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The merits of the PS3 super-slim are quite particular - Sony's really working the 'smaller, lighter' angle, but that's not really going to cut it for owners of either the PS3 Slim or original PS3.
We liked
You can't accuse the new super-slim PS3 of not living up to its (unofficial) name. It's a compact workhorse ready to bestow all the goodies of previous PS3s in 20% less space.
It's still a great Blu-ray playback device, and as Sony extends its cross-play functionality with the Vita, keeps chucking in quality titles for PS Plus members and adding new and classic content to the PSN, it's going from strength to strength as a games console.
And the SSD in the 12GB model is a really enticing prospect. We'd expect the next round of consoles to use exclusively solid state storage devices, so here's a chance to step into tomorrow's world.
We disliked
With the super-slim PS3 in hand, you can't help but feel like Sony's not passing on enough of its manufacturing cost-cutting to the customer. It feels flimsy, particularly the top-loading BD drive and toy-tastic power and eject buttons.
The 12GB model is a pretty good deal at £160 in the UK, but by only offering 500GB of storage for the other model, Sony is keeping the retail price artificially high.
Final verdict
Where it does offer food for thought, though, is in the 12GB model's SSD. We think the 500GB model of super-slim is overpriced at £240/$300, in that all it really offers to the existing user base is more gigabytes to fill up. If you're struggling to manage your data on the Slim's 320GB drive, you've got some serious questions to ask yourself.
But the performance boost of that 12GB SSD might be just the ticket for anyone looking to slash their level loading times and minimise time spent looking at installation screens. Granted, you'll need the external 250GB HDD for a simple life, and that's likely going to set you back by almost as much as a 320GB 'old' slim model.
You can pick up an entry level Xbox 360 for well under £200/$220 now, which is further food for thought - but then Sony never does go for cheapest. It wants to be best, and as a complete gaming and media package we think it is, by a whisker.
But who's this super-slim PS3 really for? We can only recommend it warmly to those who don't already have an older model. It's not quite the price drop many were expecting, but it's still a fantastic package for the money. If you've already got a PS3 Slim, though, you've got very little to gain here but reclaiming some space under the TV.
