Latest design PS3 - slim

Artist's rendition of the PSP Go.

(Credit: 1Up.com

In advance of E3 next week, rumors continue to circulate around the possibility of a new PSP and a new, slimmer PS3. Here are the latest:

• Ars Technica is reporting that the next-gen, UMD-free PSP Go! is "indeed real," according to a "trusty inside source" and should be announced at E3.
• The same Sony "mole" claims that the new PSP will be "lighter than its UMD-sporting predecessor, along with lower power consumption and possibly a lower price."
• The new PSP will be sold alongside the older version of the PSP (PSP-3000), according to the Ars report.
• The alleged source says, "A good number of titles will be released with both retail releases and digital downloads, with some games like Unbound Saga forgoing a retail release altogether."
• As for the slimmed-down PS3, it, too, is real, according to the mole--but Sony won't begin selling the new PS3 until stock dwindles on the PS3 currently on store shelves. The source is targeting August or September for possible launch dates.
• There's no word on if Sony plans to strip any features out of the alleged PS3 Slim or if it will cost less than the current model.
• The mole claims that Sony isn't expected to announce a price cut on the current PS3 to clear inventory, "but the possibility is certainly there." (This obviously has the biggest no-duh quotient of any of the statements.)

That's it. Nothing terribly exciting or new here, but it does make sense that Sony would wait to announce a new PS3 until it can clear inventory. Obviously, with all these rumors out there, it's going to be harder to move units without some sort of price drop.

As always, feel free to comment and make your own predictions.