As we are heading into the year’s most exciting week for video gaming, E3 is shaping up to be all about new gaming hardware, perhaps with one exception. Microsoft will be refreshing its aging Xbox 360 with its Project Natal human interface while Sony is now expected to show off new Playstation 3 (PS3) models – and not just another round of Move controller videos and demos.
That exception I mentioned is, of course, Gran Turismo 5, which Sony teased yesterday with yet another trailer. Sony’s E3 website promises major updates to GT5 and we actually do expect to see a nearly finished game. But, let’s face it, GT5 is already almost 4 years late, so who cares at this point? Getting GT5 out the door this year would be bordering to a miracle event at Sony. As of now we are told that it will ship sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. Don’t hold your breath.
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What is much more interesting than GT5 is a side note on Sony’s E3 website that reads: “… find out what awesome Playstation games and hardware are being revealed.” Combine that note with recent reports on various games websites that highlighted FCC documents with apparently new PS3 models.
Documents filed by Sony describe the so far unknown PS3 models CECH-2501A und CECH-2501B, both of which integrate 802.11 b/g WiFi as well as Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and carry different hard drives. However, there are also two debugging units, the models DECH-2500A und DECH-S2500A. Such models are usually used to test software such as games or firmware updates. Debugging updates may hint to hardware updates, which could, according to rumors, include an updated, less power hungry, Nvidia RSX graphics chip
Other reports suggested that Sony may be lowering the PS3 price to $199, which would be a significant announcement that could push the adoption of Sony’s Move controller system, but is now widely considered as rather unlikely. The rumor mill also spins information that Sony may be rolling out new PS3s to promote a strong move towards 3D as a differentiator from the Xbox 360 and Wii.
Realistically, PS3s with hard drive sizes of 500 GB and 750 GB are just a matter of time, so it should not be too surprising if such an announcement is made. But to attract more interest and buyers that trumps Microsoft’s Project Natal, Sony will need a bit more than just more storage space.
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