Sony Reveals Slimmer PlayStation 4, Arrives September 15 For $299

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Over the past few weeks, photos surfaced of a slimmer version of the PlayStation 4. However, Sony hasn’t commented on whether or not the device is actually legitimate. That is, until now. At the “PlayStation Meeting” in New York, the company officially announced a new version of its PS4.

According to Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Andrew House, the new console will have the same components as its older brother but in a smaller form factor, so you can enjoy the same games and apps on a smaller device.

However, the best part of the announcement is that you don’t have to wait too long to get your hands on the smaller PS4. It will be available on September 15 for $299.

Rexly Peñaflorida
9 Comments Comment from the forums
  • nitrium
    "photos surfaced of a slimmer version of the PlayStation 4."
    Hell of a lot more than photos. There were full blown unboxings on youtube!
    Reply
  • dstarr3
    These things have been on eBay for weeks.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    The new console will have the same components as its older brother but in a smaller form factor
    That's unfortunate. You'd hope they would do a die shrink. I wonder if it'll be louder, due to smaller fans at higher RPMs, to get rid of the same heat.

    Just think about all the power wasted by millions of these things, each turned on for thousands of hours.
    Reply
  • alextheblue
    18564545 said:
    The new console will have the same components as its older brother but in a smaller form factor
    That's unfortunate. You'd hope they would do a die shrink. I wonder if it'll be louder, due to smaller fans at higher RPMs, to get rid of the same heat.

    Just think about all the power wasted by millions of these things, each turned on for thousands of hours.

    Until we see a teardown and power tests, we don't really know if a shrink or other power-saving measures have been implemented or not. Anyway these things don't really chew up that much power in use, and none/virtually none when "off" (depending on setting). Go attack something else... I think there's some room to dogpile on Otto cycle ICEs still. rolleyes.exe -nochill
    Reply
  • willie nugs
    http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Donna+Seymour+House+Oversight+Committee+Holds+dNqEsVNrPjBl.jpg
    Reply
  • 10tacle
    18564545 said:
    That's unfortunate. You'd hope they would do a die shrink. I wonder if it'll be louder, due to smaller fans at higher RPMs, to get rid of the same heat. Just think about all the power wasted by millions of these things, each turned on for thousands of hours.

    Are you serious? A die shrink on the same generation console? Yeah THAT makes financial sense for both AMD and Sony. New fab = new mainboard needs just like in PCs. You do realize the PS3 went from the original "Fat Boy" from its Fall 2006 release to the "Slim" in its Summer 2009 release, right?

    Nothing changed there either except smaller form factor with better cooling and reduced power consumption (both marginal at best, and I still own both versions). Exactly the only things this refresh have to offer. The next die shrink will be in the PS5, as it should be.

    And regarding power use and heat output, my gaming PCs make these consoles look like a tablet drawing from the wall and pumping out heat by comparison.
    Reply
  • bit_user
    18564864 said:
    Until we see a teardown and power tests, we don't really know if a shrink or other power-saving measures have been implemented or not. Anyway these things don't really chew up that much power in use, and none/virtually none when "off"
    They said it uses the same components. I took that to mean no die shrink, but I guess they might've meant only that the functional specs are the same.

    As for power usage, it's covered pretty well on wikipedia:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_4_technical_specifications#Power_usage

    250 W is a lot, when you think of this as a set top appliance or a HTPC. Even the 151 W measurement they listed will heat up a small room. And it's enough heat that I'd be concerned about fan noise - especially in a smaller chassis. Remember, it had a rather large APU, for 28 nm.

    18565167 said:
    Are you serious? A die shrink on the same generation console? Yeah THAT makes financial sense for both AMD and Sony. New fab = new mainboard needs just like in PCs. You do realize the PS3 went from the original "Fat Boy" from its Fall 2006 release to the "Slim" in its Summer 2009 release, right?
    Try some fact checking, before making such indignant posts. PS3 launched at 90 nm, in Nov 2006. Less than 1 year later, they already had a respin at 60 nm. By 2009, they were down to 45 nm!

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3_technical_specifications#Configurations

    The volumes are high enough that it would absolutely make financial sense for Sony to do a respin on a smaller node, not least because it lets them use a smaller PSU and less cooling. The only wildcard is the new PS4 Pro, and how many of those they expect to sell vs. the Slim.

    18565167 said:
    And regarding power use and heat output, my gaming PCs make these consoles look like a tablet drawing from the wall and pumping out heat by comparison.
    But they're not gaming PCs, nor would I want one in my living room.
    Reply
  • 10tacle
    Okay I will stand corrected. I don't remember a die shrink being a huge selling point like it is on the PC world. It's not something I pay attention to when buying a console. So I was wrong. Point taken. Now, I went back and looked at my power use history trend line that I keep logged on an Excel spreadsheet. I see no major variation beyond nominal seasonal temp differences when I look at my power bill KWh use history between May 2007-April 2010, and May 2010-April 2013 as a direct comparison of a 35 month timeline.

    I bought the Fat Boy PS3 (May 2007) and the Slim (April 2010). I only bought the Slim due to the Fat Boy BD optical laser dying, a known issue in the early models (that I later fixed). Gaming hours are just about average equal annually between PC and console. That never wavers (about 10hrs/week console, 10hrs/week PC). So again, for me, I see no difference in power use over all. This includes any ambient temp increases and A/C use in the summer months from running the warmer Fat Boy over the Slim. For someone who puts in 30+ hours/week in only console gaming, maybe it would be more important to them. But even then, I'll bet their monthly bill is not even $2/more a month in that scenario.

    Reply
  • bit_user
    18569974 said:
    I don't remember a die shrink being a huge selling point like it is on the PC world.
    It's all about cost reduction (smaller PSU, cheaper & simpler cooling, more dies per wafer) and fitting it into smaller housings without the fan noise becoming obnoxious.

    If you ever saw a teardown of the original, 380 W PS3, its centrifugal fan was something to behold.

    BTW, I wish Sony had made a special-edition of PS3 that overclocked the 45/40 nm chips by even 10%. Just to hold framerates a bit better. I'm sure they had the margin. They could've also included a decent sized SSD. I think the PS4 Pro is a different kettle of fish, since the gap is big enough to really annoy buyers of the original PS4.

    Update: I just read that the Slim's power supply's spec is 165 W, as compared with 250 W for the original PS4. So, that strongly suggests a respin on a smaller node.
    Reply