New slim PS3 announced, out in September

Sony has finally announced a slimline version of their flagship PlayStation 3. The console, which will be equipped with a 120GB harddrive, will be available next month worldwide. It will be 32% smaller (check the comparison picture), 36% lighter and uses 34% less power. The design will feature a matte body, similar to the PlayStation 2, something that is admitelly less 'sexy' but probably more practical and cheaper to manufacture. Personally I really like the design of the new PS3, and it will look great next to our slimline PS2 while our unloved Wii sits alone in the closet.

The Slim, which goes by the product code CECH-2000A, will be available in charcoal black. It supports all the usual PS3 features including BluRay, lossless 7.1 channel support, 256MB RAM, 256MB graphic RAM. 120GB 2.5" serial ATA, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1000BASE-T ethernet, Bluetooth 2.0 and WiFi 802.11b/g. It will play the usual PlayStation One games, though those wishing for PS2 compatibility will have to hope that Sony release a full emulator for it. The standard bundle will include a single DualShock 3 wireles controller.

As far as pricing goes, the PS3 slim will cost $299.99 in America, €299.99 in Europe, £249.99 in the UK (out 1 September) and 29980 yen in Japan, which is pretty fair me thinks. The price reduction will also apply to the original fat PS3 from tomorrow, though some retailers have already started discounting them. Amazon has started to take pre-orders for them in the UK and the US.

The PSPgo on the other hand will be available from October. The new PSP will not feature a UMD slot, instead it contains a 16GB flash ROM and M2 slot for storing games in. European PSPgo owners who register their PSPgo between 1 and 10 October will be able to download Gran Turismo PSP for free, the full version. A good deal probably, but remember it will cost much more in Britain than the US. It is available for pre-order for £229 and $249.99.