Gamescom 2009: PS3 Slim Unveiled

Everybody already knew that the PS3 Slim was coming out - fans were just waiting for Sony to officially reveal the thing. Fortunately, they did just that at this year's Gamescom in Germany, and it looks quite impressive. The price will be set at a meager $299, and will be released September 1, 2009.

The side-by-side comparison of the original and the Slim is astounding. With this new price and new size, the sales of the console could definitely soar - I am even considering getting a PS3 Slim of my own.

In other Sony news, the PSP and PSPgo will be getting a sort of App store. Basically a smaller version of the PlayStation Network (PSN), "PSP Minis" will allow downloads on both models of the PSP, though it will certainly be more useful on the PSPgo, which lacks a UMD Drive. No prices have been released, though it is likely most downloads will be around $10 or less.

Image credit: Kotaku (here and here).

PS3 Slim Rumors Intensify

For months, rumors have been flying over a possible newer version of the PS3, dubbed, "PS3 Slim". But one of the biggest developments came just days ago, when a version of the PS3 Slim appeared on the German version of Amazon, seen below.

The item was taken down once the media picked up the story, though that didn't quell the rumors. While fans were busying themselves with the rumor, Amazon dropped the price of their 160 GB version of the PS3 by $50. No one is totally sure why, though it seems that they are trying to clear their stock of the old PS3 to make room for the slimmer version.

Seeing as the PS3 has sales far below the Wii and Xbox 360, Sony will definitely need to do something to boost their sales, and the PS3 Slim might just help that. If that is the case, we can probably expect to see this new model released to the public by Christmas-time. We will likely hear an announcement about this later this month at Gamescom in Germany.

Image credit: IGN (here).

New PSP Model Confirmed

E3 has not yet begun, but Sony seems to have released on of it's most anticipated creations already - the "PSP Go".


This new edition of the PSP has a good deal of changes: a sliding screen reveals the D-Pad and other controls, a 3.8-inch screen, lighter weight, no UMD drive, and it contains 16 gigabytes of flash memory, in addition to a few other things.

And while this news is big, the game LittleBigPlanet Portable got some new details, and it was confirmed that a Metal Gear Solid game and a Gran Turismo game will be released for the console.

But with this huge piece of information revealed pre-E3, will Sony have a lack of a big announcment at the Expo? Or does it have something even bigger up it's sleeve?

New PSP In The Works

Despite the fact that the Sony PSP is selling poorly (especially in comparison to the Nintendo DS), some designs for a new version of the PSP have been leaked.


Sony has refused to comment on the images, but it appears that some rumors regarding an "upgrade" to the system have come true, including a sliding screen, touch capabilities (though it is unsure if it will have the same extent as the Nintendo DS), and two thumbsticks.

The new PSP is expected to be out before Christmas, but more details are sure to arise as E3 comes nearer.