It’s official: the PS3 slim and price cuts for all PS3 systems was announced at the 1st annual Gamercom today in Cologne, Germany. This news has excited many fans and critics (except Naota and Foose) as the Sony machine was lagging far behind in sales of it’s competitors.

First off, is the news of the PS3 Slim. At this years E3, rumors begain to swirl after pictures of the system’s prototype was shown on the internet. This fueled speculation that a new version of the system was to come by soon. After it was announced today, it was revealed that the system will be lighter and smaller in size than the bigger PS3, and will have a 120GB hard drive (between the standard 80GB and 160 GB of the “fatty” system). Other than the size, the system is technically a smaller version of the PS3, with a few exceptions:

• If you connect the unit to a Bravia TV via an HDMI cable, you’ll be able to operate the XMB via your TV remote control. This feature is called Bravia Sync, and it also means that when you turn your TV off, the PS3 will automatically turn off as well.
• The “Install Other OS” option on the Original PS3, is removed in the Slim.

The PS3 slim is also going to start at $299 (US),  when it will make its debut September 1st (Sept. 3rd for AU, NZ, and JPN).

As for the current consoles, all PS3 consoles will get a price drop. The 80GB is now $299 (US) and the 160GB $399.  These prices are effective as of tomorrow, August 19th.

(Courtesy of Ign.com)

Original on the left, Slim on the right.