SONY PLAYSTATION 3 SLIM

Comments on gaming forums have called the newly released Sony PS3 everything from the "short" to the "squat", with one poster claiming it looked like George Foreman shagged a SEGA Dreamcast from the late '90s - thereby "knocking out the fat".

But with dramatically leaner proportions, the semi-official tag is PS3 Slim.

The main shift, obviously, is the massive reduction in size. Hardware reviewers were expecting this to be done by removing the power supply from the case, with an external power brick like the Xbox 360, but surprisingly, the PS3 Slim still has everything housed under the hood.

The space saving was achieved simply through redesigning the semiconductor, power supply and cooling system, with the Slim now 32 percent smaller than its older brother. The Slim is also significantly lighter than first generation PS3, having shed almost 2kg to weigh in at just 3.2kg.

Power consumption has also been scaled back slightly to 250W, from the original 280W, and Sony claims the Slim will consume about 34 percent less power, an added bonus for gamers with a green conscience. This reduction also means the Slim runs noticeably more quietly than before, with less utilisation of the cooling fans, especially when spinning BluRay discs.

The styling has also changed, with the manufacturer abandoning the high-gloss finish of the original PS3 for a gorgeous matte charcoal black case with subtle texture. But if you want to stand your Slim vertically, you'll need to purchase an additional stand.

Thankfully, the vague soft-touch eject and power buttons of the original PS3 have been discarded for more responsive and tactile clickable face buttons.

With digital game delivery over the PlayStation Network set to become the new trend in game buying, the Slim now has an expanded 120GB, 2.5 inch Serial ATA swappable hard drive.

PS3 FIRMWARE 3.0

On the horizon for Sony's premier console is another upgrade to the PlayStation 3 operating system. The Firmware 3.0 update will include mostly cosmetic tweaks to the interface, such as a "What's New" widget, and improved personalisation options that include animated backdrops and avatars. For boastful gamers, the Firmware 3.0 update also deepens the options for displaying and tracking the trophies you've earned.

Gizmodo.com conducted a load-time test between the PS3 Fat 80GB and the PS3 Slim running the 3.0 update, and concluded that load times are significantly faster on the new system, which is great news for gamers.

TO UPGRADE OR NOT TO UPGRADE?

To achieve this leaner design, some minor features have been dropped from the Slim, most notably support for an additional Linux OS. So if you want to use your PS3 as a multimedia centre and personal computer, be sure to snap up the current PS3 Fat 80GB while it's still available. Look out for deals that bundle two platinum games and the old console for around R4200.

THE DAMAGE

The new PS3 Slim will be available in SA from early October for R4000.

Win

Score yourself a brand new PS3 Slim 120GB! SMS the name of your favourite PlayStation video game to 41823 or visit Nudjit.com to enter online. Competition ends on October 11. The editor's decision is final.