In its attempt to lure more gamers to join the PlayStation bandwagon, Sony has recently launched a new console, the PlayStation 3 Slim - which boasts a new slender chassis that is not only quieter than the old PS3, but also more power-efficient.

While the earlier two PS3 consoles bore rather expensive price-tags - the original model cost $999, and the second version cost $699 -, and was Australia's priciest gaming console, the $499-priced PS3 Slim is comparatively much more economical than its predecessors.

True to its nomenclature, the PS3 Slim, which weighs nearly 3kg, is noticeably lighter than the 5kg 80GB model, and is also smaller in size by almost one-third. As per Sony, the console consumes significantly lesser power, as it is equipped with a new 45nm version of the Cell processor, in place of the 60nm processor used in the original PS3.
 
Some of the noticeable 'surface-level' changes of the PS3 Slim include a new brushed matte-black chassis; and an altered hard drive, enhanced from the entry-level model's 80GB to 120GB.

Though the PS3 Slim has done away with a couple of USB ports and a card reader, the model is basically quite akin to its bulkier predecessor in terms of playing games. However, the most unflattering change in the Slim is that it has dumped the PlayStation 2 backward compatibility!