New 12GB PS3 coming in two weeks

Gamereactor: A German online retailer posted (via Facebook) that in October a new PS3 with 12GB of flash memory will appear.

[KingOptimusOrigin111]

Awesome

[Hatsune-Miku]

I'll buy a 500gb slimmer ps3 first day

[sandman224]

I'll buy the 320 gig or 250gig my ps3 slim is making a chainsaw noise. It's the 160 gig model it's been doing it since I bought it. I should have exchanged it when I had the chance.

[ABizzel1]

12GB isn't going to work for all those games that have massive installs. My guess is they've upgraded the Blu Ray player in this PS3 model, so installs are no longer needed, and it's a change that could be done without affecting previous console differences.

[gaffyh]

@ABizzel - I kinda doubt they'd do that. There's no game that uses the entire 12GB for installs, so it is enough for Sony to be able to say, "Delete some files from your PS3 or buy an extra HDD". If they put in a better Blu-ray drive, it kinda defeats the purpose of making the device cheaper to make (unless 2x Blu-ray lasers cost more to make than 4/8x, which is possible)

[sikbeta]

I have to buy a new PS3 because my slim died, tempting if priced right... but if no upgradeable HDD, will go for current slim

[Oh_Yeah]

ill but the cheapest one and slap my 750 gb hard drive up in it...if my current slim ever breaks that is.

[Thatguy-310]

yea 500gb for me. I currentlly have the 250 and its crazy how the GB just vanish lol. Plus I just need a new system so im just waiting for the announcement.

[Conzul]

Flash memory is quite fast. I expect these models will have a more responsive menu and/or loading times for stored media.

[Pushagree]

PS3 games can't even wipe thier ass with 12gb. What is the point of this?

[guitarded77]

I want to know what the price will be... the lower the price, the more they will sell this holiday. I already have 3 PS3's with my main one being a 750gb, but one of my best friends is still holding out due to working crazy hours, and not feeling the has the time to invest vs the monetary investment. Maybe a dirt cheap PS3 will get him to buy one, so I can game with him too.

[antz1104]

Agreed, isnt a 12g model kind of a waste of time?

[fr0sty]

People said the 0GB 360's were a waste of time, but they still sold a lot of them. This makes a good starter kit to get someone going with a couple games and a couple more disc based games that do not require much HDD space, until they can get ahold of (any off the shelf SATA) a hard drive to add to their storage space. I bet the upgrade would be seamless since this is data stored on flash memory, it could exist alongside the HDD without the need for copying data from one drive to the next.

[darthv72]

its a german retailer making this confirmation via facebook? Does anyone else find that a bit odd?

If true, we dont know much about the physical changes to the system. such as the super slimming down did it incur the removal of an internalized hdd interface?

so that would put it at using external hdd kind of like the wii-u. That is just a guess for now but it would be a good move on sony's part.

Rather than being locked into a specific price point with internal hardware adding to the cost. Leave it up to the consumer to use any size ext hdd they want.

It would be nice if the bd drive was quicker to alleviate loads/mandatory installs. 12gb though...it is better than 4gb for 360 and 8gb for wii-u.

@abiz a better example would be the turbografx. Many might not get the reference but when it was remodeled from the single speed split design to the duo it got a double speed drive. Same with the 3do FZ-1 front loader to the FZ-10 top loader. A change in drives does wonders.

Oh and the ps2 to the ps2 slim lost the ability to use the hdd (even though it wasnt used for many things anyway). I think 12gb seems a bit low. I mean the PSP go has 16gb with expandable storage via M2 cards.

[ABizzel1]

@Gaffyh & disagrees

It is 2012. Blu Ray drives aren't $200 anymore. Sony even has Blu Ray players that cost $40, so a simple upgraded Blu Ray drives makes sense. Do you know what kind of backlash this will have if people buy that console, install a game, and realize they have to delete installs over and over. I had the 60GB PS3, and when I reached my limit it was one of the few times I've ever had to complain about the PS3. I have a 320GB PS3, and it's at it's limit as well (blame it on PS+). If someone buys this 12GB PS3 and becomes a PS+ member they're screwed, and since this new PS3 SS is still "a rumor" we don't know if you can upgrade the memory or not or even if it has a HDD, and seeing how this is for casual gamers more than likely they have no idea you can even upgrade the HDD.

Adding a better Blu Ray drive will prevent all installs that current PS3's need, and as I said a better Blu Ray drive will not affect the price of the PS3 SS but a couple of dollars ($10 tops). And it's not like consoles haven't been upgraded after their initial release before.

1. Sega Megadrive -> Sega Genesis -> Genesis 2 -> Genesis 3

2. PS1 -> PSone

3. PS2 didn't have DVD playback at first (in Japan), but was added to the new versions that would later release in the US. PS2 Slim added an Ethernet port and some even had built-in modems (Japan). The PSX was also a version of the PS2 that included a DVR and DVD burner, as well as introduced the XMB. Overall the PS2 received 15 different versions many of which were all under the hood changes rather than dynamic visual changes.

4. PSP upgraded from 32MB of RAM to 64MB of RAM in it's remodel.

5. Xbox 360 added Wi-Fi to the 360s, as well as different A/V ports, 5 USB ports, and an Auxiliary port for Kinect.

Even the PS3 Slim, while it's taken out features like backwards compatibility, it added features like larger HDD, Sony Easy link (connection to BRIVIA's, VAIO's, etc...), and better function CPU & GPU.

A 12GB PS3 will become a nightmare once people reach that 12GB limit which will be a lot sooner than the 4GB Xbox 360's limit, due to mandatory installs. They should have at least went with 32GB - 64GB.

[Vortex3D]

Don't people here who said 12GB isn't enough to install anything have any common sense? First you need to think why Sony would release a "12GB" storage model. Who is the target audience of "12GB" model? Don't think hardcore gamers because you are wrong (reason explained later).

Now look at X360 without hard drive model. Who is the target audience for the model? How much is X360 without hard drive sells for? Less than cheapest PS3 with a hard drive.

Who is the target audience for X360 without hard drive? This is the same answer for 12GB PS3.

Answer is very casual gamers. That is the group of gamers that Sony hasn't been able to reach very well because all hard drive models are still too pricey. Stop thinking logical that if you buy all the missing parts later, it will be cheaper to buy a higher end model with hard drive. Remember, this very casual gamers have no idea what they want, just interested in some gaming. The initial price tag is critical to them. $99 vs $200+ is a huge difference to this type of consumer. (I understand that's not X360 or PS3 price but an example. Who knows Microsoft and Sony may go for the "$99" range?)

Next, what do casual gamers play? Simple games. Most simple games will work with 12GB of storage.

Like X360 without hard drive model, if those casual gamers later become more of a real gamers and need more space to store their stuff, great, have them install a hard drive. On X360, they are stuck paying for Microsoft brand that is pricey. With PS3, unless Sony plans to release "Sony branded hard drive", those gamers can buy from any retailers.

I said earlier, 12GB model isn't for hardcore gamers. That may not be the marketed plan but it's now even better because most hardcore gamers upgrade to the 1TB hard drive or larger. But the smaller OEM hard drive becomes useless. Why pay for it if you are going to upgrade the hard drive anyway?

This is where readers who said 12GB model doesn't make sense because they don't understand the market. To them, the default 160GB or 250GB hard drive is enough and can't understand why 12GB model is the model for gamers that are too casual or too hardcore.

If you don't agree, please state a logical plan that Sony can get very casual gamers to buy a PS3. Remember, very casual gamers main attraction is the out of the box price tag. They don't know anything and can't see the long team cost of gaming. Like X360 without hard drive model, you must be able to find a way to produce a PS3 model that can get the very casual gamers into the door.

[inb4its2late]

@fr0sty

One of the main reasons the arcade 3 even sold, was cause of people replacing RROD xboxes and just buy that model cause it was cheaper and slapping their old hard drive in it.

[Oner]

@Vortex3D ~ Very Well Said.

[Tsar4ever01]

I wish 12gb would be the on board SYSTEM MEMORY of the ORBIS.

But more seriously, 12gb flash is way better than wussy 4gb on x360s. And plus the buyer would always have the option to buy any non-propriety HDD/SDD drive. so what's the big deal?

I believe inboard flash memory is going to be the standard in all PS Orbis's anyway. Flash memory is always faster for OS system boot-up & dloaded games would no longer have to wait for the HDD.

[BattleAxe]

@ sandman224

"I'll buy the 320 gig or 250gig my ps3 slim is making a chainsaw noise. It's the 160 gig model it's been doing it since I bought it. I should have exchanged it when I had the chance."

You should secure your home a bit better. Sounds like a 360 fanboy sabotaged your PS3 with some kind of hardware mod.

[mewhy32]

but 12 gig is only enough for 2 or 3 game installs. with so many games requiring a mandatory install on the ps3 this isn't really very much space.

[nukeitall]

There are gonna be a lot of complaints from the casual gamers realizing that they frequently run out of space. Most PS3 games these days require some sort of mandatory intall.

Then again, if you didn't pay for the extra space....

[Rhythmattic]

"with so many games requiring a mandatory install "

Yes, some install anything from a few 100k to a few 100mb...

Out of a few hundred games I own , only a few have a more than a 1gb install that is "mandatroy" , unless of course its a full retail PSN game..

[insomnium2]

@Rhythmattic

Ssshhhh!!! Don't tell them or they'll have nightmares. That's right ladies and gentlemen. Every single game on PS3 requires a 3GB mandatory install minimum.

[the worst]

people are dumb u can a hard drive

[Pillsbury1]

You are correct sir. But are you seriously neglecting the fact that the hdd can be upgraded? Because if you are sir then you are an ignoramus.

[Persistantthug]

Most PS3 games require an installation.

I'm calling shenanigans on this.

[darthv72]

installs are required to compensate for the bd drives slow transfer rate.

If the drive were quicker then we would not see the installs be needed as much, if at all.

Doubling the speed (and in some cases the memory) can do wonders to load times. The original PSP1000 had only 32mb of ram and games took a bit to load and would load during gameplay.

The 2000 had double the memory (not sure if it had a quicker UMD) and taking a game that loaded slow on the 1000 and playing it on the 2000 you could tell a difference. Or I can anyway.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

@darth72... even if that is the case, what do you do with all the previous PS3 games that have a mandatory install? I would think that would be a bit of coding nightmare? Those games are all coded to install to the hard drive and then have the system run the game from the hard drive not the disc.

[darthv72]

I would have to guess a patch can be released for the games to allow them to bypass the install and stream load instead.

If konami can make a patch to add trophies as well as full install, they can make one that negates the install too.

That's up to the developers to decide.

[Persistantthug]

Sure, Sony devs could and would do it....but Sony can't force developers and publishers to go back and recode for their games.

And then, what about developers who have gone out of Business, such as BLACKROCK STUDIOS (Split Second) and Bizarre Creations (Blur).

Sony can't force any developers to recode any of those old games bro....and there's a ton of them that would need it....most of them in fact.

Again, it's not practical. That's why this whole 12 and 16GB PS3 is nonsensical rumor mongering.

[Megaton]

Awesome? More like pathetic.

Flash storage is a step backwards for consoles as long as it's providing such small numbers. Especially for the PS3, a console with frequent mandatory installs.

[GuyManDude]

If it has an HHD bay and it costs $200 or less then yes, this is pretty awesome. People can buy 1TB HHDs for less than $100.

In other words: super-slim 1TB PS3 for under $300.

[Mr Pumblechook]

This website has said a German retailer leaked the info.

But what is the German retailer?
Where is their Facebook page?

Without this info then it sounds Jackanory.

[Azmatik]

Cant wait! Hope its a super slim, ill just slap my 500gb in.

[Azmatik]

Cant wait! Ill just slap my 500gb in.

[MostJadedGamer]

Very smart move by Sony as long as this comes in at $149. A $149 PS3 would sell like crazy for a very, very long time. I don't think they plan to release the PS4 til 2014 as they want recoup the massive losses on the PS3, and maybe even make a little profit.

The PS3 wouuld put up monster sales in 2012, and 2013 with a $149 model.

[awi5951]

Sorry double post

[awi5951]

I hope sony doesnt think this waste of time slows sales of the Wii U. If so japan just got in a huge shipment of crack and sony is smoking it.

[lilbrat23]

I still have a broke 60GB and if the price is right and I can upgrade the HDD than I guess and hope I could use my 60GB HDD on it..lol

[wane]

What about those massive installs?

[HappyWithOneBubble]

PS3 will have huge sales for the holidays.

[himdeel]

Only if it's below $199. A $175 would be super but $149 would be fantastic!

[dgonza40]

Those are unrealistic expectations. Anything under 250 would be insane, though

[DeadlyFire]

It does have to compete with the WiiU hardware. Keep that in mind.

I am thinking drop will hit at least $199 price point. PS3 is currently at $250 price point. So smaller one will definitely be cheaper.

[subtenko]

Competing with the WiiU. If they get it under $250 it will do well imo. Man, all this tech getting smaller and advanced, iphone5s getting A6 chips, ps3 slims getting slimmer, whats next? :D

[inb4its2late]

@dgonza

I bought my son's 160 slim last year for 249, during the holidays. If this is true it will not be over 200 for sure.

[lilbrat23]

$99 would be better..lol

[Honky Kong]

lol

[TheNocturnus]

@subtenko

What's next?
Hopefully the Xbox 720 and the PS4.

[ritsuka666]

PS3 will have huge sales for the holidays. "

http://www.comicbookmovie.c...

Really funny you comment bro... xD

[GribbleGrunger]

What? 12GB and they may 'marginally' raise the price? I'm waiting on this lol

two disagrees? has anyone actually read it? You actually want a new PS3 with 12GB of memory for more money?! LOLOL

'Sources are indicating that this PS3 will possibly have an even smaller box than the PS Slim, meaning a new ultra-slimline design is on the way. We're also expecting a hike in price, although no figures are available.'

Let's wait for an official announcement eh?

[miyamoto]

Even if we are not really sure abt it ...if Sony is gunning for the younger gamers its not a bad strategy. I said before its Sony's turn to give Nintendo a dose of its "Wii medicine" when Wii U comes out.
The gamers Sony is selling this budget PS3 does not care about heavy specs anyway & the type of games wont require them either.

[CommonSenseGamer]

Specs no...games yes.

I think most Wii owners are more likely to jump to the Wii-U than PS3 or Xbox.

[kneon]

The yen is still ridiculously high but I can't see them raising the price. The only way the price will go up is if they bundle in some extras. And there's always the chance of a PS3+Vita bundle, that would certainly raise the price.

[PersonMan]

It's not 12GB of memory.

Edit: Just realized that you meant FLASH memory, not RAM.

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

Knowing sony they will want to combat wiiU. I wouldn't be surprised to see a ps3 + vita bundle. But I am not sure what price they could do it.

I am keeping my ps3 until it dies. I want ps4.

[GribbleGrunger]

Ok, I'll throw something in here that hasn't been mentioned as a possibility yet. It's not something I like to do when there's more 'ifs' than wills', but here goes:

The standard flash memory is 16GB (a rumour from Neogaf a while back said there would be a 16GB slimmer released this year). So, why the unusual 12GB? What could that missing 4GB be used for (if it's there but hidden from this news report?).

Two things leap out at me immediately:

Firstly 'perhaps' it could be used to improve OS speeds and in particular online browsing and general access. 'Perhaps it could even help update speeds?'

Secondly, we all know of Sony's recent acquisition of Gaikai. 'Perhaps' Sony are going to offer some content through that service that would benefit from a more streamlined online connectivity. This wouldn't cut current owners out of the loop, it would just mean that their experience wouldn't be quite as smooth. Don't discount this immediately. Remember that Wikipad will not only be getting PSMobile, but it will also be getting Gaikai, so clearly Sony are already ready to roll with it.

[auen1]

whoever wrote that they may hike the price up is an idiot.

and why do people think you won't be able to upgrade the hdd? the 4gb xbox has flash memory, and you can upgrade its hdd.

[ALLWRONG]

How does 12gb work on a PS3 with mandatory installs? 2 games is all you can play. Isn't one of the biggest selling points for PS3 fans is that "every PS3 has a HDD"?

[MrBeatdown]

"Isn't one of the biggest selling points for PS3 fans is that "every PS3 has a HDD"?"

Yeah, it is, but not because anybody gives a crap if some guy can't have Skyrim, MGS4, and Rage installed at the same time.

It's because every developer can assume the user has one, which they do, and design the game accordingly. If some poor guy has to uninstall one massive game like Rage to play something else every now and then, that's his own problem, and he can either delete something, or buy a HDD. At the end of the day, he can still play every last PS3 game with his 12GB PS3.

Games are designed for the superior setup, as opposed to weakest. That's the selling point. The lowest common denominator isn't catered to. The selling point was never how much crap can be crammed onto the hard drive, or how easy it would be for the cheapest of gamers to play what they wanted with the least amount of effort.

[jimbobwahey]

Sony intends to give Nintendo a hard time during the Wii U launch then. I wonder if Microsoft will follow suit?

[miyamoto]

Well I like to see it as just the natural progressoon of Red Ocean Strategy. Product prices naturally lowers but the good thing is Sony did not abandon the core gaming community but at the same time they can serve both mature and younger gamers at the same time with one product. Where as Nintendo had to make two consoles.

Its debatable who had the better strategy now.

[supremacy]

I guess the rumors on neogaf were right, and right i did for waiting. For 150.00 if thats the price for this ill get it, and use one of my old HDDs on it. I know it saids they look to raise the price on this unit, but i dont think Sony will do such a thing.

Specially here in the u.s where ill be getting minds.

12Gb of flash memory is comparable to say the 8gb flash memory in the wiiu.

What i get from all this, that perhaps many dont, is that all 3 companies are going small in order to save and turn a quick profit. Now adays you look at smartphones and tablets with similar configurations running similar content for a higher price tag. And consumers go out their way to get more memory. It has worked for ms with the arcade models and 4gb models, i am sure the casuals will look past this and only see the price tag instead. Smart.

[smashman98]

THATS terrible Sony I love you but cmon you have games that take up more than that through installs alone oh well I guess it'll be neat for those who plan on not playing many games all at once

[KonaBro]

That's great because Sony is now hitting the period of their sales strategy where they are catering to the family and casuals before they hit the next generation with PS4. This allows the PS3 to be sold under the magical price point ($200)and get more PS3s into more households. If Sony can advertise Wonderbook and PSASBR to the masses, it'll do fine. I also expect MS to pull a similar move with the Xbox 360.

[smashman98]

You're right totally forgot about that in which case it is great

[CalvinKlein]

MS already has a cheap model with a crappy amount of storage space the 4gb xbox 360. and people, especially on this very site, were constantly talking about how bad it sucks and how the "real 360" costs 300$.

Now for many here its just good business when sony does it years later when its really unnecessary.

In my opinion this is a dumb move when the ps3 has so many mandatory instals. Also it guarantees that noone will buy psn stuff with this thing. The only people who would really want ths is people replacing their old ps3s I think.

Im sure little billy will be better able to convince his parents to buy him a cheaper ps3, but wont expect the storage to be filled almost instantly with installs and updates.

I already have a ps3 but I really wish MS and sony would just drop the prices of the regular models instead of releasing a "new" gimped version every time they drop the price. For instance, why dont MS just drop the 4gb and start selling the 250Gb 360 for 200$. We all know it should cost less by now. Same with sony. Why take out the LED lights last time, and this time offer such small storage in a system that NEEDS STORAGE to even work.

I understand cost cutting, but why do these current consoles have to loose quality when it goes down in price. The price should just go down with time naturally, you shouldnt have to offer such gimped versions just to save money on hardware that is 5/6 years old.

whats next, "buy a ps3 for 50$!!!!!" you open the box and there is a ps2 in there.

Dont get mad at me, I feel the same way for MS, WHY THE F did they release a xbox 360 with less storage than the xbox1, cheapness thats why. They would have made WAY MORE from XBLA already if they had no 0-4gb xboxs sold.

You would think that someone with half a brain at either of these companies would let them know that people actually need storage to be able to buy all this digital crap they are trying to sell.

[kma2k]

@CalvinKlein Sorry sir but im on here every day & people arent say anything about the 4g unit sucking. People are smart enough to realise what M$ & Sony are doing, they are giving you the option of buying the system at a cheap price point & putting in your own HDD. I have a "4 gb" 360, i bought a used 60gb oem xbox HDD from ebay for $10 & a HDD enclosure from Amazon for $6.00 so for $16.00 i have an oem xbox HDD. Sony is going the same route they are letting you put in your own HDD, My current ps3 is dying a slow death & I have a 500gb hdd in it, if sony was to come out with this no HDD ps3 for say $150-175 i would buy that bad boy on launch day & put my old ps3 HDD in it & be a happy camper. Sony is making a very smart decision here dont put them down for it!

[testerg35]

kma2k, then you're not reading most of the posts by PS3 peeps on how MS rips off consumers with the 4gb sku and how it makes no sense.

[Jazz4108]

I agree. There are many games that take up 3 and 4 gigs and I bet if you average all the partial mandatory installs for the ps3 it would be about 2 to 3 gigs. Casuals want simple where you put a game in and play like the 360 with no mandatory installs period. With the ps3 you have to worry about installs, space, settings, constant firmware updates. Im sorry this will not fly for the casuals and will not sell. Besides even after you go through all those things the games still rate and play better on the 360. What people on here comparing this to 4 gig 360 are convientley leaving out is the 360 plays all games from the disc and does not need any extra space where every ps3 game takes up space against that 12 gigs and some games on ps3 can use that in one game. Sony would get sued if they release this and rightfully so.

[rustyspoon80]

A 12gb PS3 with a £99 price would kill this xmas period.
Suppose we'll see what Sony do soon enough.
I imagine it'll stay £199 with some extra games or something.

[GribbleGrunger]

Yes, if this IS true then it is more likely to be aimed at the casuals. I can't see it being more expensive though, that would be counter productive. This is likely to be bundled with the MOVE controller and games such as Wonderbook, Sports Champion 2 or Okami HD. There's also a chance (a big chance actually) that it might also get bundled with the Vita and have cross play games and/or LBP2+DLC that allows for Vita/PS3 integration.

But there would be little point IF it was more expensive. Like I said, we need to wait for the official announcement first to fully understand the strategy.

It's also flash memory and a smaller casing. There has been no mention of whether it has a HDD bay... If it hasn't then this is definitely for the casuals. Sony will now have a very good idea how much the Wiiu will retail at in Japan, Europe and America, so IF they CAN produce this for around £100 then bringing a Vita/PS3 combo bundle out could be a very good move (If it can match the Wiiu's price point or there abouts)

But, as I've said, this article states it's likely to be more expensive which is why we can't really draw any concrete conclusions just yet.

[19993568]

12GB?!
Oh, that's awesome; i can have three whole games on it.
It's perfect for games that need 4GB installs. /s

[Baka-akaB]

If cheaper it means that people like me can finally just get a newer ps3 and add a 500 or 1tb drive instead of paying a premium for 320gb ...

[smashman98]

The description said flash memory, doesn't sound expandable

[Baka-akaB]

there is no way they'd remove the Hdd bay . Even Sony sells digital content .

[iamnsuperman]

As I mention below to someone else this isn't for you, me or anyone who goes on this site. This is for those families who are going to go on and buy wonderbook. They will not buy that many games.

There is a chance also these families will stay with the PlayStation brand in the future as it is what they know. Exactly the same with what Microsoft did with the 4GB unit

[LOL_WUT]

Hey why wouldn't this be for anyone here? I wouldn't mind another PS3 in the living room to watch movies.

Just like the Wii U no harddrive is disappointing. Heres hoping we'll be able to upgrade using an internal harddrive instead of an external one. ;)

[sashimi]

Clearly this isn't aimed at gamers like US who like installing games....Take a look at all those 4GB Kinect 360 bundles...yeah its aimed at THOSE PEOPLE.

I mean did Sony say they were discontinuing their 160GB PS3? nope....Then i see no problem here.....

[Xof]

It's a great deal for those of us with YLOD PS3s, who would rather just buy a cheap (new) replacement and stick in our own giant HDDs than spending an extra $100 just to get a small HDD to sell for $10 on ebay.

[xAlmostPro]

4gb installs?.. there's not many games that have installs that big. More so with the latest games.

It's all about being sensible. Also if you complete a single player game that has a large install. Delete the data and re-install if you ever go back to it. They don't take that long.

[roadkillers]

Yeah, I can't wait to play GTAV, then delete it to play Bioshock, and then delete that to play MGS. It's hard not to smile at 12 Gigs.

[GuyManDude]

Or, if it has an HHD bay, you could put a 1TB drive in it for less than $100.

[roadkillers]

:)

[eferreira]

I want to get a second ps3, this may be it.

[timzone]

The more PS3's that sell the better supported the console will be by developers. The new unit will be cheaper which can only help sales.

[nevin1]

Cant market PS+ through this PS3 then.

[JAM_brz]

I´ve been thinking in that too. In 3 months, my 160 gb PS3 has just 30gb left in the HDD. Just 3 months of PS+.

Maybe it´ll be possible to put a external HD to increase the storage.

[josephayal]

12gb? c'mon not bad for a demo

[iamnsuperman]

It is to attract the young family/children crowd who would then go on to by wonderbook. It isn't meant to be for us. Similar to what the 360 did with their 4GB unit. It is a smart move they should have done a year ago

[glopez]

But when nintendo announced their 8 gig model for the casuals everyone here just dragged them through the muck about it. Sony does it and its the best strategy ever thought of! LOL you just have to love these first generation gamers.

[Xperia_ion]

^^^^^^^
150$ nuff said.

[glopez]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Next gen system nuff said

[RandyPhill]

If this is 12GB Flash does that mean I can't put an old hard drive in it or will I just have to wait and see?

[ThePsychoGamer]

We can't be sure until we get the details.

Personally I think they will allow it like they have with the other PS3 models, I mean if they didn't allow it, it would be a lot harder to sell digital games and PS+ to the people who buy the new model.

[Unztayble]

I think this is for people who want something that plays netflix on their tvs.

[topgeareasy]

32GB flash memory would of been better IMO

[kariyanine]

While yes 32GB would be better, flash memory isn't cheap. 12 probably makes sense for whatever price point they are going to put on it.

[Dreamer09]

What a crock of shit.

[N311V]

If it doesn't have a HDD bay there will likely be some disappointed people. I can see parents buying this and not realizing there's a difference and casuals that become core only to realise they were gimped.

[kma2k]

if it dosetnt have a hdd bay then sony would be extremely stupid to do this. But serisouly can you think of a logical reason why they wouldnt have one? I cant see them saving any money or more than a couple dollars by not having one. It seems like a no brainer to have a port for it.

[insomnium2]

If anything it would be more expensive to make changes to the assembly line like that for PS3 to not have a HDD bay all of a sudden.

[N311V]

Only reason I can think of is to save space but I agree it would be crazy not to have a bay.

[BroGamer]

I know my 500GB launch SKU is going to die soon. Flash memory would be a disappointment. If you can't put an HDD in it, it'd be a big mistake. Hopefully this'll cut some Slim prices.

[r21]

Ah so thats when Sony's TGS conference. Wednesday next week will reveal all!

[the new king 74]

It's a great idea for the people that don't plan on downloading or installing anything .maybe cloud saves will come in to play. I have no use for one since my 60gig is still chugging away. Next systems I'll buy will be ps4/Xbox 720/Wii U

[CalvinKlein]

so you mean its great for someone who doesnt want to play PS3 games, because tons of them require installs to even play.

[Dno]

which is why you have 12 gigs... not one game requires 12 gigs so your fine

[Omar91]

sweet! my friend can now finally get a ps3. Ive been practically pressuring him to lol

[TheLyonKing]

Even though it will be more expensive it's great for people who don't play games and want an entainment device that will be smaller than teh current ps slim, I know I will have one set up in my movie room when it comes out :)

[DiRtY]

Am I the only one who feels like flash storage versions seem to be "unfinished consoles"?!

Digital Distribution enjoys a healthy grow, but a

- 4GB Xbox 360
- 8 GB Wii U
- 12 GB PS3
- 32 GB Wii U

don't appeal to me. I have a 250 GB HDD in my 360 and 120 GB are used. Sure I could delete some older stuff but meh. Download a HD movie and there go 12 GB of storage (MS has a really good compression) Download DLC for your game and boom, there go another 2 GB. Want to play a cool XBLA game? Another 1.5 GB gone.

And the PS3 with its mandatory installs does not seem to be the perfect choice if you ask me. I would always feel like missing something, when I buy one of these lower systems, no matter which manufacturer.

[GuyManDude]

The 4GB 360 has a hard drive bay in it. There's no reason to expect this new 12GB PS3 (if real) will not. Many people will upgrade and put their old PS3 drive in there. Others can buy a 1TB HDD for less than $100.

As long as the price point is low, this is an excellent SKU.

[MadMen]

fugly

can anyone tell me the SKU for the model that had the lights on the ejection and power buttons? I want to pick one up.

[CalvinKlein]

Im pretty sure they stopped making those a while back with the last price drop. I have the first slim 120GB and it has the lights on the buttons and lights for the wi-fi and HD. I also think the 250GB and maybe others had them for a while up until around the last pricedrop but now I dont think any of them have the lights.

[Francisnf]

HAHA why are people STILL interested in throwing money at this sh1te device?!?!?

[tigertron]

12GB flash memory? no thanks.

[madeinLeeds]

Cloud gaming model?

[csreynolds]

Why on Earth...?

[auen1]

i'd pick that up for a very cheap price then update the hdd myself.

[topekomsi]

I don't care who says it, this form factor will be cheaper, it is a fact that the part continuously go down throughout the lifecycle. I would say a safe bet is $149.

[Droid Control]

Bring this thing out at £99 and you will dominate the Wii U this holiday Sony.

[turgore]

I guess its okay for people who don't have one. I love my slim 80gb PS3.

[kingPoS]

I'm all for the new slim as my 60gb ps3 recently died. But one little thing is bugging me. You see I have the Nyko media hub slim on my old slim ps3. Question is! will that usb hub still fit on the new slim?

[wiiu_peeu]

If it has a removable hdd ill buy it in an instant. Ive been dying to buy another ps3 because my son harasses me for mine and doesnt even touch his wii (mind u hes only 5) because hes infatuated with lil big planet lol I have two hdd laying around that i can easily swap into the my new ps3. 150 and Sony will make the biggest killing this winter that i know without a doubt!!!!!! that would be crazy i wouldnt even hesitate to buy it.

[GamerElite]

you don't say

[Bowzabub]

Now bundle these with PSVitas and watch what happens.

[joeorc]

Sony look's to have submitted the systems to(the Brazilian Agency of Telecommunications)

since it states Hard Drive it most likely is Solid State

And i would say the Hard Drive bay is still there the pic in the lower right had a faint crease where the Hard Drive bay is on the current new model's of the PS3 on the super slim PS3. so it look's like the die shrunk on the PCB, most likely to the smaller 32 nm or 28 nm scale, and more of the the SOC chipset component's was or may have been combined. overall less mother board real estate needed for the chip's.

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

The Solid State Hard Drive have slowly come down in price, 16GB ones would be pretty cheap in the number of HD's that Sony would need.

http://www.buycheapr.com/us...

@kingPoS

" Question is! will that usb hub still fit on the new slim?"

I doubt it would as it is shaped for the current config. but you could just get extension USB Male to Female cables and that would solve the issue anyway.

example:

http://www.amazon.com/Exten...

[EffectO]

12 GB????

Is this some bad joke?

lmao

[RavageX]

Ok...apparently a lot of you are quite stupid. You can add your own hard drive.

Listen closely.

You can add your own hard drive.

12gb isn't enough for you? THEN ADD YOUR OWN HARD DRIVE.

This is perfect for those of us who have large hard drives already, or would rather use a favorite brand, etc.

Use your brains sometimes.

[smashcrashbash]

Yeah I don't see what is so hard to understand. If you don't do much with it you can keep it at 12 GB and change the hard drive when you want more. You buy this for cheap and add new hard drive when you are ready. I can download several PSN games and save several games with 12 GB and I am not sure what people are talking about all PS3 games require installs. I have several PS3 games and the only one I had that required an install was MGS4.The way people are talking as if every game requires and install. It's amazing how people on this site can talk so much $hit and get agrees for it. BTW why would they hike the price for less GB. what sense would that make?

[Baka-akaB]

Apparently people around here would rather be overcharged for a small 320gb .

[Felonycarclub8]

It's ok for 360 to have 4gb but it's bad for ps3 to have 12gb?

[testerg35]

Dont you mean ps3 fans call the 4gb a ripoff, but the 12gb is a great idea?

[Felonycarclub8]

Yeah thats true goes either way I just hope u can install a hard drive on this one but even it comes out a super cheap price people are still going to complain cus u have to buy the hdd some people will never be happy

[Baka-akaB]

yeah let's pretend you can actually choose your replacement HDD on 360 and not being forced to buy the official overpriced 360 hdds . -_- .

Not quite the same situation imo . And stop pretending you can't see the people calling the 12gb ps3 a stupid idea

[superterabyte]

the install data alone for gran turismo 5 is 15gb wtf people might be able to get like 2 games installed on this thing and forget storing media or downloading digital games dead space 2 is 15gb etc

[ugaydawg]

I love it how this got on top page.

[DivineAssault]

Oh yeah, sony was waiting for wii u to show itself before announcing this & setting a price to combat wii u.. TVii is cool on wii u but nintendo network cant hang with psn.. Theyre far too established already & have much more to offer.. Plus the PS3 exclusives coming are not even a fair fight.. Especially nx yr when Tales of Xillia, Ni No Kuni, GOW, & $hit loads more start coming in.. Sorry, Bayonetta isnt worth all that to me..

[sdplisken]

if they can sell em cheaper then by all means

[TheCopyNinja]

12gb? That'll last me a few minutes.

[TheKayle]

another fail marketing masterpiece

[sway_z]

It's designed to steal attention from the Wii U launch...it doesn't take an Einstein to work that out.

However, as a replacement or entry system for those late to the party, this is a cool move by Sony.

The storage issue is not such a deal breaker to the casual, and the replacement purpose will more than likely see an old HDD added from the replaced PS3 by most existing users.

My only gripe is why the thing looks so cheap and ugly....
If Sony are serious about dealing a strike to Wii U it had better launch sub £199.

£129 or £149 would certainly hurt Wii U sales......

[tweet75]

smaller hard drives do nothing but discourage digital content purchases. Although its not a huge deal to download and redownload from the eshop. It is time consuming and an inconvience.

[telekineticmantis]

$149 for the Playstation move bundle package. With WiiU coming out at $299, the PS3 and Vita needs to drop price. If the Vita/PS3 combination can price at $299, then customers can weigh options. No matter what the WiiU is a newer console, but atleast Sony would be competitive.

[GamerElite]

More like $149 for the smallest HDD. and $199 for the bundle.

[capcock]

you know what I can do with 12 GB's on a system with mandatory installs above 5gb/game?
fucking nothing...

[sway_z]

Why don't you at least wait and see what's announced officially by Sony before dooming this version of the PS3 to failure....?

I seriously think if all of us have worked out this flaw....maybe Sony had too? Wait, see if it's true...then shoot!

[jacksons98]

That is a huge exaggeration. Secondly why pay for a harddrive you are going to throw away anyway. In my case I've upgraded my PS3 harddrive to a 1TB drive so it would actually be better to not pay for the drive if you don't need to.

[Cryptcuzz]

Then f*cking learn how to install a larger hard drive on the PS3. Even my 10 year old nephew has done it himself. Assuming this model (if at all true) would cost cheaper then the current models, you can add a 500 GB to 1 TB drive for the same total cost as the current models.

This model obviously would not be for you or anyone who complains about it's low storage capacity. ESPECIALLY if you complain about the low capacity as if you don't know the PS3 can install any 2.5", any brand you'd like SATA drives for dirt cheap if you know where to look.

This is for impulse buyers, those who have been waiting for a lower cost PS3, parents, parents buying for their kids or as a gift. Those who don't game as often and use it for movies, Netflix...etc.

It can if you look at it from a certain angle of approach for current PS3 owners as well. A lot have commented and stated that they feel there current PS3 seems like it's giving out soon or they could be using another one in the living or wherever. Existing PS3 owners like that can simply buy this and swap over there bigger hard drive and get a brand new PS3 for cheaper then if they had bought a brand new larger SKU model. They in turn can buy another hard drive and use it in another room or simply gift it to someone they know.

[Baka-akaB]

I'd also like you to find ps3 games that can't be installed on the flash drive . Hell i'll do you a solid and give you already one : Dc universe online .

But it would be silly anyway to play a mmo without an hard-drive .

Again the model is obviously for either folks that couldnt give a damn about the forced 160/320 disks SINCE THEY HAVE BETTER ... or people that dont give a dman about having big storage to begin with .

[Vickistheman]

If you can upgrade the hard drive, then it's not a bad deal especially if it's $149, or $179.

[CShadow]

This is my 4th PS3 lol. Two slims, 1 fat boy, and 1 slimmer. I'm pimping this thing out. Put stickers on it! Here's your bday gift!

[frankiebeans]

Wow I just sent my ps3 in for repair it coast me 180 bucks for my 60 gig and its on its way back now.....this is bs fml -.-

[jacksons98]

I think it's smart, everyone is tight on money and as long as it still has room for a real harddrive. Customers can always upgrade later when they need to.
Infact, I'd welcome the lower price since I've upgraded my original harddrive on my two PS3s anyway.

[tweet75]

id much rather have a 500GB ps3 for $299 or a 1 TB model for $349

[Qrphe]

I'd prefer it would have no HDD so it'd be a tad bit cheaper. I have a 1 TB HDD laying around somewhere.

[Phoenix76]

can you ACTUALLY fit a HDD into this new model?? cause the pics i just saw (which werent v.good) dont appear to have front bay which i can easily see on both of my slims right now??

[GamerElite]

Those pics are not good. There was a removable space next to the USB for the HDD on a better picture that I saw

[MDC31]

another gimped ps3 console? smh

[bligmerk]

Tokyo Game Show TGS2012 is next week and this aggregater site has barely any coverage.

The Super Slim PS3 (SS PS3) is probably going to be introduced then, with release dates the following week. The kicker is if this 12GB has a sale price minus the cost of a hard drive, but still has the hard drive slot to add a hard drive of choice (no reason why it wouldn't). This 12GB SS PS3 could be priced at $199.

[deletingthis34675334]

12GB? Ouch. Thought the 20GB launch system was bad but 12? What kind of audience are you marketing this console to, Sony? The people that only play games like EyePet and Bejeweled 3? Oh, Ok.

[Ryto]

I recently bought a PS3 slim for one reason and one reason only - it seemed better than a boxxee. I didn't care for games (I was probably going to buy one or two) I was just gonna use my ps3 for Netflix and catch up tv (iplayer, etc) and that fact it is a blu-ray.

So I deffo would have gone for this cheaper model, so I'm proof this version will sell.

However, I traded in the two bundle games on got a 90-day PS PLUS and have downloaded every game and am currently amazeballs at red dead redemption, so I'm really glad I went for the 320 model.

But casual gamers - sure, it'll sell lots.

Edit: I will add That I play a lot of games on my PC, but the freebies on ps+ have gotten me into console gaming again, And my point is IF I hardly played games at all, then as a media hub the ps3 would be perfect.

[Pillsbury1]

Why are people complaining? Don't you guys understand 12 gb hdd can be upgraded??? This is just to lower the cost and have you're own choice to not have an expensive hdd I there! That is why I sold my Xbox I was tired of being raped for cash by Microsoft.

Why I will never buy a Microsoft console ever again

1. You had to pay for a wifi adapter that should have been included

2. If you wanted to upgrade hdd you had to buy overpriced m$ hdd

3. You have to PAY for online when it should be FREE

Sony and Nintendo 4 life

[taquito]

too bad everyone will be buying wii u's instead

make a new freaking console

we're sick of 720p and often less with jaggies everywhere and awful framerates.

[AlucardFury]

lol, buy this SKU, with Lost Planet, RE5 and DMC 4 and try to play them consecutively to see how that works out.

[jacksons98]

Why wouldn't it work out? You could always play one then delete the game file. If by chance you want to play more of those crappy games then you could always load the data back on. But in all reality once is enough for any of those.

[Sephiroushin]

Crapcom games no thanks! You always has the option to upgrade HDD anyways ...

[Pillsbury1]

Seriously? You can't use you're brain for two seconds? 12gb is just to lower the cost of not having an expensive hdd in there, you can buy you're own hdd and have more!!! What don't people understand about that?!

[Qrphe]

You're...so smart.

[AlucardFury]

To all the idiots who replied, yes I know its pretty damn obvious it can be expanded, the point is, its practically an obligation to do so as opposed to the 160GB. I wasn't promoting Crapcom, the point was using games with large installs. Lastly I know it can be done perse but its cumbersome and time consuming having to delete one of these games to install another one. In summary, I doubt slashing the HDD by more than 90% will help drive the price down enough so that it can climb out of its 3rd place hole. I guess I need to explain things like if I was talking to a bunch of babies since my point was completely misunderstood.

[Sieg]

Bought 60gb fat model for $400 back in 2008 and I'm not even mad.

[kewlkat007]

Useless....especially with "Mandatory installs....

[MDC31]

no wonder the ps3 is in 3rd place

[2pacalypsenow]

its more than the 4gb Xbox 360

[mushroomwig]

Please include wireless-N, I'll buy it on day one if that was the case.

[MDC31]

......

[LOOK_AT_THIS_I]

Super cheap price will get more systems into new hands or single system owners who didn't want to spend much playing a few games. As for the hdd, there is always an upgrade option. Perhaps USB thumb drives/external hdds or swap internal hdds. Perhaps the gaikai system is in place for this reason.
Imagine all the ps+ items/psn games you would download from the store normally now with the ability of on the fly access by using the streaming service. Just a possibility :)

[ChunkyLover53]

Why in the world would they raise the price with this console? It looks pretty cheaply made, and its clear Sony is trying to attract the casual/family crowd with this and games like LBP Karting, PS All Stars and Wonderbook ect.... Why raise the price though?

[Sephiroushin]

Why people don't use common sense, the 12GB model is probably for the gamers that need just the system and already own an HDD, why get a 500GB model when you've a 1TB that you're not using at all or when you can just update the HDD for less money...

[TBONEJF]

I don't think 12GB isn't enough memory. I mean do you see how big of SPACE memory these games takes? They should of at least add 60GB flash memory then put a 2.5" slot on the PS3 if anyone wants to upgrade too 500Gb or 1TB

[wishingW3L]

the system doesn't have an HDD slot to upgrade the memory?! 0_0

[GTRrocker666]

People.... you can install a new hard drive in the 12 GB PS3 to give you any memory you want. It isnt hard. Google it.

This is a good purchase for people who need a new ps3. They can just throw in their old ps3 hd and have all their data. This is actually a smart move. They can sell ps3s cheap and people can just upgrade the memory on their own. And the idiots that cant use google or youtube can hire geek squad to do it for them. Jobs are being created. Obama be praised.

[2pacalypsenow]

Any news on the price of this?

[CanadianTurtle]

You'll only be able to play like 2 games on it because of some mandatory installs, so ya no thanks.

[tweet75]

why not a ps3 and vita combo package for $300? wouldnt that be like getting a wiiu with the controller ?? only in sony style

[jjb1981]

If you haven't bought a Ps3 by now, you're burnt out.

[kingPoS]

Here's hoping Nyko comes out with a revised slim usb hub for the 3rd ps3 ver. I can't go back to two usb ports now. At any given time, there's at least three ports used.

@joeorc

Extension cables would only make things clutered. I'd rather have both usb ports used, as that makes it much less likely to fry or cook a port.