Unboxing Sony's PS3 Slim

Sony reps jumped in the fastest car available to get the PS3 Slim to the CNET offices after the announcement of the PS3 Slim at Gamescom in Germany. We were amongst the first to get a chance to see the skinny new PS3 for ourselves.

This is seconds after we opened the box of the PS3 Slim, you should smell that sweet new plastic-y goodness.

Here is Sony's newborn, all wrapped up in its blanket.

Indeed we do. A six-axis PS3 controller. Nothing new here, move along people.

Ladies and gentlemen, we present for your ogling pleasure — the PS3 Slim.

If you've ever held a PS3 controller, this should give you an idea of the width of the new Slim.

The all important side-on, the PS3 Slim doesn't have nearly the same bulk as its predecessor.

And now for a glimpse from behind...

Sony promises that everything you expect in the old PS3 you'll find in the Slim. This includes an Ethernet port, HDMI and digital audio out and Wi-Fi built-in.

We threw this pic in because it reminded us of a puppy rolling on its back to get its belly scratched.

It's a stab in the dark, but we think this screw detaches the hard disk from the console so it can be easily replaced.

I'm ready for my close up Mr DeMille....

Here's the Slim being introduced to the other kids at school: the original PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii.

You can see that the Slim's shrinking dimensions are across all aspects, not just the depth.

A view from side-on and proof that the Slim lives up to its name.

From behind we can see the subtle differences between the inputs from the old model (below) and the Slim on top.