Sony Slims Down PlayStation 3, Plumps Up Storage

Sony unveiled a new PlayStation gaming console last night at the Tokyo Game Show conference, but it’s probably not the next-gen entertainment system you were hoping for.

Instead, the company introduced a slimmed-down version of the PlayStation 3, which will come in two models and include higher-capacity hard drives.

In North America, the 250 gigabyte PS3 will be available first. At $269, with a launch date of Sept. 25, it comes bundled with Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, Game of the Year Edition, and a $30 voucher for bonus digital content for the first-person shooter game Dust 514.

Meanwhile, the 500GB PS3 will be available on Oct. 30 for $299 as a limited-edition bundle that includes a copy of Assassin’s Creed III.

At 11.4 inches wide by 2.4 inches tall by 9.1 inches long, and weighing 4.6 pounds, the new models are approximately 25 percent smaller and 20 percent lighter than the current PS3. The company said it was able to reduce the size by redesigning the internal architecture. The console now employs a sliding disc tray rather than a slot loader.

Currently, Sony offers a 160GB PS3 for $249; a 320GB model costs $299 without any games. Sony did not announce a system-only package at this time.