Support NeoGAF

[Wollan]

For the new page, resized/rehosted:

The slots here fit perfectly with the I/O output of the latest motherboards:

Other:

Original 60GB PS3 Motherboard, 180watt versus current 80GB, 110watt (which has 65nm CPU/GPU):

The standard workstations (as pointed out by Sin):

Thanks to west and iceatcs for angling the image correctly, the system is almost quadratic:

Goldrusher has done a good job trying to fit the various pieces:

So:

1. Convincing, professional chassis mold
2. Logo changed from PLAYSTATION 3 to PS3 which is logical, not proof for/against though
3. Packaging image is not shopped (though the pack itself might be custom made)
4. IBM have had the 45nm Cell in production (since mid 2008 I believe?), we all know the story about the general downsizing of PS3 components and lower power needs
5. Pink/green work stations! (same as background)
6. Sony shipped 10m PS3's in fiscal year 07 and 08 each, they are now saying 13m for 09.
7. Maintek Computer located in Suzhou, China, manufactures PS3s. They brought down the thread (Chinese) that was hosting these images with cease and desist.
8. Identical box art and font to the newly revealed PSP GO.

Don't expect this one at E3, not impossible but unlikely. Late summer/early fall.

 

[DrXym]

Original PS3 blu ray drive - http://techrepublic.com.com/2346-10877_11-41891-45.html

I had to completely dismantle this bastard when my 2 year old thought it would be a great idea to insert a thick plastic disc into the PS3. The slot loader sucked it in and jammed solid. Had to take out every thing, even the springs and levers to extract the foreign object and spent a nerve wracking two hours reassembling it all. Have to say though that the PS3 is built like a tank. I was impressed it even worked afterwards.

 

[MrTroubleMaker]

interesting

 

[WinFonda]

I think this is legit

 

[Rolf NB]

<...>Internal Lap top blu ray drive [also with same "suck-in" disk mechanism]
Sony Optiarc BC-5600S-01 2X Blu-Ray SATA Slim Combo Drive - Bulk (Black)

<...>

External I-O Data drive [even smaller, but no "suck in" mechanism]

No, bigger. The form factor for slimline optical drives is well defined. They are all the same size. That second drive is internally the same as the first but with a simple case around it. I've assembled some of these things myself, have one here right now. It's bigger.

 

[gofreak]

Does anyone have dimensions for the latest motherboard? Just wanna see if it would it within the dimensions I calc-ed or not (of course, if not they could still have shrunk the mb further, but just curious..)

 

[DrXym]

I've been saying for a while that a major (visible) redesign will have to happen earlier than it did for the PS2, and probably twice within the generation.

However.

These pics ... they don't speak to me at all.

I couldn't make pics that bad if I tried. I can't fathom what kind of fucked up camera I'd need to employ to get these amounts of noise. Maybe stick a toothpick right through the CCD sensor and then spit on it. Image quality this horrible just has to be deliberately horrible. I accept no other explanation.

Try working in a Chinese sweatshop where there is an excellent chance of getting sacked and / or beaten up for taking the pics and then comment on picture quality.

Anyway its easy to see what they are - top and bottom pieces of the chassis before assembly. From the looks of the box packaging, there will be a piece of chrome flash around the slot loader with the rest probably maintaining the same matte finish used since the 40Gb models.

 

[west]

For larfs - my guesstimate based on the photos - assuming the drive opening has no 'waste' and the controller and unit on the box are 1:1.

I think I f-ed up somewhere along the line though, the depth reduction looks too aggressive.

The slim actaully looks almost square in profile in the non-squished pictures. So yeah, I think it goes a little farther back like you said.

 

[Wollan]

dp

 

[$h@d0w]

This page shows the evolution of ps3 motherboards:

http://www.edepot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1376

The latest one (CECHL) seems to be an L shape but this was released last year.

 

[cvxfreak]

I'd love me a smaller PS3 yet (especially with BC).

 

[gofreak]

The slim actaully looks almost square in profile in the non-squished pictures. So yeah, I think it goes a little farther back like you said.

Looks less square-y on the box than in the other profile shot though. Unfortunately neither are a 'head-on' view, the angles are probably screw with any measurement we try to make off them.

If the two assumptions I made were right though, it should be fairly accurate. Though again, admittedly, the depth reduction looks a bit overly dramatic.

This page shows the evolution of ps3 motherboards:

http://www.edepot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=1376

The latest one (CECHL) seems to be an L shape but this was released last year.

There's a CECHP on the following page, though I don't see the accompanying picture.

Surely someone measured these things?

 

[kittel]

looks very convincing and real; the boss of the manufacturing plant might have to strengthen security by banning camera phones. I've visited quite a number of factories in China and the larger the plant, the tighter the security (ie Foxconn is notorious for tight security, probably after the iPod incident).

 

[Philanthropist]

He pointed out that the assembly stations are in fact pink (the image isn't recent).

Resized/rehosted:

*pics*

Other:

Original 60GB PS3 Motherboard, 180watt versus current 80GB, 110watt (which has 65nm CPU/GPU):

*pic*

So:

1. Convincing, professional chassis mold
2. Logo changed from PLAYSTATION 3 to PS3 which is logical, not proof for/against though
3. Packaging image is not shopped (though the pack itself might be custom made)
4. IBM have had the 45nm Cell in production (since mid 2008 I believe?), we all know the story about the general downsizing of PS3 components and lower power needs
5. Pink work stations!

I think it's real too, I rike it. Can't wait to get confirmation and side to side comparisons.

 

[lowrider007]

I'll jump on the bandwagon, I think it's real also.

 

[Lince]

299$ + full/enhanced PS2 BC

E3 has a winner

 

[Squeak]

Looks very real to me. Very smart move if it is real too. Besides the price, the size and the bombasticness of the original case is probably also important factors in the PS3s troubles. Gloss is so last year.
Lets hope they worked on a PS2 emu too. Come on Sony FFS! PCs at lower specs than PS3 are running very decent PS2 emus.

 

[Philanthropist]

Lets hope they worked on a PS2 emu too. Come on Sony FFS! PCs at lower specs than PS3 are running very decent PS2 emus.

Sony wouldn't release a PS2 software emulator that couldn't run over 95% games with acceptable performance. No PC PS2 emulator can claim that, but then again they should be able to develop a better emulator than anybody else as long as there weren't insurmountable hardware emulation issues, which is likely to some extent.

 

[PuppetMaster]

Starting to look more and more real.

I wonder if it will come with a stand like the PS2 slim so you can stand it upright without it toppling over.

 

[Thrakier]

299$

Probably

+ full/enhanced PS2 BC

Never!

E3 has a winner

Bu bu bu but...MGS4?

 

[Nick Laslett]

We all know a PS3 slim is in the works, it's just when it will be revealed that is unknown.

At the end of last year I thought a PS3 slim was certain to be announced at the next E3 with a $299 pricepoint, because it was one of the best ways for Sony to relaunch the console.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=14054469&postcount=90

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=14338087&postcount=59

After some discussions at Beyond3D it seemed a lot less likely as the folks there did not think that the component shrinkage was far enough along.

I would really like software based PS2 compatibility to be announced at this E3.

These two announcements the $299 slim and PS2 BC would go a long way to rebooting the PS3 business.

Believe

 

[Wollan]

It won't be announced before early fall.
They still need to sell out their current model.

 

[PuppetMaster]

I wonder if the power supply will be external this time round. That seems to be the cheaper way to go and would reduce the size and cooling requirements significantly.

 

[Doc Evils]

Would get another one if true.

 

[Squeak]

Sony wouldn't release a PS2 software emulator that couldn't run over 95% games with acceptable performance. No PC PS2 emulator can claim that, but then again they should be able to develop a better emulator than anybody else as long as there weren't insurmountable hardware emulation issues, which is likely to some extent.

EE emulation is AFAIK pretty close to perfect. The last PS3s with BC had the EE done by Cell.

The trouble is the GS. And as I understand it, the alphablending and screen manipulation stuff you were able to do on it virtually for free.
But, there are ways around it as has been proved by emus. Trouble is finding a general way to do it. Maybe some of the very bandwidth intensive stuff could be moved to the SPEs.

 

[Sin]

It won't be announced before early fall.
They still need to sell out their current model.

September.

 

[PuppetMaster]

It won't be announced before early fall.
They still need to sell out their current model.

They could just price the new model at the current PS3 price point for Spring/Summer. And sell the current models at a discount, and or push lots of bundles. See the Infamous and R&C bundles that were just announced. This could help get rid of inventory.


Or they might do something like only release the PS3 Slim in Japan for the first few months. This also has historical precedent with Sony.

 

[Flek]

He pointed out that the assembly stations are in fact pink (the image isn't recent).

now i believe. No faker would think of something like that - no way!

 

[pseudocaesar]

Cautiously optimistic, buuuut this close to E3. Could argue both ways...this close to E3 its a fake, or this close to E3 a leak has sprung.

 

[Gomu Gomu]

We all know a PS3 slim is in the works, it's just when it will be revealed that is unknown.

According to Sony, "We currently don't have any plans for a redesigned PS3." Our internet dictionary defines "currently" as "at the presenttime; now." So currently right now, Sony doesn't have plans, but maybe in the future (tomorrow? next week? next year?), the company could have plans.

http://kotaku.com/5252048/no-plans-for-ps3-redesigns

 

[Captain N]

$299.99 slim this Holiday could help out big time.

 

[6.8]

$299.99 slim this Holiday could help out big time.

I'd buy it.

 

[Cruzader]

Can someone tell me what the pink BG means? I get its where legit PS3s get produced? so the 'rumored' PS3slim having a pink BG mean its legit? SOrry for my ignorance.

 

[Sin]

"We currently don't have any plans for a redesigned PS3."

Believe me, they have to say that. Doesn't mean anything.

 

[DrXym]

It won't be announced before early fall.
They still need to sell out their current model.

I don't see that being an issue. They could toss a game and some accessories in with the slim and slap €100 on the price like they did when the 80Gb turned up to replace the 40Gb model. Both would sell to different audiences. Alternatively they could have both the old and new models at the same price but with the older model having a few games and accessories bundled to shift it.

I'd be interested to know what besides the form factor has changed if anything. For example, I wouldn't put it past them to sell blu ray playback functionality or software PS2 BC for €20 or some fairly nominal sum. It would be an easy way to save / make some money. It would be awesome if the hardware was also regionally tweaked, for example to integrate a DVB-T tuner into some models.

 

[Graphics Horse]

Dear YouTube generation,

Dismissing things as fake out of hand doesn't make you big or clever.

Regards,

GH.

 

[PuppetMaster]

Can someone tell me what the pink BG means? I get its where legit PS3s get produced? so the 'rumored' PS3slim having a pink BG mean its legit? SOrry for my ignorance.

Most of the electronics in the world get assembled at these cheap ODM places in China that look like what you see in that photo.

He is saying the pink at the ODM center match with what he claims is the pink background in the photos of the claimed PS3 Slim. Notice the person handling it is also wearing gloves which adds some authenticity to the photos.

 

[Rolf NB]

I wonder if the power supply will be external this time round. That seems to be the cheaper way to go and would reduce the size and cooling requirements significantly.

Nonsense.

For reference, see the latest PStwo models.

 

[Captain N]

They could just price the new model at the current PS3 price point for Spring/Summer. And sell the current models at a discount, and or push lots of bundles. See the Infamous and R&C bundles that were just announced. This could help get rid of inventory.


Or they might do something like only release the PS3 Slim in Japan for the first few months. This also has historical precedent with Sony.

It would be pretty sweet though if Sony were to announce at E3 'the Slim PS3 is $299.99 and will be out this week.'.

 

[Philanthropist]

Believe me, they have to say that. Doesn't mean anything.

Indeed. They also denied they were selling white and silver DS3s while they are out there already.

 

[DieH@rd]

Can someone tell me what the pink BG means? I get its where legit PS3s get produced? so the 'rumored' PS3slim having a pink BG mean its legit? SOrry for my ignorance.

^ this is a legit pic from a final stages of PS3 assembly.

Im convinced, but im not sure that they will reveal it on E3. TGS maybe.

 

[Mesijs]

Makes me think about the Funstation 3 I saw on Bolivian markets...

 

[Nirolak]

September.

If Sin says it's September I believe him. He's been nothing but right so far.

I'm not sure if you're saying September for release or September for announcement though. It's not entirely clear in the context of what you quoted.

 

[PuppetMaster]

Nonsense.

For reference, see the latest PStwo models.

But the first PS2 Slim models did have an external power brick.

The PS3's power requirements are still pretty high, even compared to the original PS2. So I think it will be a while before they can integrate it back into the system while keeping the size small.

 

[gofreak]

If there were some reasonably significant tradeoff with a new model then they could announce it more in advance of its actual release and still continue to sell the 'ungimped' fat models until they were gone...

I don't know how far in advance they typically do that though..when was ps2 slim announced vs released?

 

[amar212]

3 units sold immidiately

 

[Cruzader]

September.

You told us about the chat thing, I believe you too!

 

[DieH@rd]

They shuuld put this on a market ASAP.

PS3 Slim for 400$
old PS3 for 300$ [while supplies last 3-4 months]
and then on september/october put a pricedrop on Slim....

They will sell a shitton during hollydays.

 

[Spiegel]

Two major redesigns (PSP-PS3) and the new camera for 360?

This E3 is going to be BIG

 

[AniHawk]

If there were some reasonably significant tradeoff with a new model then they could announce it more in advance of its actual release and still continue to sell the 'ungimped' fat models until they were gone...

I don't know how far in advance they typically do that though..when was ps2 slim announced vs released?

Wikipedia says it was unveiled in September and released in November (I got mine in October. Thank you Blockbuster and the fact that you don't give a shit about street date!)

Two major redesigns (PSP-PS3) and the new camera for 360?

This E3 is going to be BIG

I think the redesigns are a little more significant than the 360 camera.