The wraps have been taken off Sony"s redesigned PlayStation 2 hardware, previously referred to as PStwo, with SCEE this morning revealing that the significantly smaller console will launch in the USA and Europe on November 1st. The new hardware, designated SCPH-70000CB, follows the same design lines as the original PlayStation 2, but is only 2.8cm thick, compared with 7.8cm on the current console, and reduces the internal volume by 75 per cent.
As expected, the system has the PS2 network adapter built in - although the new design doesn"t appear to provide anywhere to slot in a hard drive, so we can only assume that support for that under-utilised peripheral has been removed. As with recent revisions of the full-size hardware, the system integrates an IR receiver for the DVD remote and doesn"t have an iLink port.
The price point of the PS2 will remain unchanged in Europe when the redesigned console launches on November 1st, with 105 UKP (149 Euro) still the suggested retail price for the hardware - although it"s to be expected that the launch of the new revision will drive prices of the original PS2 consoles south as retailers seek to clear stocks.
The SCPH-70000CB hardware will roll out simultaneously in the USA and Europe, while a Japanese launch will follow two days later on November 3rd.
"We did it for PlayStation and now this time for PlayStation 2," commented SCEE president David Reeves. "This totally redesigned, network-ready model will demonstrate that PlayStation has once again the design flair and innovation that made PlayStation the world"s best loved and most successful games console."
"We are confident that the combination of a new, more affordable price point, the great Christmas lineup and now this stunning new PlayStation 2 model will encourage a whole new generation of consumers to experience the fun of PlayStation," he concluded.