Think console makers are done milking 5+ year old hardware until the new gear starts trickling in sometime in 2013? Ha! Silly consumer.

Brazilian site Tecnoblog.net posted some images earlier today that claim to show the “Playstation 4000″ whose SKU we saw hit the FCC back in early July.

As for specs of the newer, even slimmer PS3, details are scant. That said, there are a few minor things to fester over. For starters, the PS3 4000 model will allegedly feature a top-loading and sliding disc tray (sounds like a warranty nightmare). Furthermore, storage options are suspected to be 16 GB, 250 GB and 500 GB.

The 16 GB option may seem laughably low for a platform whose Blu-ray downloads can eat up multiple gigabytes in no time flat. That said, slimming down the console removes costs on Sony’s part. And so does cutting storage. If Sony can get the PS3 to a point where it is just as cheap as Microsoft’s entry-level Xbox 360, or dare we say cheaper, they could be in a good position to scoop up those early age gamers whose parents won’t spring for pricer, higher capacity options not to mention adults with their own monetary limitations.

Pricing and size considerations aside, is spending even ~$100-$200 on a “new” PS3 worth it considering new hardware is right around the corner?

Source: Technoblog | Via: NeoGaf, ElectricPig