PS4 Slim preview: Svelte, smaller but similar

Just before Sony Computer Entertainment boss Andrew House waxed lyrical about the company’s new, more powerful console, the PS4 Pro, he rapidly sped through an introduction to the new model of the standard PS4.

Unofficially dubbed the PS4 Slim, the updated console has been the subject of numerous reports and leaks over the last couple of weeks, and some units even made their way into consumers’ hands, so you can understand why there was so little focus on it. But there will still be some looking for a budget machine this Christmas and the new PS4 will tick some boxes for them.

Internally, it is identical to the now three year-old PlayStation 4. It plays the same games, it outputs at the same resolution and it has a similar aesthetic.

It is clearly smaller and thinner though, with a matt rather than glossy finish, and the light bar on the console has switched from the top to the front. It also loses an optical audio connection somewhere along the way.

Pocket-lint

What it does gain though is the new version of the DualShock controller, which now has an extra light strip running across the top of the touchpad.

For all intents and purposes though, the change in design – which matches the look and feel of the PS4 Pro – is more likely to adopt cheaper components and therefore offer a more affordable option.

That’s where this upgraded machine excels most. It’ll be out on 15 September and for the budget price of £259. If you want a PS4 and are not swayed by the magical graphics capabilities of its Pro stablemate, you can’t go far wrong.

We’re not sure it is quite as attractive as the Xbox One S – physical or in feature set – but it’s a reasonably inexpensive way to get into the PlayStation ecosystem.