No, the article title isn’t a typo; I’m not referring to news about the next-generation PlayStation console. Rather, it appears that a revision may be in the works for the existing PS3. Essentially, the FCC filing pertains to a WLAN antenna for the CECH-4001x model of the PS3. While a WLAN antenna certainly sounds boring, the interesting tidbit that we can take away from this is that the current PS3s are in the CECH-2500 through 3000 series. On top of this, a diagram included in the filing to depict where the FCC sticker will be placed appears to vaguely show the chassis of the device. It’s more rectangular than the existing model, with an off-center area that acts as a stand for the console.
As no further details were disclosed, we don’t know whether or not the new chassis will be any slimmer than the existing PS3 slim model, nor do we know much about how it will look aesthetically compared to the existing models. Given that it’s been about three years since the biggest hardware revision to the PS3 – the PS3 Slim – was released, it definitely seems like a good time to release yet another slight PS3 hardware revision, likely the last to generate some final revenue from the console before its successor is released. So, when can we expect Sony to come out and announce the revised PS3 hardware? Perhaps they’ll lift the curtain on the device at the Gamescom conference that’s taking place in Germany in August.
The interesting thing about this is that, if rumors are correct, the next-generation PlayStation might be coming sometime in 2013. With that in mind, this refreshed hardware is coming fairly late into the PS3′s lifecycle, so it may not even be worth it to upgrade if you already own a PS3. But if you don’t already own a PS3 and are in the market for one, there’s nothing wrong with buying it. You could wait for the possibility of new hardware, but I’d recommend just purchasing the existing PS3 Slim.
Sony hasn’t said anything officially about refreshed hardware in the pipeline, and they declined to comment on the matter when emailed by various news sources.