"Super Slim" PS3 Review

[DrakeAldan]

I must’ve had my PS3 since… 2007? 5 years. Constant play, holidays, long nights, hot summers, cold winters, wet, dry, a couple of moves, hotel rooms.

“Good times.”

Well, it finally started to freeze on me and nothing was working (formatting, trying all sorts of different restore options, etc. Didn’t even show YLOD or overheating symptoms, either…). Taking it for repairs wouldn’t make sense because of how old it was (just prolonging the inevitable).

So I decided I probably need to get a new one. I bought from Amazon, the new Super Slim (comes in a bundle, $269.99. I think that’s not bad considering the one I owned went for 599 US dollars at the time. Riiiidge racer.)

The Super Slim comes in a box within a box (weird, but… the box inside doesn’t have Uncharted packaging. I mean, I guess…) It’s a small box. I remember my original being gargantuan.

The power cable is skinny! You get a composite video cable (uh, kinda weak… not even component? Well, not like I need it…) and a shrink-wrapped copy of Uncharted 3 in the box.

There's a Playstation Plus 30-day trial, but the free games go away once the time is up. Also it requires a credit card to activate. eeeeeeehh kind of sketchy Sony... I see your tricks...

Also, a Dust 514 voucher (isn’t that supposed to be free-to-play? Eh, apparently you get some stuff with it…) Valid ‘til 2014 at least, I guess I’ll just keep it.

The Super Slim is different from the Fat and regular Slim models 'cause it's top-loading. The bar on the front is a little lever on both ends, left is eject, right is power.

I guess it would be pretty easy to clean the lens like this. Not that I've had issues with that...



There's no power switch on the back (dunno if that was taken out for the regular Slim). Only two USB ports but y'all already knew that.

The unit is quiet, I hardly hear anything from it. You can easily hear the disk drive when it's whirring away, but it's a lot quieter than the fat PS3's fan noise.

The vents are all in the back, there's no side vents (I think the Slim is like this, too.)


I've heard some people say, “oh, it’s cheap! Sony's cutting corners!” But, honestly, it looks fine to me… aesthetic is about the same… and I don't think I'll be dropping this off of any cliffs anytime soon. (I would have preferred this at launch, I think…)



It's very tiny. Seriously tiny… like “make jokes about it” tiny.

It’s so cute, maybe it should come in pink!



TOs would like it I think. But there’s the regular Slim, after all.



Here's some comparison pictures.

Well… what else do you want me to say? It works. It came with a game. It plays games in the first place. It doesn’t freeze on me.

Get off my back!

 

[lxhizy]

I can't understand why they released a "super slim" ps3 if there already is a slim one out.
I don't really like how this one looks to be honest, but as long as it's cheap and doesn't fail it's worth it

 

[hwang24]

How many gigs does this thing say it holds?
Though something tells me Sony's only getting ready for a Playstation 4 with the showing of this release. -_-

 

[DrakeAldan]

How many gigs does this thing say it holds?
Though something tells me Sony's only getting ready for a Playstation 4 with the showing of this release. -_-

This one is 250 GB. The Assassin's Creed III bundle that comes out at the end of the month is 500 GB.

Of course you can always buy a bare laptop hard drive and substitute your own.


Yeah, they're probably gonna spring the PS4 on me. But, my hand was forced, I still got work to do here eh.

As long as they don't come out with any fighters at launch, I'm good.

 

[Force_of_Nature]

I can't understand why they released a "super slim" ps3 if there already is a slim one out.
I don't really like how this one looks to be honest, but as long as it's cheap and doesn't fail it's worth it

Sony has released a slim version of every console that they have developed. The reason why it's done is to reduce manufacturing costs and to revitalize the system to potential adopters by offering something new and affordable. Remember the PS3 was $600 at launch ($660-700 in Canada despite dollar parity!) and Sony has made great strides to get the cost down to something realistic (I think it was $250 last I checked). So, this is the first time that Sony has released a second revision of the current generation console.

Thanks for the overview Drake, I have the "Slim" model and the Super Slim does look slightly smaller. The weird thing is that my Slim PS3 still towered over my Wii when I had it.

 

[Malice]

It comes in a box within a box for when Sony releases different bundles with the console. So instead of making changes to the more expensive packaging, they just put a cover over the box.

Once they moved to the original slim which used less power, they started using a 2 pronged cable, along with removing the power switch. And now the Super Slim uses even less power than that model which is good.

I still don't like the look of it. They should have used a lid instead of a sliding door. I also don't get why they went back to using glossy parts when they made the first Slim completely matted.

Other than that, it's a solid console.

 

[UnseenWombat]

It doesn't play PS2 games I presume. Why did they take that functionality away? I'll keep my big lumbering old PS3 thanks.

 

[Force_of_Nature]

It doesn't play PS2 games I presume. Why did they take that functionality away? I'll keep my big lumbering old PS3 thanks.

That's how they were able to get the cost down of the PS3 initially from $600+ dollars. The original fat PS3's had PS2 hardware built in them for full backward compatibility. Keeping the chip in and continuingly manufacturing it would of made it more difficult for Sony to deliver a price cut on the PS3 considering how much of a loss they were initially selling it at.

And yes, if you still have it (I still have my original fat PS3 in my study), the 60GB PS3 is the best overall model.

 

[Schneider-X]

There's a Playstation Plus 30-day trial, but the free games go away once the time is up. Also it requires a credit card to activate. eeeeeeehh kind of sketchy Sony... I see your tricks...

You can actually activate the Playstation plus trial and then remove you credit card right after. I did that with my trial after I bought a new ps3 slim to replace my 60 gb ps3 which died last summer.

 

[hwang24]

That's how they were able to get the cost down of the PS3 initially from $600+ dollars. The original fat PS3's had PS2 hardware built in them for full backward compatibility. Keeping the chip in and continuingly manufacturing it would of made it more difficult for Sony to deliver a price cut on the PS3 considering how much of a loss they were initially selling it at...

Ahh, thanks for that fact.

 

[Force_of_Nature]

No problem.

 

[Spider-Man]

That's how they were able to get the cost down of the PS3 initially from $600+ dollars. The original fat PS3's had PS2 hardware built in them for full backward compatibility. Keeping the chip in and continuingly manufacturing it would of made it more difficult for Sony to deliver a price cut on the PS3 considering how much of a loss they were initially selling it at.

Well thats one way to see things... the other one would be that they removed it to easier sell PS2 games through PSN, basically leaving you no choice but to buy the same game twice if you already have it for PS2... Besides I've read somewhere that through homebrew apps you can "re-enable" PS2 backwards on consoles that apparently aren't compatible (software based emulation same as the European backwards compatible models), so it's probably not due to costs (in regards of software based emulation, not hardware).
On the super slim... well I dunno. Its a downer it has no new features. It looks alright, I'd say better than the regular slim model, but not as badass as Darth Vaders pencil box aka the fat model. Guess I'll wait out till it proves to be reliable. In that regard the regular slim is the best choice.

 

[KitKay]

That's awesome. Really cute and unique indeed. Haha.

Still think that's really stupid about the PS+ thing though, then the games going away after the time is up, what gives? =/
Oh then the fact about the credit card to activate it?

 

[DrakeAldan]

Still think that's really stupid about the PS+ thing though, then the games going away after the time is up, what gives? =/
Oh then the fact about the credit card to activate it?

What can I say? They want your monies.

It's the whole "fine print, cancel before the period is up or we'll charge you the subscription fee automatically" spiel. That usually turns me off right quick... since with things like this, it's usually "signing up is fast and easy! But to cancel you have to WALK THROUGH THE PITS OF HELL AND SACRIFICE YOUR FIRSTBORN CHILD TO BAAL"



Supposedly if you buy discounted games under PS+, they're still yours after the membership ends.

 

[Schneider-X]

Removing your credit card is surprisingly easy on PSN though, you just remove it from your billing information from the ps3.

The only thing you dont retain access to after PS+ expires are the free games. Things you buy with the PS+ discounts are yours forever, same with the free avatars and themes you may get.

 

[Force-Destruct]

Buying anything with PS+ entitles you too keep it EVEN AFTER YOUR SUBSCRIPTION EXPIRES.

It's only the full free games that require a subscription. If you bought a game and got a ton of free DLC (like LittleBigPlanet) via PS+, you keep that stuff.

Also, regarding the PS3 comparisons, the old, fat model is the best (I'm still forcing mine to keep going) and I just acquired a slim (old slim) from my cousin that he never plays on (since he has another one and one is alone in its original packaging) for 75 bucks. The slim is ok but I hate the look of it; the same goes for the new slim (Super-Slim), ugly ass system with it's sliding cover.

If I had one of those super slim's, I will guarantee that it WON'T LAST LONG, that sliding door seems too fragile. The old slim appears to feel sturdier that that flimsy super slim.

 

[Force_of_Nature]

It's the whole "fine print, cancel before the period is up or we'll charge you the subscription fee automatically" spiel. That usually turns me off right quick... since with things like this, it's usually "signing up is fast and easy! But to cancel you have to WALK THROUGH THE PITS OF HELL AND SACRIFICE YOUR FIRSTBORN CHILD TO BAAL"

That bugged the hell out of me with the XBL Gold subscriptions. It automatically renewed and you had to specifically call in and speak to a representative in order to cancel and tell them your card info. However, to sign up, all I needed was a credit card. Wouldn't it make more sense to call in to sign up, and when necessary allow you to cancel your account more freely? What if someone stole a credit card and used it to sign up? The sign-up/cancel system seemed completely backward, which was irritating.

Hence why I rarely get XBL Gold subscriptions and mostly use these "free month trial" cards. Paying regularly to play online feels kind of lame too.