No PS3 Slim for a long time
Friday, January 16, 2009 4:14 PM
Reports of an optimised and smaller PlayStation 3 board has fuelled rumours that the PSTHREE isn't far off. However, this isn't the case.
At CES '09 a newly revised PlayStation 3 board was revealed, which had been optimised for both performance and energy efficiency. Of course, the PlayStation 2 chips are missing, along with a reduction in chip size.
Many thought that this was pointing towards the release of a PS3-Slim; the big black beast is still the largest console on the market and the biggest PlayStation of all time. The thought goes that a shrinkage of board means less cooling and so smaller fans. Blu-ray has also come a long way, so the drive will also be smaller. Hence, PS3-Slim.
Still, the PlayStation 1 received a slim redesign six years after its release. This is only the PlayStation 3's third year. Then again the PlayStation 2 received a slim design in 2004, only three years after release.
However, the PS3-Slim won't be arriving anyway near that early. Firstly, the console has an enclosed and interchangeable HDD. Sony would have to make room for this in the redesign, that is unless they include a smaller HDD that can't be interchanged by the user.
Secondly, 74.34 million PlayStation 1's were sold before the PSONE, and 73.90 million PlayStation 2's before the PSTWO. Yes, close sales figures despite the PS2 only being out three years. This is because the PS2 rocketed its way into record breaking sales.
So until the PlayStation 3 reaches similar numbers (how long will that take?), you won't be seeing a PSTHREE any time soon. Slim redesigns cost money and Sony's drive is to make the console profitable, not smaller. Moreover, with an included HDD, a redesign may be possible, but it won't be terribly slim.