Slim PS3 imminent?

[The Seventh Taylor]

Like I've said elsewhere, I still don't believe the time advent of a slim PS3 is upon us, simply because it's too early in the lifetime: PSone only arrived about the time PS2 did, and the slim PStwo more than four years later.

Yet I don't know what also to make of this ad:



There's a slim PS3 hidden inside? After three fat guys there's a slender, feminine PS3? (Remember, there have been 3 distinct generations of PS3 thus far.)

Also, there's new (here and here) about a 45nm Cell processor -- the second shrink i.e. third version -- but this is only going into production some time in 2009, with consoles based on it only coming later that year surely.

I don't know what to make of it.

[Yuri]

To be announced at the CEATEC, which starts tomorrow? At least that's the next major upcoming fair. Probably not, if this list of exhibits is something to go by:

http://www.sony.co.jp/SonyInfo/News/Press/200809/08-0929/index.html

A number of PS3 things including Life with PlayStation and Afrika but no new SKU. Unless of course this is going to be the surprise rabbit popping out of the hat.

[Yuri]

As it turns out: No news. Just Life and Afrika. See here. Not a single SCE press release either.

[Brandon B]

Maybe that's just a very belated response to this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFoyp71xw3w

since with all its current functionality the PS3 has gotten pretty damn sexy.

[Yuri]

Hehe, very funny.

Incidentally, there may have been little PS3 or SACD news at this year's CEATEC fair but a lot of new (not so slim) SACD players were introduced last week at the Tokyo International Audio Show: Denon, Luxman, Accuphase, McIntosh.

http://av.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/20081003/ina2.htm

[The Seventh Taylor]

Speculation on the web concerning a slim PS3 is heating up again, this time fed by a photograph of supposed new packaging:



One can only speculate about the specs apart from what is visible on this box (assuming it's real, and I believe it is):
- 120 GB HDD
- BD playback
Surely SACD playback does not return.

The article compares the atypical new PS3 box to a similar box for the new UMD-less PSP.

What personally strikes me most is that after all this time, Sony apparently switches from "PlayStation 3" (or even "PLAYSTATION 3") to "PS3" and finally introduces a logo for it, somewhat similar to PS2 (and PSP) logo but softer and rounder instead of angular (perhaps for these considerations?)

(I had not really expected them to call it PSthree; they never used the name PStwo either, only PSone for the redesigned and shrunk first generation).

I'm curious whether Cell and RSX have been shrunk and merged onto a single die yet.

[Brandon B]

I'm not sure it would make sense to put those on the same die from a heat management standpoint. Would it?

[The Seventh Taylor]

They're small enough to be integrated on single die when the two combined become (significantly) smaller than either of the original chips, and then the heat/cooling issue will automatically have solved itself, I figure. Coming from 90nm via 65nm to 45nm, I guess the size of the chips has been reduced fourfold. Very much like happened with EE+GS; see this chart.

New spec rumours: removal of more "non-gaming essentials":
- missing the support for other operating systems
- hardware changes, including the on/off switch in the back of the console

Introduction likely at this year's Tokyo Games Show, September 24-27.

[Yuri]

There's a spy picture posted here



which got me thinking "such an odd form factor" but after seeing the packshot above again I realised it must be a part only, not the entire console.
It does lend even more credibility to the rumours.

[The Seventh Taylor]

On Beyond3D, a forum with some in-depth chip technology discussions, I suggested