Sony announces PS3 Slim, 3.0 firmware update

As expected, Sony officially announced the PS3 Slim at Gamescom today. Sporting a matte black finish and 120GB HDD, Sony says the PS3 Slim is 36% lighter, 32% smaller and consumes 34% less power than the current PS3. The Slim will ship Sept 1st with a $299 price tag. In addition, as of today existing 80GB PS3 consoles will also be sold for $299.

Sony also announced their next major system update, version 3.0, will feature a new XMB that's been designed to be easier to use. Other new features include:

“What’s New” – The “Information Board” will be replaced with a “What’s New” section, which allows you to enjoy interactive PlayStation news every time you start the PS3 system. Located under the PlayStation Network icon, “What’s New” displays the latest and greatest game, video, PlayStation Network and PlayStation news and releases, as well as your recently played games, in a sleek, new animated format.

Status Indicator – In the top right corner we’ve added an indicator bar, which displays your user icon, friend icon, the number of friends you have online and a small message icon to let you know if you have any new messages. The indicator also includes a scrolling ticker that features the latest news from PlayStation Network. In addition, when you press the PS button, the battery life indicator will no longer cover up the clock.

Friends List – Now your PlayStation Network friends will appear in a slightly redesigned format on your Friends List. Also, messages will now be viewable from each of your friends’ respective profiles.

PlayStation Store Shortcuts – We’ve added a handy shortcut icon to the PlayStation Store under both the Game and Video categories so you can access the latest content quickly and easily.

Personalization – Personalize your PS3 with new dynamic custom themes and avatars. Dynamic themes as well as free and premium avatars will be available through PlayStation Store. A dynamic theme takes your screen to a whole new level as it incorporates animated objects into the background.

Trophies – Showcasing your hard earned trophies just got better. Update 3.00 gives game developers the ability to modify how they display trophies for add-on content. Base and add-on game trophies will continue to be combined into a single list so you can see where you stand in a game as a whole. Within that list, trophies will be broken out into subcategories—base trophies and add-on trophies—that way, you can easily view the percentage of your base game trophy collection, and separately track your trophy progress in add-on packs. Look for this enhancement to be included in upcoming games.

An official release date for the 3.0 update wasn't given, Sony just says it's coming "soon". A video overview of the 3.0 update can be found here on the Playstation Blog.

» Note: You need to be logged in to write a comment!