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Cheaper, 12GB PlayStation 3 hardware coming to North America
A stripped-down, budget-priced revision for Sony's PlayStation 3 console is on its way to store shelves in North America, Engadget reports. The new PS3 model, which nixes a hard drive in favor of 12 gigabytes of flash memory, was originally announced as a region-exclusive release for Europe and Hong Kong. The unit is a variant of the PS3's third-generation "Super Slim" revision, which is lighter and consumes less power than previous hardware models. Engadget reports that the new PS3 model has been spotted in a Kmart stockroom in the United States with a display date of August 18. A now-deleted listing at Future Shop in Canada pegged the unit's price at $199.99. The PS3's current 250 GB Super Slim model retails at $269.99. Given that many retail PlayStation 3 games require large data installations upon bootup, the new PS3 model's 12 gigabytes of storage space may prove inadequate for large game libraries. While the hard drives included in previous Super Slim models could be replaced with larger-capacity storage devices, it has not been confirmed whether the 12 GB model can be similarly modded.
Finding Jasper: Shot of Xbox 360's 256MB internal storage
Further evidence has arisen supporting claims that Xbox 360 consoles boasting the latest hardware revision, the 65nm-chip-on-the-solder "Jasper," are making their way through retail channels. An X3F tipster forwarded the above image of a new system's "Storage Devices" screen, which indicates the presence of the 256MB on-board flash storage, designated "MU." Unlike the previous batch of Arcade systems, the new console reportedly did not include a 256MB external memory card.With Microsoft remaining mum on the specifics of internal hardware changes, images (and videos) like the one above represent our best means of finding Jasper. Are you out there, buddy?
Rumor: 'Jasper' Xbox 360 shipping, features 256MB on-board memory
Candid shots of nekkid motherboards? Check. Awkwardly filmed YouTube videos? Check. Rumor post on Joystiq? Very check. Why, someone must have spotted a new Xbox 360 variant in the wild!According to a post at Xbox-Scene, consoles containing the "Jasper" chipset, which promises a cooler 65nm GPU on the motherboard, have begun to arrive in the homes of consumers. Interestingly, it's claimed that Jasper features 256MB of on-board flash storage, no doubt a concession to the NXE's storage demands. It would appear the Xbox 360 Arcade no longer includes a 256MB external memory card. [Update: Nope! It does!]Tell us, commenters. Have you found Jasper?[Via Engadget]
