Stock shortages of the Sony PlayStation 3 are indicating towards a slim console, which the retailers are expecting to be launched in the near future.

Sony may unveil its plans regarding new version of the machine during subsequent week's GamesCom conference.

Speaking on the topic, a retailer said, "We've been told not to expect any further hardware deliveries until September."

It was also informed that Taiwan's two producers are manufacturing slim consoles, which are hoped to be out in autumn.

On the other, rumors are flying high that both, Sony and Microsoft may rival each other in trimming down prices of their respective gaming machines.

Sony has sold roughly 24 million units of PS3 but it is still lagging behind Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii in terms of sold units.

Microsoft can slash Xbox 360 Elite console's price by £60 to make it available at £170.