PlayStation 3 Slim review
Hardware

The good news about the BD-ROM drive? It still keeps your discs safe in the event the console gets moved about -- and if you've ever accidentally tapped your Xbox 360 the wrong way and found that slotted copy of Fallout 3 has now been rendered unusable by scratches, you know exactly how appreciated this feature is. The bad news? It's still just 2x speed, and none of this changes the fundamental use of PS3, meaning all those hassles of installing games while your Xbox 360-owning friends get to jump right in are still there. The AC cord has lost its ground pin and is actually the exact same, quasi-standardized cable that works with the PS2 and many laptop batteries, and just like the PS2 fat-to-slimline transition, the physical on-off switch on the backside has been made redundant and subsequently ousted.

Of course, the big debate here is gonna be the matte body. The Engadget staff is largely divided over the "toy-like" new form factor vs. the lustrous, fingerprint- and dust-loving predecessor, so much so that we're not gonna give a verdict one way or the other here. It does match the slimline PS2 quite nicely, and good thing it does since you'll have to keep one around if you were planning to play anything from the previous generation of games. The front panel and the sides of the body are still glossy, and even without the more mark-resistant material, you're still gonna leave smudges if you're too hands-on with the thing.
What's missing
![]() 120GB PS3 Slim
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![]() 160GB PS3
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![]() 80GB PS3
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|---|---|---|---|
| Product code | CECH-2000A | CECH-Pxx | CECH-Kxx / CECH-Lxx |
| Price | $299.99 | $399.99 | $299.99 |
| Color | Matte Black | Piano Black (Glossy) | Piano Black (Glossy) |
| HDD | 120GB 2.5-inch SATA | 160GB 2.5-inch SATA | 80GB 2.5-inch SATA |
| Dimensions | 11.42 x 2.56 x 11.42 in. | 12.75 x 3.86 x 10.8 in. | 12.75 x 3.86 x 10.8 in. |
| Weight | 7.05 lb. | 11 lb. | 11 lb. |
| Power | 250W | 280W | 280W |
| Vertical Stand | Optional ($24) | Not necessary | Not necessary |
| Compatibility | PSOne | PSOne, Linux | PSOne, Linux |
| PS2 compat? | No | No | No |
| BRAVIA Sync (HDMI-CEC) | Yes | No | No |
| Bundle | Wireless DualShock 3 controller | Wireless DualShock 3 controller, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, PAIN downloadable game voucher | Wireless DualShock 3 controller |
Not every feature made the transition to Slim, but gauging the severity of the cuts depends on how far back in the PS3 classic's timeline you want to go. The only aspect missing from its direct antecedent is the ability to install a third-party platform like Linux or OtherOS. It's a niche feature, sure, and we really can't imagine the average consumer is gonna care or even know that the feature's been ousted -- and if you're the sort of person that does, there should be plenty of used consoles in the market for years to come.
Go further back in the PS3's life cycle, however, and you begin to see just how much Sony's stricken from the hardware since its November 2006 debut. Two additional USB 2.0 ports, flash memory readers, and SACD playback have all met an untimely fate over these last years, but none of them sting quite as much as the loss of PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility. Sony can talk all they want about how people aren't looking at the past, but legacy support is something we've come to expect from our game consoles, and truth be told, the PS2 has one of the most impressive lineups in history of the industry (no offense meant, TurboGrafx-16 fanatics). We get it, Sony, you still haven't figured out how to emulate the PS2 on Cell and you don't want to waste the money / effort on throwing more chips inside the chassis when only a small portion of your audience will ever use it (sound familiar?), but why not give us a second, slightly more expensive model that does play (and upscales!) our old favorites instead of pushing those dedicated fans into seeking used systems from GameStop or eBay?
Noise, heat, and power consumption
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Current (ampere)
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Power (watt)
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|||
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60GB PS3 Classic
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PS3 Slim
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60GB PS3 Classic
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PS3 Slim
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| Plugged in / powered off | 0.05 | 0.06 | 2 | 1 |
| Browsing XMB | 1.44 | 0.7 | 170 | 79 |
| Downloading from PS Store | 1.49 | 0.7 | 175 | 81 |
| Installing LittleBigPlanet | 1.40 | 0.64 | 162 | 74 |
| Playing LittleBigPlanet | 1.54 | 0.78 | 181 | 89 |
| Playing Killzone 2 | 1.67 | 0.86 | 196 | 100 |
| Watching a Blu-ray | 1.44 | 0.68 | 167 | 75 |
The actual temperature hasn't seemed to fluctuate, at least in our experiences: when placed side-by-side on the same shelf under near-identical situations, both consoles hovered at around 106 degrees Fahrenheit when running Folding@Home or playing a Blu-ray disc. Kind of a bummer, but with our electricity bill now marginally lower, guess we can't complain too much here.
Swapping the HDD

See more video at our hub!
Unfortunately for those upgrading hardware, you can't simply take the HDD from your classic system, insert it into the Slim, and have it work -- even with the same firmware update on both drives (2.80), it just won't recognize it. At all. You'll need to use a combination of the PS3 Backup Utility and manually transferring files to external storage if you want to save everything -- sure, it gets the job done, but that's a pretty big hassle for what should be a fairly straightforward plug-and-play job.
Blu-ray playback
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Disc-to-XMB
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Click-to-video
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|||
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60GB PS3 Classic
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PS3 Slim
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60GB PS3 Classic
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PS3 Slim
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| Watchmen |
9.6
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10
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23
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27
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| The International |
10
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10
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31
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35
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| Air Force One |
9
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9.9
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30
|
32
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| Nightmare Before Xmas |
10
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10
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25
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35
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TrueHD / DTS-HD MA audio

BRAVIA Sync

Wrap-up

It's not all sunshine, though, as Blu-ray has taken an inexplicable performance hit that makes it slower at playing movies than its first-generation ancestor. That said, all signs point to an extension in the traditional four-year console cycle, which might make it a prime opportunity to cajole "Wii60" owners to lay down their arms and give PS3 a chance. Just don't forget to keep your PS2 handy.











































"If you're swapping for brand new drive, you'll need to manually download the system software update via computer, transfer to disc or a USB drive into a folder called PS3 > UPDATE, and then insert when prompted on screen. Full details and pertinent links can be found on Sony's support site."
So what you are telling me is that the slim doesnt have the built in HDD format-er? ive swapped my 1st Gen 60Gb for a 320Gb and my bros 40Gb for a 320 and the option for a quick/full format was available. and the firmware update is available via internet directly from the XMB. so what is the author getting at?
PS2 BC is not an issue for me because i have a PS3 that has it. So Im good. i feel sorry for everyone else who doesnt have it though. Its an awesome feature. it goes back to the saying "Its better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it." i most recently used it for GoW 1 and 2.
Only problem with the upscaling on the PS2 and PS1 games from the PS3 is that the PS3 tends to over sharpen the images. You see more jagged edges instead of a smooth picture. That is one thing i noticed while playing my PS2 games on my bros Fat PS2 vs my 60G PS3
Freaking Endgadget comment system. All my posts were aimed at responses to people.
C-C-C-Combo breaker!!!!
Playstation 3 Slim already for sale in Hong Kong..
http://www.hkdigit.net/2009/09/slim-playstation-3-hong-kong/
Now that firmware version 3.0 is out, could you please re-run your bluray loading times tests? Reports are that 3.0 loads games significantly faster, so maybe that's also the case for movies?
Nice review, but can you please stop calling it the PS3 Slim it's dumb and it's not even the official name.
Big size or less features and slower blue-ray? I'd rather stick with the big ps3, if it works better. I was actually looking for a gaming bt headset for my ps3 and I came across this http://www.budsgoblue.com/. It looks like a future release but can't find info on the manufacturer
The Slim is great and all, but the original at least still has backwards compatibility. And you can get the original 80gig PS3 right now for FREE online! Just follow the link and follow the instructions and get your FREE and BETTER PS3!
http://www.gamesncs.com/rd_p?p=192108&t=9528&a=13190-splaystation&gift=13190
My old ps3 fat 80gb over heated and broke and i recycle it and they gave me $140 and with that money im going to get a ps3 slim... It has more memory 120g=gb thats alot of music,videos,videogame, and pictures it so rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!111
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I am not sure whether to buy a ps3 or 360, but I am receiving alot of negative feedback for both systems. which one should I get.