When Sony announced the Playstation 3 in 2006 at the wallet-busting prices of $499 and $599, even serious, dedicated gamers blanched. The new console was expensive enough to put many consumers off entirely, and despite a cut here and there, it’s remained firmly in the "overpriced" camp for many once-eager Sony fans.
But that was then.
Now, the PS3 has been put on a diet, earning a slim, trim new figure and a much healthier price tag of $299. The appropriately-named PS3 Slim launches on September 1, and if you’ve been waiting for the right time to take the Playstation plunge, this could be your big chance. So, is it worth it?
In a word, yes. In more words, read on.
We’re impressed with the PS3 Slim. It's significantly lighter (nearly 4 pounds), thinner (about 33% less hefty), and greener (34% less power consumption) -- not to mention much easier to sneak into your overcrowded entertainment center --than its monolithic forbear. With a solid 120 GB hard drive, it packs ample space for most gamers and retains all the online features, Blu-Ray movie playback, and media center functionality that made the original so tempting.
Did we say all the features? Actually, there’s one major omission: some older PS3 models are 'backwards compatible' and will play PS2 games games, but the Slim won’t. According to Sony brass, that feature is gone for good. Bah.
Still, do you really have Playstation 2 games you actually still want to play? What’s that? You have two hundred of them? Better hold on to your PS2, assuming it still works. Of course, the Slim will play any and all PS3 games on the market.
One of the other major changes is the new matte finish, which gives the unit a less "professional" appearance than the old shiny version but at the benefit of fewer fingerprint and dust marks. Really just a toss-up there.
And what about future price drops? They’re a certainty, but will they happen this year? No, and barring serious shifts in the landscape, we doubt we’ll see major cuts next year, either. Sure, you could wait until it’s under $100, as it probably will be in five years or so, but who knows what technological video game insanity could happen between now and then? Shortly after a significant price cut is as good a time to buy as any.
So, we think the 120 GB Slim’s price will be with us for the time being. But could we see yet another PS3 model hit shelves any time soon? Actually, yes, we very well could: FCC filings indicate a good probability that a 250 GB Slim is in the works. But it’ll likely carry a premium price, and with the 120 GB Slim already packing a decent amount of storage, we doubt a larger one will be a good value for most consumers -- unless Sony can muster a tempting bundle deal.
One last thing to consider, of course, is the competition. Microsoft wasn't going to let Sony have all the fun, so they went ahead and dropped the price of their Elite model to $299 -- exactly the same as the PS3 Slim. That's certainly tempting, but keep in mind that when it comes to features, the PS3 still looks like the better deal. Check it out for yourself.
But really no matter how you slice it, if you’ve been sitting on the fence over a PS3 purchase, now’s a great time to dive in. The combination of competitive pricing and smarter design makes it tough to pass up.
Of course, you're going to need some games...
