Mere days ago Sony Computer Entertainment announced that a new PlayStation 3 (PS3) console* at the Tokyo Game Show 2012, featuring a new design and a downsized form factor, now it’s revealed that the (CECH-4000 series) system will become available worldwide as early as the week starting September 25th, 2012!
The new slimmer PS3 will come in 3 models including extended built in Hard Disk Drive (HDD) capacity of 500GB model and 250GB model, and a newly added 12GB flash memory model initially for Europe and Hong Kong only.
* Available body colors are: charcoal black is everywhere and you can only get the new PS3 in classic white in Japan from November 2012. Other regions and countries will follow at a later time (2013?).
Note: This product is not compatible with PlayStation 2 games.
Watch the Slimmer PlayStation 3 unboxing here:
Availability of models, prices and launch dates of the new PS3 system in each region are as follows…
North America:
HDD 250GB – US$269 (bundle only) – September 25th
HDD 500GB – US$299 – October 30th
Europe / PAL territories:
HDD 500GB – €299 / £249 – September 28th
Flash Memory 12GB – €229 – October 12th
Japan:
HDD 500GB – 29,800 Yen (including tax) – October 4th
HDD 250GB – 24,900Yen (including tax) – October 4th
Here are the rest of the details from the Sony press release:
“Thanks to a complete redesign of the internal architecture, the volume and weight of the new PS3 has been reduced by more than half compared to the very first PS3 model with a 60GB HDD, and by 20% and 25% respectively compared to the current PS3. The new weight is 2.1kg for the 250GB & 500GB versions, whereas the 12GB version only weights 2.0kg. By adopting a sliding disk cover, the new PS3 continues with the characteristic sleek curved body design, which fits various places in the home and enables users to enjoy an array of entertainment content.
With the extra HDD capacity which has been extended from 320GB and 160GB, users can store and enjoy more and more entertainment content including games, music, photos, and video on the new PS3. In addition, the new PS3 with 12GB flash memory offers opportunities to experience the world of PlayStation at an affordable price point. Users can also expand the storage capacity of the 12GB flash memory PS3 by connecting a dedicated HDD (250GB) to be released concurrently with the new model5. In addition, a variety of accessories will be introduced by SCE to meet various kinds of needs from users including a vertical stand that offers more flexibility in how the new PS3 can be displayed.
Since the launch of PS3 in November 2006, the number of BD-based titles has reached more than 3,300 titles and more than 4,100 downloadable PS3 games are available worldwide, thanks to support from a broad range of third party developers and publishers. In addition to this extensive software title line-up, exciting and attractive new titles are to be released from third party developers and publishers as well as SCE Worldwide Studios, including Assassin’s Creed III (Ubisoft Entertainment.), Call of Duty Black Ops 2 (Activision Publishing, Inc.), Madden NFL 13 (Electronic Arts Inc.), PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale, LittleBigPlanet Karting, God of War: Ascension (Sony Computer Entertainment), and more.
SCE will further accelerate the expansion of the PS3 platform which is in the 7th year of its lifecycle, by continually releasing a vast library of exciting and attractive software titles and offering users a choice from a variety of hardware models.”