PS4 Slim PlayStation 4 Super Slim Sony 1

Three years into the cycle, Sony refreshed its entire PlayStation 4 hardware line with the PS4 Pro, PlayStation VR, and, of course, the PS4 Slim. But tech site Digitimes believes that the Japanese giant may now be planning an even smaller version of its uber-successful system. But is there any truth to the report?

As part of an article about the Nintendo Switch – the publication claims that the House of Mario is aiming to produce 20 million units of its home-console-cum-handheld this year, a figure which greatly exceeds the company's own expectations and would put it on par with the PS4's best ever year – it added the following tidbit: "Sony is expected to release a thinner version of its PS4."

Digitimes doesn't exactly have the best track record for gaming rumours, though it's generally better regarded in the wider tech sector, so could there be any truth here? Well it's clear that the company's working towards a $199.99 price point for the base model this holiday, so if another hardware revision enables it to do that, we wouldn't be surprised if it took the opportunity.

But realistically we reckon that the current PS4 Slim was already built with that kind of pricing strategy in mind – the company's already shown at times this year that it's willing to be ruthless to remain competitive, so it's clearly reduced the manufacturing cost. Could a smaller PS4 Pro be on the cards, then? Again, it's not impossible, but it seems unlikely.

Honestly, our guess is that Digitimes has merely got its wires crossed. Sony often makes minor changes to its mainline hardware models over time – you may remember the original PS4 lost its glossy hard-drive cover somewhere along the line – so it's possible that it may make minor tweaks to its current line of consoles. But even thinner versions? Not this year, in our opinion.

[source digitimes.com]