PS3 super slim could "shift the tides in Sony's favor"

PS3 "super slim" (PS3-4000) has been rumored for some time now, and it's starting to look more real. While the new PS3 doesn't appear to be making its official appearance at gamescom next month, the rumors suggest a 16GB model based on flash memory for possibly as little as £99 ($150). If Sony does indeed go forward with the aggressive pricing move, it could have a huge impact on Sony's competitors and the industry as a whole.

[donniebaseball]

Really hope Sony goes for it. The console biz could use that spark. PS3 for $150 would be awesome.

[Morrigan-Aensland]

I can't wait to buy the new ps3 slim version 2.

::throws money at screen, my kitty attacks it::

[Abash]

This would be huge for PlayStation All-Stars, a cheaper entry point plus a game that highlights most of Sony's best series could be the perfect storm leading to next gen

[darthv72]

if there is a cheaper point of entry for the ps3 then the ones who should be excited are the ones getting it for the first time.

Truth be told...the prices on all platforms are coming down to a point where it can be cost effective to pick up the ones you dont have. Each platform has a great back catalog of games worth playing.

[Boody-Bandit]

Yeah Ballmer is right. Sony should focus all of it's efforts on the PS4. There is no reason why Sony should come out with a new console revision at a cheaper price point. We all know the PS2 stopped selling the day the PS3 released. Sony can't repeat that same mistake again.

Signed,
Extreme Sarcasm

[blackbeld]

When PS3 slim comes out and is only €150,- then its game over for 360.

[Washington-Capitals]

Blu Ray win
MGS4
GT5
God of War
Uncharted
A million price cuts
PS Move
3D
......... and so on

Were all supposed to "shift the tides in Sony's favor"

[1Victor]

@ everyone saying $150 that is the conversion of Euros to dollars if its indeed €99 it would be $99 that's how its always been .

[himdeel]

I read this with every iteration of the PS3/price drop and each time it moves units for a month or two then goes back to normal then people complain it's still to expensive.

I'd buy another one but oh well. Nothing to see here...

[nukeitall]

I think a $150 price tag on PS3 is something that will definitely have a longer term impact as the price discrepancy is huge.

However, I question if Sony is able to deliver a console at that price considering their dire financial situation.

Even if Sony did deliver, MS is more concerned about profit at this stage than market share and invest that profit into their next console. A $50 price drop from MS might just nullify a lot of the benefit to Sony, and in the process hurt themselves even more.

It just doesn't make sense to have such a steep price drop for Sony. I see a $199 16GB PS3 as the most sensible and logical step.

[gaffyh]

@himdeel - The only reason that happens is because the 360 has ALWAYS been cheaper than the PS3, and when Sony drops price to the same level as a 360, you see PS3 overtake Xbox 360 in terms of sales, and then Microsoft has always responded a few months later by dropping the price below the lowest priced PS3 SKU.

That's why you see that small jump, however, if it is priced at £99, a price cut by MS probably wouldn't help because £99 is very affordable.

[Mustang300C2012]

@ gaffyh

The PS3 had a price drop last year this same time. The 360 was the most sold console of the 2011 without a price drop. Seeing how many years now has the 360 gone without a price drop? Your claim of following suit isn't a true claim.

[gaffyh]

@RedHemi - Same thing could be said about PS3. It hasn't really had a price drop to the same level of the 360 since MS released the Xbox 360 S. So my point is still 100% true and valid whenever the price of the consoles is exactly the same, PS3 sells more.

[Patriots_Pride]

$150 PS3 would be massive and I would get 2 day one being that I still have my launch phat but it giving signs of kicking the bucket.

This will also force MS to drop the price on the 360.

See fanboys this is why its good to have competition.

Edit: One thing I dont get is why did'nt Sony just mention this super PS3 slim at E3...its not a new console but this announcement would have made noise at E3. Also if they had bought Gaikai before E3 that also would have been a huge noise maker.

[FunAndGun]

they didn't mention it at E3 because they don't want people to stop buying the PS3 on the market now in anticipation of the new model.

[NastyLeftHook0]

im pretty sure sony can do it, it would be nice to see a price drop before e3 2013.

[WeskerChildReborned]

Yea agreed.

[Gamer1982]

Indeed £99 would kill the competition at least for a while. As 360 could lower the price but then you add live on top and unless the 360 goes to £50 (which it wont) the ps3 is miles better value. As you get the free online and blu-ray. As gaming devices I wont argue as both have there plus sides. I'm talking value for money here. £99 is not only a sweet spot it's a KILLER.

[DA_SHREDDER]

I have 2 ps3s, but would buy this one in a heart beat. Add a 500GB external HDD and Ill be set.

[blue7_7]

Yeah it could but it would have to be priced at $100 to maybe $150 for it to make an impact but just 16 gb is kind of low especially seeing how a lot of PS3 games have mandatory installations.

If they just drop the price to $200 it wont do a thing just like their price cut a last year which people tend to forget happened just shows how ineffective it was they need to be very aggressive with this rumored new slim.

@donnie yes I know 16GB isn't low but the 4GB works for the Xbox 360 because no game requires a mandatory installation except for halo 4 just for the multiplayer. The Ps3 on the other hand many games do require mandatory installation so it is kind of low after a while you will have to manage the harddrive a lot like deleting some games to install new ones. Yes I understand cloud storage will become prevalent but it's not going to happen this year or anytime soon for it to be significant.

[donniebaseball]

16 GB isn't that low. Xbox 360 has the 4GB SKU. Cloud storage will become more prevalent. Sony just bought Gaikai. And of course there are always external HDD storage solutions if needed.

[moparful99]

I can't remember the last time I had a game with a "mandatory" installation.. That trick is a thing of the past now that sony has considerably reduced the memory footprint of the OS.

[Jazz4108]

You don't buy many games do you? Let me fix your statement so its true"I can't remember a game on the ps3 that does not require a partial install". I do know there are a few but 99 percent require it and it has nothing to do with memory it has to do with how fast the system reads from the bluray drive and that has not changed. @tentonsoftube....please show me something that shows the ps3 slim is more reliable then the 360 slim. The reports I have seen from major websites show the 360 slim being the most reliable of the two but I know most of you will not believe it no matter how true it is. What's funny is in every sony article about this new slim I see all these sony fans over and over saying they will buy the new slim because there machine is on the fritz or its loud or its overheating or it still is ylod. This does not sound more reliable to me. I will give you 360 models before the slim but after that the ps3 has the higher failure rate by far. I personaly had 1 360 replaced under warranty and have had 2 ps3's die that sony refused to fix out of there 90 day labor warranty where ms gave a 3 year parts and labor warranty so you can bet your butt they made sure the 360 slim would not cause them problems and for the most part very few.

[moparful99]

I have 30+ games and the last game I remember having a madatory install was mass effect 2 and that was 2 years ago.. You are making false claims, oh and yes the ram makes a huge difference because with a reduced OS footprint devs can now background load and cache information.. More ram=more background loading. Learn your facts before you try to make these baseless statements

[Gamer1982]

A lot of games have mandatory installations? Where you from 2006? Any game I bought in the last 4 years hasn't had mandatory installation. Devs have got around it now they know the console better. Plus its a perfect starter console for people.

[Sagetech]

Bought Starhawk this month and it has a hefty 2.5 gig install guy. The install thing isn't as common as it once was but believe me it's still there.

[cee773]

mortal kombat
saints row third
heavy rain
uncharted 2 & 3
red dead redemption
just cause 2

are some off the head that require partial install

[units]

At that price it would bleed Sony dry

[NastyLeftHook0]

and yet we will get more exclusives, free online and still have a more reliable machine.

[ALLWRONG]

yet Sony is in the hole, partly because of that free online.

[Half-Mafia]

And how do you know that Sony is not going to making money on this 16GB PS3?

[Biggest]

He doesn't know. He's just wishing really hard. He can't help himself.

[Isis06]

Who said Sony would make money?

[Kinect]

@ Isis ur mom :)

[Gamer1982]

They would make there money back from games as they would only lose about £50 per console meaning they would only have to sell 3-4 games to break even.

[GribbleGrunger]

Would these tides be American by any chance?

[Patriots_Pride]

**Comment exploded into a million tiny pieces of glittery magic**

[GribbleGrunger]

no, your edit did

[BlackSharinganX]

i think thats what they are referring to, ps3 didnt sell much on past black friday thanks to the limit amount of them there were about 2 or 3 times as much xbox out, i used to work at GS most of the parents were looking for a ps3 themself but all out in a matter of seconds at least in my store and few more up miles ahead( to see if they had a ps3 so that the client would get, in a black friday doubt it but keep customers happy lol). so maybe if they shift more ps3 to america and give that lower price, people would indeed buy it.

[ChunkyLover53]

Haven't we heard this for years now though? we don't know what this console includes or what capabilities it offers. It might be something that is designed to go after casual gamers who want other applications like Netflix, Hulu Plus ect...

Its about time Sony offered something like this, but to think it'll have huge implications in a console war at this stage in the game would be ignorant.

New consoles are releasing next year, Nintendo is releasing one this year. You might see an immediate increase at first, but there isn't a huge group of people who want the current HD consoles, that don't already have them. If you've waited this long to get into PS3/360, your probably not a core type gamer.

[FunAndGun]

man, you saw how the PS2 sold well into this current generation. There are TONS of people who still don't have PS3's or HD TV's for that matter.

[ChunkyLover53]

The PS2 sold well into the current generation because there was a huge backlog of games, and parents would buy them as a cheap alternative to newer consoles.

I think there might be room for some growth, but the HD consoles right now are saturated for the most part. You are not going to see a ton of sales, no matter the price.

You might see casuals or families buy it, just like the $99 Xbox 360 deal, but you will not see significant growth.

I understand this place is majority Sony, but deluding yourself with false hopes is sad at this point.

This new model is obviously aimed at casuals and families, I wouldn't doubt we see this new model bundled with a Move, Sorcery, Wonderbook, PS All Stars, LBP Karting or something like that. Is $50 off the current PS3 really going to entice the hoards like your believing? I don't really think it will.

Its not just the PS3 though, the Xbox 360 is saturated as well, even when there are $50 off coupons for the 4 gig, it doesn't really spike the sales.

[Biggest]

I don't get your point, ChunkyLover53. Is it that you don't care about a cheaper PS3 (as if you cared about one to begin with) or that you think a cheaper PS3 won't sell? If your point is that a cheaper PS3 is aimed at casuals. . . Well you're wrong. It's still a PS3. It's just cheaper. You can still play each and every previous, current, and future PS3 game. The PS3 does have a huge backlog of games and a lower price point would qualify it as "a cheap alternative to newer consoles." There is no point to be made here. It's a PS3, but cheaper.

[HammadTheBeast]

The PS2 is still selling extrememly well for a decade old console in the East, and this price drop will increase sales by a lot in Japan, China, and other countries. Its not really meant for North America or Europe.

[joeorc]

"There are TONS of people who still don't have PS3's or HD TV's for that matter."

Agree 100%, I would say there is in my Opinion a very good chance that the growth for the PS3 is more geared to the area's in growing market's where the middle class has grown in other countries. Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft all touched on this very fact.

And just Like the PS2 , in other countries on the Globe, the PS2 was selling well even now , and the PS3 is set to do the same,for one the PS3 get's to a price point at $150.00 or less the system will continue to sell just as a network box alone for Media playing as a blu-ray player and with Netflix, Hulu etc. also ..Oh yea it also play's Games too!

that's the really big point about this generation the xbox360 and the PS3 are top set box's that are Less static as the PS2 and the first XBOX.

these are much more advanced in its capability to be able to be sold on the shelf world wide far longer due to that very fact, they will still have a very viable Use.Even when the new systems release. with such good price point''s both the xbox360 and the PS3 are going to be sold on the shelf for quite some time.

[AztecFalcon]

"Turn the tides"? Sony hasn't done that bad this gen if you look at the numbers. I don't think it needs to turn the tides. Just keep doing what they're doing.

[GribbleGrunger]

That's exactly right. Sony just need to carry on doing exactly what they're doing because what they're doing is selling consoles. Maybe they're not selling so many in America, but who cares. What matters for we the consumer is the userbase which then encourages dev support, and the growing worldwide userbase is getting bigger every year. It will continue to get bigger for the next 5 years even after the PS4 releases.

no doubt those that are too young to have owned a PS1 and a PS2 will disagree, but you just can't do anything about ignorance

[HammadTheBeast]

PS2 is selling well in the East still, and this price drop will no doubt increase sales in the region.

[moparful99]

Couldn't agree more, for whatever reason everyone still has this perception that sony is struggling to sell consoles. I'm sorry but coming from over 10 million down to bring it within a couple million is impressive enough on its own. Not to mention that every time Sony makes a move to improve their sales microsoft comes right in and pulls a "me too" stunt... I think Sony should just keep being Sony and we will continue to flock to their systems and content...

[Qrphe]

By turn the tides I think it means to be the best-selling system in the U.S., which is the best iggest gaming market.

[Biggest]

Not being #1 in the US doesn't seem to have slowed sales that much for the PS3. It didn't sell as fast as the Wii, but it sold pretty darn fast. And lowering the price to less than $200 is sure to increase that a bit. Imagine a thrifty parent looking at consoles with similar prices. . . One has 4G of something and I have to pay extra for something. One has no G of something and does not use HD. One has 16G of something and BluRay and no extra money needed. Easy choice now that the prices are similar.

[Ben_Grimm]

Turn what tides? Are they doing badly somewhere?

Another model from Sony?
I swear these guys are like Nintendo. It’s almost better to just wait a year or two before purchasing a PS3 because 4 models will be released by then.
(exaggeration)

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Turning the tides when this generation is basically done doesn't exactly scream "Hooray!". Certainly I welcome price drops from Sony. I have my PS3 slim so I wont buy another but making the console more affordable to others is always something to want.

As someone pointed out above, hopefully it will spur other price cuts with the likes of MS.

[Withdreday]

I don't get why people keep saying this gen is "basically done" when there's over a year left in it. A runner winning or losing a race doesn't just go "ah, screw it" simply because it's the last lap, do they?

[insomnium2]

I think they are prepping if MS drops the support for x360 soon after nextbox. If they wouldn't say sales after that are irrelevant they would have to admit that Sony has once again sold over 100 million consoles ww in a few years.

This way by declearing the gen over they can say x360 and ps3 were even no matter how the lifetime sales end up. In essance they are building walls around them so they can sleep at night. No other explanation to not care about sales after nextgen. No other explanation to be declaring this gen over asap.

PS2 is still counted this day and it will not stop untill they stop producing them and sell their retail channels empty. Only then it will stop and this should be common knowledge. But yeah sales don't matter after nextgen arrives....I know this is how the mind works.

[MadMen]

nope

[AO1JMM]

"shift the tides in Sony's favor"

I'd rather wait for a PS4..... but since my current PS3 is a POS I am in need of a new one.

[edwineverready]

Could have should have would have.

[Half-Mafia]

'Microsoft is less likely to reduce console prices this year with already strong hardware sales and Halo 4 coming out in Q4'

If 360 hardware sales are strong then the PS3 sales must be very strong?

2012 Worldwide;
PS3= 4.8M
360= 3.6M
Wii= 2.4m

[OC_MurphysLaw]

why not throw them all in from VGChartz...

3DS=5.0M
PSV=2.0M
PSP=1.9M
DS=1.3M

Nintendo = 8.7M units between 3 platforms
Sony = 8.7M units between 3 platforms
MS = 3.6M units between 1 platform

For all the Nintendo death tolls I hear around here, that seems surprisingly solid for a dead console, phased out handheld and their newest handheld if you ask me.

[Half-Mafia]

I'm not a Nintendo hater. I hope the WiiU does well, dont like the 3DS at all though. But them 5m 3DS units didnt make Nintendo any money.

ps. I'm not saying your calling me a Nintendo death troll BTW.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Didn't think you were hating on Nintendo at all...just found the numbers interesting once i looked them up and looked at the whole picture.

[moparful99]

What do sony's numbers look like with the ps2 still factored in? Just curious considering they technically still have 4 devices on sale..

[OC_MurphysLaw]

@moparful99...unfortunately VGChartz isn't tracking that (atleast publically) for 2012 from what I could see otherwise I would have gladly put it up there. If I had to guess though I would think its no more than 1 million, probably less otherwise I am sure it would be tracked.

[YodaCracker]

You are linking to a site that shows the 360 at 67.4 million units as of today, while Microsoft announced the console had reached 67.2 million sales through March 2012... four months ago. I hope you are only using those numbers to try to prove a point, and you don't actually believe them. It's sad that people are withheld real information and fed these fake numbers. Anything to try to make their plastic box look the best, I guess.

[kinetic100]

i can't see it being 16gb and feel its gonna be 160gb.
Unlike the 360, the ps3 requires and internal hard drive to run. To put a 16gb drive would mean an entirely different model than the 320gb or 500gb versions. That means a separate factory line just for the lower end model. makes more sense to keep it the same and just differnet HD sizes. 160gb, 320gb, 500gb.

[Ramas]

if it would cost 99.99$ even i will buy it, though i still have my old fat one from lounch and surprisingly it is still working.

[GamerElite]

what is lounch. ha ha ha

[Kinect]

ha ha ha it means ur mom

[palaeomerus]

Lower prices on an entry level console are usually a good idea.

[Blasphemy]

I wish they would change how it looks PS3 is so damn ugly.

[Teaber]

If its that cheap, I would definitely get one.

[LKHGFDSA]

I'm pretty sure the rumoured price is just an estimate. and considering the PS3 is selling for just $230 at a few places currently, the $200 or sub-$200 mark seems fairly doable if you consider the HDD gone.

Interesting read though, I didn't consider how this new model could effect sales in the US.

[Relientk77]

At that price, thats definitely great and more affordable to gamers

[MultiConsoleGamer]

It's a great strategic decision but it's only being done to counter the coming $99 Xbox 360.

[frankiebeans]

my ps3 has been dead for almost 2 years it was a 60gig launch day it lasted me some time so if the put this out im defiantly buying it and like 3 or 4 games and a ps+ membership so I could get the games i been missing out on.

[moparful99]

PS+ is legit, I've been a member since the very begining. In fact I bought my subscription the day of E3 two years ago when they officially launched it.

If you calculate all of the free stuff I've downloaded it would probably number close to $500 no joke. Just finished and platinumed sly cooper and the thievieous racconus hd remake and it was sublime, now I'm playing saints row 2 for free.. I also downloaded infamous 2, just cause 2, gotham city impostors, hard core: uprising, renegade ops and more..

[Droid Control]

Where is M$ superslim in all of this?

Do you think they will bother, can they create one without it overheating, and how big would the PSU be?

[dcbronco]

They don't need another 360. The current one only cost them $150-70 to make now. They could drop the price of the Arcade to cost with the release of Halo 4 and still outsell the PS3.

[dazreah]

But so many PS3 games have an install so 16gig is just not worth it. My 120gig is almost full.

[Emilio_Estevez]

My 320 is full, 16gb wouldn't be enough to own more than a few games

[Mikefizzled]

I think Sony have left it too late in the consoles life. The Xbox Slim was pretty much perfectly timed. It just feels too close to next gen for such a big re-release.

[EffectO]

This gen is over,Sony could give PS3 for free and that would change nothing.Age of $60 games is over,people are moving rapidly to other platforms.

[dcbronco]

First things first. Suddenly Pachter is making sense? He gets railed on for everything that comes out of his mouth normally. All of a sudden he's has such sage thoughts.

Anyway, I think this will be good for Sony since it will allow the PS3 to continue to sell well after this year. But I'm not sure why how big the impact will be. Microsoft could easily match or beat that price. But the biggest thing is that this generation is over. No one is releasing too many games. And new consoles are releasing next year.

Even if Sony decides to try to stretch it out longer to 2014, MS could just release the 720 next year and Sony is in a hole for next generation. So the impact of this will be minimum. If $150 is a great price with Battle Royale coming out. A game with no know mainstream following. What happens with a $129 360 and Halo 4. This could end up being a push. Everything remaining where it was.

[Withdreday]

Microsoft won't be silly by losing that much money selling a $129 360. They'd much rather make a profit. If anything, they'll just match the price, but with PS3 outselling the 360 in every region but the US, it may not matter much.

[dcbronco]

Microsoft wouldn't be losing money. The cost of the Arcade should be no more than $130 at this point. Or they could just match and continue to bundle. Either way Sony has no hope of moving out of last place this generation. The only way they will come close to that is if Nintendo turns out to be stupid enough to launch the Wii U with current gen power. Then Sony will be third but not last.

[Unversed87]

My 320 gb is full dam Sony and their free games! :) PS3 super slim is going to sale too you know why? Games are being made still. What games do you expect after Gears 4 and Halo 6 on 360?

[neutralgamer19]

lol at all the stealth trolls and the wishful thinking on the part of the moron fanboys of other consoles. Love comments like "why would Sony do this given their dire financial situation" For you dummies get this through your head Sony just acquired Gaikia for more than a 380 million (yes given their so called dire financial situation) did their financial situation stop them from buying that? Yes Sony is faltering in some aspects and divisions but gaming is profitable and they have guaranteed that being so it would remain a focus for them (gaming division is making them money so why wouldn't they).

I see some of you people after so many explanations are just too stupid to comprehend that their gaming division specifically is doing good for them and they will continue to invest in it. Sony by the way is 79th on the Forbes 500!!!!! They are losing money but still have millions upon millions of dollars in the banks and assets and money to spend where they see fit.

[Primalfear]

Where is Microsoft on that list buddy?

[Tzuno]

It's a good move to sell quality at cheap price everyone love this. Maybe i will buy one finally :). The competition is strong that's why they have to do this i think. Now only if the games could be more cheap now that's a weapon :). Stranger, stranger now that's a weapon :)

[ThatsGaming]

We are in the last full year of this console gen...

I think it will sell well, but how many of those sales will matter?

Wii lovers will buy the Wii U, there will be some 360 owners that think "there are some good games on PS3 like Uncharted" so they will buy a PS3 console, and then there will be the people who already have the PS3 and want a super slim. I doubt there will be many totally new customers.

[Over726]

i think they would need something a little higher than a 16 gb, maybe a 32 or 64 would be good. as a plus if sony starts cloud gaming then they would take off and set a new level for whats needed in the gaming industry.

[prez184]

150 or less its great simple as that i hate how ppl are alking about next gen like its here, i cant wait i think this gen is getting a bit stale FOR ME but wht about kids whose parents cant afford a almost 300 dollar console after tax this is great for lower income family as a game console for the family and media hub the tech is aged but not extinct theres still plenty to look forward to last of us, watch dogs, beyond, god of war ascention, ps all stars theres always going to be people who have to wait forprice drops and revisions especially when games are factored in since at launch the system was 800? and thn a game for 60? well 900+ after tax i think some ppl forget gaming is a luxery for some. many ppl wait til the end of a gen and get the best out of the system for cheaper plus many will gladly drop 150 for an extra for other rooms or eventual replacement. this will be a grea thing once it happens although i think sony needs to do more for the vita now its a great system it just needs idk more since i use mine to post comments to n4g lol

[prez184]

plus not mention early adopters usually get screwed be it price (ps3) or bugs (xbox360rrod) im not a fanboy at least in my opinion but sony for me makes more sense mainly its exclusives i just picked up a360 slim off cl pretty cheap so im excited to see what that system has to offer

[Skateboard]

Next gen will have to wait for my ass and get cheaper.

[solidworm]

Im ok with this but im ready for the next gen now.