSXE.
That looks like debry from an alien space wreck.
Fake !
fake! and its ugly!
I'll take my black mammoth over that fake or real slim any day.
Even if this was true I don't think I would upgrade considering how ugly it looks. I really hope that this isn't true if they were going to redesign I would just want a mini version of what we have, not something that looks like they just cut it in half. I agree with JDHexen I would rather have my 60gb.
I felt the same way about the PS2 slim. I loved the classic look better.
How did you feel about the super slimline PS2 version we have now?
It looks like it'll be 120 Gb hard drive too. It sounds legit, but that picture in the box looks like a photoshop warp of the current PS3.
Laptops manage to be 1 inch in thickness including the monitor, so a 1 inch PS3 isn't so farfetched.
For all the naysayers there, the PS3 logo isn't a factor since the logo on the case may not be the final one. Ever noticed how car manufacturers disguise their new models so that even if someone sees and pictures on in a test drive, it's still hard to know how it will really look? What's to say that Sony couldn't do that?
Also the picture of the unit on the box looks a little more finished than the blank shell pieces for the casing.
gonna go ahead and call bullshit on this right now…if they announce this at E3, I will gladly eat my own words…besides…i've grown fond of the spiderman front…and current 60 gig is still running fine and dandy…
Eww, I would deny that all day like a drunken one night stand. Real or fake, that's an unwanted step-child in my book.
like having sex with a fat chick and hiding it from your fiends…this "Ps3" needs to go back into the shadows…
Maybe(if real) it's the alternative SKU. A price conscious model Sony is putting out there for all those peeps that bi*** and moan for Sony to do a price cut. They keep the regular models of the PS3+features the same price. The slim model is cheaper-the better features of the regular models. Well there it is introducing the "PS3 Lite", "For the cheap gamer"…. Who am I kidding, I'll probably buy 2, one for the kitchen, one for the basement.
I'm fairly certain this is fake but the idea for a PS3 Slim & Lite is actually pretty interesting…
It uses the ps2 lettering and it is not shiny. no way that this is real
All people ever did was complain about the PS3 getting finger prints all over it and how it was a dust magnet. The original PSP was the exact same way.
The new PSP designs dropped the glossy black. So very likely the PS3 redesign would do the same thing.
Last edited by Nynja on 5/14/2009 12:35:03 PM
Actually, no it does not use the PS2 lettering. If you look closely the PS2 lettering has sharp right angle corners on it's letters, this PS3 logo uses a rounded font which is quite different.
It's reminiscent of the PS2 style, but not the same. In fact to my mind this adds weight to the validity of the images because the PS3 logo/lettering is like the PS2 lettering, but not the same. It keeps the same style, which in branding terms is significant. Also, did you note that the corner (towards the middle of the front of the casing where the BD slot and control surface ends and the case rejoins the uniform line of the front) on the face of the unit where the BluRay slot is has a curve instead of a sharp corner?
I'm sorry, but the more people try to pick this apart the more real it looks and feels. The rough, matte finish also looks right along with the matte aluminum control surface for the BluRay drive and power switch. People bitched to the ends of the earth about the shiny model being a magnet for finger prints and dust, and scratches. This casing looks to avoid those issues.
I know that it could still be fake, but I find it good enough to be a possibility, and a really well done fake if it's not.
I agree with Highlander;
There are too many accuracies and changes to accommodate complaints from fans. Price, dust, and finger prints being the major ones. This redesign logically addresses all of those while still keeping the original form factor (the curved design).
It's real.
I understand what you mean by people hating the smudge friendly ps3 casing we have now, but this design that we are seeing is just not astheticaly pleasing. Sony puts alot of effort into making things look pretty, same way that mac spends alot of time making things look pretty. So the fact that this thing is very dull, not %100 black, and looks like it has some visible screws showing makes me think that this thing is either a prototype or is missing its true casing
Visible screws? Where? There were no screws there yet, and each and every screw hole on the casing will be capped with a rubberized insert during manufacture anyway.
the image is pretty small, but it looks like there are two screw holes about 3 inches in each direction from the bottom left hand corner and three holes on the right side in the middle of the thing.
not saying it is false, just saying if it is real this is more than likely not what the final casing is going to look like.