PlayStation 4 Slim: Australian price, release date and specs

The upcoming Sony console known as the PlayStation 4 Slim has been officially announced and is ready to ship. Here's what you can expect from the lightweight console.

We've known since June that PlayStation is planning to update its fourth generation console to match the likes of Xbox One's Project Scorpio. What we didn't know until about a month ago is that it was also planning on launching an answer to the Xbox One S, a slimmed-down replacement of the beloved PlayStation 4.

After a series of retail leaks, slim Playstation 4 consoles made their way into the hands of a few lucky punters and reviewers. The new and improved PlayStation 4 Slim was officially announced at the September PlayStation Meeting before addressing the new 4K-enabled PlayStation 4 Pro.

PlayStation 4 Slim specs: An aesthetic upgrade

Reviewer Laura Dale from Let's Play Video Games got some serious hands-on time with the new console and reiterated in her review that the PlayStation 4 Slim features no real hardware improvements and that it's simply a visual upgrade. Sony boss Andrew House confirmed during the PlayStation 4 meeting that the PlayStation 4 Slim would replace the traditional PS4. Here are some key differences between the traditional PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 4 Slim:

• Size: The PlayStation 4 Slim's dimensions come in at 264 x 39 x 288mm, a decent downsize from the traditional PS4's 275 x 53 x 305mm form factor. The PlayStation 4 Slim is 25% lighter than the traditional console.
• USB ports: One small change to the console's design is the separation of the two USB ports. One port sits right next to the disc slot and the other can be found at the edge of the console's face. We can't think of any practical reason for this, so we're pegging it as just another design upgrade.
• Optical audio port removed: The PS4 Slim completely ditches the optical audio port. This shouldn't be an issue for most, but if you do rely on optical audio we'd recommend sticking with the vintage model.
• Matte finish: Gone is the glossy finish of the futuristic PS4. The PS4 Slim brings with it a nice matte finish that is bound to please those sick of dust bunnies magnetically attached to their consoles.
• Power and eject button placement: The PlayStation 4 Slim ditches the touch sensitive power and eject buttons and replaces them with obviously labelled buttons in the groove of the console's face. While we're all used to it now, there were some painful moments mixing up the two when the PS4 first released.
• New and improved Dualshock 4: Packaged with the PS4 Slim is a fancy new Dualshock 4 controller. While it doesn't look a whole lot different visually, it does sport a few welcome new touches, like a light bar in the touch pad and a dip in the centre of the D-pad. The new Dualshock controller also transmits data over the cable when plugged in (rather than wirelessly), allowing for quicker reaction time in frantic, twitch-based games.
• Simpler hard drive replacement: The PS4's hard drive wasn't all that difficult remove, but the PS4 Slim has made things even simpler by moving the SATA drive port entry to the back of the console and locking it in with one screw instead of four.

It's also worth noting that Dale mentioned the PS4 Slim was cooler and quieter than its bulkier predecessor.

• Redesigned fan: The PlayStation 4 Slim features a redesigned fan optimised for the console's small form. From all hands-on reports, the PS4 slim is a much quieter console than its predecessor.

PlayStation 4 Slim release date: Sooner than you think

Sony officially announced a 15 September 2016 release date for the PlayStation Slim.

PlayStation 4 Slim pricing

The PlayStation 4 Slim is officially replacing the traditional PS4 and is in fact officially named PS4. The PS4 Slim will retail at $439.95 for the 500GB and $509.95 for the 1TB.