Sony has teased that they may release an even slimmer version of the current slim line PlayStation 3.
Upon Eurogamer asking Sony Worldwide Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida at E3 if the firm would revise the PS3 hardware with a slimmer and cheaper model, the exec responded:
We haven't announced anything new on PS3 in terms of hardware revisions. We should never say never – hardware guys are always looking at ways to make things cheaper, smaller. I don't know if we are going to talk about anything like that. We are quite happy with the PS3.
It's very difficult to answer your questions. We are not talking about any hardware revisions. We are very happy with what we have with PS3, PS Move. If anything, we haven't been able to really fully make use of the potential of PS Move. We are still finding new ways to use PS Move on PS3, and we continue to search for applications.
Sony had announced the slim line model of the PlayStation 3 back in August 2009 during Gamescom. The slimmer console, which has now replaced all of the older models of the console (60, 40 GB, etc.), is 32 per cent smaller and 36 per cent lighter than the previous model. Additionally, it also takes in 34 per cent less power.
It would be a smart decision on Sony's part if they did introduce another slimmer model of the PlayStation 3 when you consider the impending arrival of the platform's successor in the PS4. The current-gen console is now in its sixth year of its projected decade-long life cycle, with 2013/2014 being heavily expected to be the time period when the PlayStation 4 launches.