Sony unveils smaller, more expensive PlayStation 3

According to a report on Wired magazine's blog, Sony has revised the PlayStation 3 again, reducing it in size but increasing its price tag in the United States.

The electronics giant revealed the new, thinner model of the company’s flagship game console at a press briefing in Tokyo on Wednesday. While prices remain unchanged in Japan, U.S. customers will have to spend $270 for the 250GB model when it launches on September 25 with a bundled copy of the Uncharted 3 game. The cheapest “slim” model costs $250 now.

The 500GB model, which debuts in the U.S. on October 30, will cost $300.

Sony’s new PlayStation 3 comes in two colors, Charcoal Black and Classic White. Sony says it is 50 percent lighter and smaller than the original PlayStation 3 that launched in 2006 for $600, and about 25 percent less bulky than the “slim” model introduced in 2009.

The redesigned PS3 comes hot on the heels of Nintendo’s announcement of its release date and pricing for the Wii U console, which it will ship later this year. At 25,000 yen, Sony’s PS3 will be about the same price as a basic Wii U set in Japan.

The new hardware reveal led off an afternoon of announcements from Sony Computer Entertainment Japan president Hiroshi Kawano targeting the Japanese market. He showed off two new colors for the PlayStation Vita, Cosmic Red and Sapphire Blue, both due out in Japan on November 15.