PS3 models explained: fat, Slim and Super Slim

The PlayStation 3 came in three bodies: the original (2006), the Slim (2009, model CECH-2000) and the Super Slim (2012, model CECH-4000). They play the same games. The Slim and Super Slim are smaller and quieter, and the Super Slim swaps the slot-loading disc drive for a top-loading one.

What did the original PS3 launch with?

It came out in Japan on November 11, 2006, in North America on November 17, and in Europe and the other PAL regions on March 23, 2007. Two models were announced, a 60 GB at US$599.99 and a 20 GB at US$499.99. The 60 GB was going to be the only one with HDMI, Wi-Fi, card readers and chrome trim, but Sony decided to put HDMI on the 20 GB too.

Sony sold it at a loss. Wikipedia lists the estimated cost of making the 20 GB at US$805.85, about US$307 more than the shop price.

What changed with the Slim?

It was unveiled on August 18, 2009 at Gamescom and was in the main markets by September. It’s smaller and lighter, uses less power and has a quieter cooling system, and it launched at US$299. CNET gave it four out of five stars, and the one thing it marked it down for was that it can’t play PlayStation 2 games.

And the Super Slim?

Announced in September 2012. The body is about 20 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter than the Slim. The disc drive went from slot-loading to top-loading, which reviewers said felt cheap, and one called it “ultimately a step back”. It came with 250 GB or 500 GB drives, plus a cheaper version with 16 GB of flash storage that you could add a hard drive to later.

What was the yellow light of death?

It’s the PS3’s version of the Red Ring of Death. In September 2009 the BBC’s Watchdog said consoles typically failed 18 to 24 months after purchase, which is outside Sony’s one-year warranty. Ars Technica said the failure rate was within what you’d expect for consumer electronics. A SquareTrade study that year found a two-year failure rate of 10 percent, and Sony said about 0.5 percent of consoles came back with those symptoms. Those numbers don’t agree with each other.

Which one plays the games I want?

All three play PS3 games. If you don’t need PS2 discs, the Slim and Super Slim are quieter and use less power than the original, per the sources. The drive on the Super Slim is the part reviewers disliked.

The PS3 library is huge. The Last of Us and Gran Turismo 5 are among its best sellers, and Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is where that series starts. The console itself is on our PlayStation 3 page. Which model do you have?

Source: Wikipedia, PlayStation 3, CC BY-SA 4.0, and CNET and Ars Technica as cited there.

Header image: PS3 consoles montage HQ.png by Evan-Amos (original photos) (Public domain), Wikimedia Commons.