CECH-20xxA - 120GB PS3

120GB - PS3 'SLIM' CONSOLE

CECH-20xxA - Model A - console in all regions.

NO BACKWARDS COMPATIBILITY

The 120gb PS3 “slim” or “2000” series of PS3 hardware was rumored for over half a year before any official unveiling, with images and specs of hardware in production leaked from Taiwan causing much debate.

The rumors proved true and the proposed price-drop was confirmed in September 2009 for a release the following month. The stock hard drive was announced as 120gb in the first model of the new series, the CECH-20xxA. The MSRP was dropped another hundred dollars from the previous $399 standard set by the CECHK “80gb,” and the entire marketing line underwent a heavy rebranding. The official title of “PLAYSTATION 3” was shortened to “PS3” in all media and marketing, new cover art was rolled out, and the slimmed-down hardware featured a variety of new aesthetics.

Most notably, the infamous “Spider-man” font was excised from the Playstation brand entirely.

The CECH-20xxA “120gb” was nearly identical to its immediate 'premium' successor, the CECH-20xxB “250gb” in November. The end-user experience and features were almost no different from the standards set by the CECHK “80gb” before them, with two USB 2.0 ports and no PS2 compatibility now the standard.

Early tests of the CECH-20 series have indicated it consumes almost 50% less electricity than the original CECHA “60gb” in the same operations. The machine has proven to run quieter, cooler, and altogether more efficiently than previous models. The only particularly apparent function removed from the new series was the in-XMB option to install alternate operating systems to a hard drive partition.

FEATURES:

CHIPSET - 45nm cell / 65nm RSX
POWER CONSUMPTION - 100 Watts Avg. / 250 Watts Max.
USB - Two front-mounted USB 2.0 compatible ports
WIFI - Built-in B/G Wireless Networking Compatibility
CONTROLLER - DualShock3
ENHANCED FEATURES – Extra control features available when connected via HDMI to Sony Bravia HDTVs
RELEASE: October 2009 (worldwide)
ORIGINAL RETAIL PRICE: $299.99 USD