PS3 Super Slim: The Essentials

Unlike the speedy turnaround of the mobile phone market, with it's updated operating systems encased in shiny new shells every year, the rebuilt games console has historically arrived with all the swagger of a fellow with paunch belly and greying hair getting a dye job and a new suit: the twilight years have been reached, and covering the fact only draws more attention to it.

That's perhaps an overly harsh assessment: it's true redesigns come to renew interest and massage sales, but not necessarily at the end of a system's life: Nintendo's DS and 3DS both saw renewed interest with early-day tweaks, and most of Sony's multiple PSP iterations over its lifespan only benefited the machine.

But a smaller redesign doesn't necessarily mean a sleeker one, and it can mark a reposition of a console as a budget offering, either for younger gamers as their first machine, or a cheaper alternative that offering a huge back catalogue for those finding the next generation too costly.

So where does the Super Slim, which comes in two different models - one 12GB, the other 500GB, stand?

The Model

On first inspection the Super Slim fulfils the need to make new headlines from aging hardware, but as we'll see, doesn't match it with a price reduction. This is not a budget version of the PS3, and with the announcement of the next gen still likely half a year off, it'd be too early anyway.

This is the third iteration of Sony's third hardware, and follows in the footsteps of the previous generations in regards a makeover: the original PlayStation was shrunk and curved, the PS2 slimmed. The PlayStation 3 has went through a similar metamorphosis: the gleaming fat tank of the original shedding the pounds and some of the sleek expense for a matte black variant that was deadly silent and took up less shelf space, like a midget ninja awaiting orders.

The Super Slim initially looks more like a cheaper cousin than sophisticated sister to its brethern. While the shiny black is back, it's resigned to bordering the new grill, both running the entire length of the machine's top. The ribbed grill, housing the now top-loading (or side-loading when the console is stood upright) has a off-grey finish, and a raised section to the right slides to one side to expose the disc tray - and its on this section the PS3 logo's branded.

Paralleling its length on the machine's side is the dual-buttoned bar for the Eject and Power buttons - both raised and a solid push (no click) needed to operate either. Between the two sits a raised silver PS logo, mirrored by a Sony logo with same finish to the far left. (Previously both sat flush on the machine's body - the logo a silver sticker above the disc loader, the text engraved into the console's casing).

The lower half of the console gets a tuck job, thinner and shorter than its predecessor, so the upper half curved section has a much more pronounced overhang. There's still two USB ports at the front, as well as the list of supported media and sound systems (this time silver stickers rather than branded into the machine casing).

Weight-wise it's not too dissimilar to its predecessor, and perched upright it's both the same height and nearly the same depth - the oval curve of the console's top-half shorter than before, and with the loss of the disc loader 'lip' (which housed the Power/Eject buttons), the new Super Slim loose a good two inches in length.

Switched On

Switched on and flicking around inside the operating system menu, the Super Slim's got the same quiet hum as before, but with a game locked into the tray and running, there's a noticeable raise in noise.

The reason if that the previous version's disc loader swallowed discs and spun them deep in the console's belly, the thick casing muffling the sound. The thin plastic grill between spinning disc and you on the Super Slim is not so good a sound absorber - if you're downloading an update or the disc's being read your ears will be more aware the process. But the disturbance is minimal, and with the TV on it'll be mostly unnoticeable.

Heat-wise the console's exterior temperature as it gets to work is more noticeable too. The previous version felt warm to the touch during operations. This feels hotter to the touch all across the console's grilled top when laying flat. However, we'll need to test it much longer to see whether than changes in the long run and under different conditions.

In the Box

Bundled with the console comes a single controller, USB cable charger, power cord and three-pin connector and scart block. No HDMI cable as standard - arguable for the 12GB model (due October 12th) that's being positioned as a casual's pickup, but for the 500GB SKU that's pushed as a gamer's choice (that model the one in this review) it's an odd exclusion.

The Price

There's been a lot of column inches already to the pricing structure for the two SKUs being introduced - the 12GB and the 500GB model, as Sony have adopted the policy of letting retailers dictate the RRP.

With a redesign there came the half-expectant hope that it'd be coupled with a price drop - always a good headline to convince the unsure to become adopters. And if Sony do announce a successor to the console at next year's E3, this will be the last winter season that the machine will remain prominent in buyer's eyes.

However, pricing for both units are not too dissimilar to what's being offered on the current PS3 models. For the 500GB it's a great selling point - for it's £249.99 asking price you're getting nearly double the amount of storage space than other SKUs for the same cost. And retailers are currently offering game bundles such as FIFA 13 for the same price.

Conversely the 12GB suffers in comparison - priced at £184.99, it's only a few quid less than the current asking price for the 160GB model, with over ten times less storage space. Hopefully the planned Wonderbook hardware bundle come the game's launch will add to the attraction.

Verdict

Given a console's location in many living rooms - hidden in TV cabinets or under widescreen TVs - the different look isn't a huge selling point or weakness. A console's main use is to play games (and use other media functions) - and the PS3 has a massive catalogue to pull from.

So if you're looking for a dirt-cheap PS3 as an excuse to jump on board, you're nearly a year too early: don't expect the PS3 to be scraping closer to the £100 mark until late next year.

This is a cosmetic retouch, the major attraction of which is the extra storage under the hood that one version of the Super Slim is offering. It may not be a clearly better-looking machine, but with 500GB storage on offer, the PS3 Super Slim may be the better choice if you're looking to get into the PlayStation way of life this winter.

<i>The 500GB Super Slim model is available in shops from today. The 12GB version will be released on October 12th.</b>