Sony has shrunk the PlayStation 2 in the wash and come up with, er, PlayStation 2. The new model was unveiled this morning in London and made my early start worthwhile. The new machine, which will launch on November 1st and replace the existing model, is certainly a sexy little number. Compared to the original the weight has been halved, the thickness cut by 5cm and internal noise reduced by 75%. Perhaps most telling of all is the inclusion of an integrated Ethernet port for online gaming. Currently PS2 owners have to buy a separate adaptor to play online. The price of the console will remain the same as it is now (£104.99 SRP) but expect to pay £99.99 in the shops.
The presentation itself was a typically slick Sony offering. David Reeves, President of Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEE) presented the audience with a stack of new figures. Most impressive was the number of PS2s in UK homes, which has now reached 6 million. There was also talk of PSP – the Europe and US launch is still set for March 2005 – and a montage of the Q4 software lineup. But pride of place went to the new look PS2. Reeves gushed: "This totally redesigned network ready model will demonstrate that PlayStation has once again the design flair and innovation that has made PlayStation the world's best loved and most successful games console".
There are still some questions to be answered. Where does this leave the PS2 hard drive add-on? Is DVD playback improved? But generally this looks a positive move by Sony. By ignoring the childish designs of PSOne and by integrating network capabilities, they have created a sexy looking console that should do well this Christmas.
