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PS4 Slim Leaked, To Be Revealed With Neo At PlayStation Meeting? [Update: Confirmed Real]

By Scott Grill
Published on: 02:08 PST, Aug 22, 2016

It looks like Sony has more to reveal during its September Playstation Meeting than just the PS4 Neo. The PS4 Slim leaked out over the weekend after some lucky fans were able to purchase one early.

Images of the new PlayStation 4 Slim popped up on Twitter via user shortmaneighty2 and were picked up by NeoGAF. Interestingly, the first pictures were picked up from an online classified ad site based in Europe, called Gumtree. Shortmaneighty2 spotted different listings advertising the console and managed to pick one up himself from one of the local sellers who runs a store and claims it is legitimate.

The PS4 Slim box points out this is a 500 GB model and comes with a PEGI rating and EU PlayStation website address, further pointing to this leaking out in Europe. The box also advertises upcoming PlayStation exclusive titles like Horizon: Zero Dawn and Gran Turismo Sport. It also features a label pointing out it is PlayStation VR ready.

The leak of the PS4 Slim is given additional credence thanks to a Wall Street Journal article published Sunday, stating, “Sony Corp. plans to introduce a new PlayStation 4 standard model alongside a high-end version next month, people familiar with the matter said, in an effort to maintain demand for the best-selling video game console.”

Sony will sell both the PS4 Slim and the upcoming PS4 Neo to target two different audiences. The Slim will have the more casual audience, likely at a $300 price point or less, while the Neo will attempt to entice hardcore fans interested in 4K resolutions at what appears to be a $400 starting price.

The images of the PS4 Slim do include comparison shots to the original hardware and show the already small console’s size reduced. Approximately an inch has been shaved off both the length and the width while the height has been reduced as well. Sony has removed the light bar that runs down the center of the original PS4 console that doubled as power and eject buttons. The company listened to feedback from users and replaced those with standard, clearly labeled buttons on the side of the console.

The console body itself appears to be made of a matte black plastic with rounded corners. The same ports that can be found on the existing PS4 are present on the back of the Slim console with the exception of an optical audio out port. The single LAN connection, HDMI port, Aux port, and power cord are still present. Additionally, the hard drive bay has been moved to the back left side of the console.

There is nothing on the PS4 Slim console or box indicating it will support 4K video or any additional features such as HDR lighting, unlike the Xbox One S. Microsoft made their console smaller while also throwing in a slight power bump. Sony, meanwhile, seems to be going for a straight-forward size reduction.

As previously covered, the PlayStation Meeting is scheduled for September 7 at 3 p.m. ET at the PlayStation Theater in New York City. Multiple sites have reported that Sony will use the event to debut the PS4 Neo, which is just a codename for now.

Sony confirmed the existence of the PS4 Neo prior to the E3 convention in Los Angeles but elected to reveal the new console at a later date. This also means the Neo will be skipping Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, which kicks off on August 18. The PlayStation Meeting takes place just prior to the Tokyo Game Show on September 15, so it may make an appearance there.

The PlayStation 4 Neo is an updated version of the console said to feature a faster CPU, faster memory, and a more powerful GPU. The benefit to most gamers will be the ability to achieve 1080p and 60 frames per second (fps) on a more consistent basis. It is currently unclear if it will be powerful enough to handle 4K gaming, though there are rumors it might.

Sony Interactive Entertainment President and Global Chief Executive Andrew House called the upgraded console a “high-end” version of the PlayStation 4 and will cost more than the current $350 version of the console.

“It is intended to sit alongside and complement the standard PS4,” House said. “We will be selling both [versions] through the life cycle.”

“All games will support the standard PS4 and we anticipate all or a very large majority of games will also support the high-end PS4,” he added.

Games will need to be coded to have the option to run for the current PS4 hardware or the Neo hardware. House said the amount of work needed by developers to enable a “seamless” experience between two is “small but manageable.”

What do you think of the PlayStation 4 Slim leak? Are you interested in this or the Neo? Sound off in the comments below.

Update: Eurogamer was able to visit shortmaneighty2 and take the following video of the PS4 Slim, confirming it is real.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2cIwkg7OVQ

[Image via NeoGAF]

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