As expected, the new model will come with 12GB flash storage in Europe, but will also come with two hard drive options for the hardcore gamer.
The sizes available are 250GB and 500GB, in white and black. The black PS3 will be out first – on October 4th – and the white version on November 22nd. They’re Japanese dates.
The new device was unveiled by SCE’s Andrew House, and full details are expected soon.
We’re locking down concrete pricing as soon as we can, but it looks something like this:
- 500GB version: $299 / 29,800 Yen / £240
- 250GB version: $269 / 24,900 Yen
- 12GB version: £185
The 12GB is obviously cheaper. Sounds like the Japanese release will get a pack-in with the new Everybody’s Golf (the Vita port we mentioned earlier). It’s 20% smaller and 25% lighter than the current model.
In the States, the 250GB version will include Uncharted 3 Game of the Year Edition, with the larger one being bundled with Assassin’s Creed III. In Europe, as we hinted at previously, the bigger model comes with FIFA, with the 250GB apparently absent from the line-up: it’s the 500GB or the 12GB for us here in Europe – the 250GB is missing.
The 12GB flash one should be around £185, the bigger one £240. SCEE will also re-release loads of older games at crazy cheap prices (called PS3 Essentials) – with many of them being available for digital download too.
The European 500GB model launches on the 28th of September, as we previously stated – although the 12GB version isn’t out until the 12th of October. According to the press release we just got (about an hour after the reveal) it looks like you can upgrade the 12GB version with an official 250GB (or any of your own choosing) but in doing so you can’t access the 12GB flash partition.
Sadly, there’s no spec boost to the internals, there’s still no N class wireless networking for example. Furthermore, to have the PS3 in a vertical position you’ll need to buy a dedicated stand.
McProley
Good to have it confirmed. I Shall be getting the white 500GB version to go with the collection. Any news on Prices yet?
Alex C
Chasing now.
McProley
good man
Alex C
Post updated.
JesseDeya
But can you put a HDD in the 12gb model?? That’s the real question, because of the answer is yes it’s going to make new 1tb PS3s a pretty cheap option.
tonycawley
Quote directly from the article above ” According to the press release we just got (about an hour after the reveal) it looks like you can upgrade the 12GB version with an official 250GB (or any of your own choosing) but in doing so you can’t access the 12GB flash partition.”
JesseDeya
Ah thanks, I’m blind :)
Youles
I think it’s called “excitment blindness”. I get this alot! ;)
tonycawley
Don’t like the top loading mechanism at all, but if thats what it takes to keep the price down then so be it. Suppose if my PS3 died this is the model I’d get due to pricing.
Alex C
@JesseDeya yep.
McProley
Will it still be the 2.5″ SATA that goes in?
mcphatty
Fantastic! I really like the email that went round with the announcement, it’s brilliant to be told something by Sony first. My dad will be getting one of these to go with his new telly for NetFlix, iPlayer and F1 2011, so £185 is spot on.
XisTG
12GB, here I go! (let’s see how that price turns out in euros) :)
Awayze
I WANT IT! I NEED IT!!
wonkey-willy
i don’t get it!
release a new console with next to fek all memory and make it dearer than the model that’s already out with 20 times the memory….
and release it around the same time as the wii u.
*scratches head*
Youles
Glad I’m not the only one, I’m also confused – I fail to see how this is a good deal when I bought a Slim in June/July last year for £170 with a 200gb HDD. I was expecting this to be £120-£130 (lowest spec), but I guess now I won’t be replacing my dead fatty since PS4 will be out within a year or two I suspect.
JesseDeya
Yes but pretty soon the 160gb ones will disappear from stock and the 12gb will make good sense for people looking to dabble in the PS3 but do so at the cheapest price point.
Consider this:
£185 for PS3
£58 for 1TB drive from Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Internal-Drive-Compatible-Playstation/dp/B0053YLTBC)
= £243 for 1TB PS3
or
£240 for the PS3 with Sony’s 500mb drive.
I know which one makes more sense to me.
sparkyscrum
I hadn’t realised we’d got 1TB drives to put in the PS3. My 320GB is so full I’ve had to delete stuff to make room.
Youles
That’s still not great – as I say I bought a £170 with 200gb (and that was a year ago), let’s say I sold that HDD for £10 secondhand (it’s got to have some value), and then bought your 1TB drive for £58, it would still be £218!
Also, not everyone needs that much space. I have a dead fatty with a 500gb HDD, so was hoping for a very cheap “base” model since I already have a redudant HDD that I can use.
Anyway, I’m hoping retailers will sell a bit below RRP, and perhaps this could work out cheaper if bundled with a game that I was going to buy anyway, as I would like to replace my fatty!
XisTG
After some quick conversions, the new 12GB model will cost the same as the present 160GB model… really? What’s the point?
JesseDeya
£58 for 1TB drive from Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Internal-Drive-Compatible-Playstation/dp/B0053YLTBC)
Works out £3 more expensive than the 500mb model. That’s the point. You’re getting the slimmest, lightest and efficient PS3 to date and not paying for a HDD you’ll probably just replace anyway.
XisTG
But it costs the same as the 160Gb. That’s what I don’t get. I can buy a 160gb and upgrade its HDD and keep the 160gb as an external for the very same price.
And they just went live on the blog talking about an add-on for you to connect an external HDD… I really don’t know what to make of this, but I guess I’ll just have to wait and see.
cc_star
@XisTG
Exactly
wonkey-willy
http://www.gamestation.co.uk/gs/playstation-3-320gb-slim-with-call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3-incl-collections-1-2-with-uncharted-3-gran-turismo-platinum-185390?pageSize=21&categoryIdentifier=12656
i rest my case
cc_star
Yup, amazing deals on Slims all over, certainly much better than SuperSlim looks to be at this early stage.