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In the lead up to the festive rush for the coolest new gadgets, Sony is set to launch an updated version of the PlayStation 3.
The PS3 Super Slim, a smaller, lighter version of the original console was revealed to the world at the recent Tokyo Game Show.
It sports a thinner look and larger hard drive capacities that are guaranteed to get gamers in the kingdom excited about its imminent release.
The updated system, which is half the weight and volume of the original machine, will be available in two specifications: one with a 500GB hard drive, which launches on Friday, and the other, a budget version, arriving on October 12 with a 12GB flash memory.
Originally launched in 2006, the PS3 was redesigned in 2009 and has now sold 66 million units worldwide.
The PS3 Super Slim may be thinner and lighter but it retains the curved styling of its predecessors and once again features a Blu-Ray drive for playing high definition movies as well as games.
Gamers are also able to use the hard drive to store photos and videos as well as digital games.
Buyers of the limited-edition 12GB flash version will be able to attach an external hard drive to boost capacity if needed.
Like Nintendo, Sony will allow stores to set the retail price for the new super slim consoles. However, the 500GB model is expected to match the current 320GB model (around BD190), while the 12GB option, which is exclusive to Europe, should come in at the same price as the 160GB machine (BD116).
The company is also rumoured to be making a range of bundle deals available in the run up to Christmas featuring titles such as Fifa 13 and Assassin’s Creed 3, as well as the company’s Wonderbook augmented reality reading peripheral.
Launching a refreshed machine with an ‘entry-level’ option at this time will suggest to many in the industry that this is the seven-year-old console’s last hurrah before the announcement of a follow-up at the E3 games conference in Los Angeles next June.
Rival manufacturer Microsoft is also expected to reveal its long-awaited successor to the Xbox 360 at the same event.
The company also confirmed that its PlayStation Mobile platform will launch on October 3. The service offers PlayStation certified games on compatible Android handsets and tablets.
