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A History of the Shrinking Game Console

Posted by Soulskill on from the wonder-when-the-wee-wii-is-coming-out dept.

After Sony's announcement of the PS3 Slim earlier this week, CNet took a look back at size-reducing hardware revisions over the past couple decades in console design, noting that they're gradually arriving sooner and sooner after the initial release. "Does that mean it'll creep even lower, into two-year or even yearly cycles between major revisions? Quite possibly, yes. It's worked very well with handheld gaming devices, and even some consumer electronics devices like iPods. Apple has turned out slimmer, more powerful versions of the iPod every year since 2001, and yearly events like E3 put continued pressure on console makers to show off something big. In the case of the PS3 Slim though, it could just be that the PS3 had to be pushed out to meet its launch window, and that the Slim is what Sony was going for in the first place. Advances in the PlayStation 3's core technology, like the cell processor, also underwent changes since the console launched, including changes to fabrication that have taken the chip down from 90 nanometers to 65, then 45 — the size that can be found inside the Slim. These changes meant less power consumption, smaller components, and easier cooling."

2 of 107 comments (clear)

  1. Hardware AND software revisions by faragon · · Score: 5, Informative
    It is not just a hardware revision, but implies also cuts in software: Remember that Sony has cut the possibility of running Linux in the new PS3 "Slim" model, disabling the "Other OS" boot option, because of the costs of programming new drivers for virtualizing the new I/O devices through the hipervisor.

    Extra-official reply from Sarah Ewen, a Sony employee:

    BY: sarahe
    DATE: 2009-Aug-21 22:23
    SUBJECT: RE: Why no Linux in PS3 Slim?

    Hi aragon,

    I'm sorry that you are frustrated by the lack of comment specifically regarding the withdrawal of support for OtherOS on the new PS3 slim.

    The reasons are simple: The PS3 Slim is a major cost reduction involving many changes to hardware components in the PS3 design. In order to offer the OtherOS install, SCE would need to continue to maintain the OtherOS hypervisor drivers for any significant hardware changes - this costs SCE. One of our key objectives with the new model is to pass on cost savings to the consumer with a lower retail price. Unfortunately in this case the cost of OtherOS install did not fit with the wider objective to offer a lower cost PS3.

    We'll see if we can get the offical OtherOS page updated with something to this effect so that an official explanation is provided. Thank you for your comments.

    Sarah.

  2. Re:What about NES Redesign by bhtooefr · · Score: 4, Informative

    Actually, MOST consoles. (This'll be US-centric, here.)

    Fairchild VES -> Fairchild Channel F System II
    Atari VCS -> Atari 2600 Jr.
    Mattel Intellivision -> Mattel Intellivision II
    Nintendo Entertainment System -> Nintendo NES-101
    Sega Master System -> Sega Master System II
    Nintendo Game Boy -> Nintendo Game Boy Pocket
    Sega Genesis -> Sega Genesis 2 -> Majesco/Sega Genesis 3 (and that's not even counting the Sega Nomad)
    Nintendo Super NES -> Nintendo SNS-101
    Sony PlayStation -> Sony PSone
    Nintendo Game Boy Advance -> Nintendo GBA SP -> Nintendo GB Micro
    Sony PlayStation 2 -> Sony Slimline PS2
    Nintendo DS -> Nintendo DS Lite
    Sony PlayStation 3 -> Sony PS3 Slim

    And that list is far from exhaustive. :)