While the PS3 Slim has attracted a lot of compliments for its design, it's also drawn questions about the various functions of its hardware. Ars Technica spoke with SCE's director of hardware marketing John Koller about everything from the presence (or lack) of a power brick to the ability to swap out hard-drives.
Despite the mostly positive reaction to the PS3 Slim and new cheaper price, the primary question a lot of gamers have was about backwards compatibility, which was present in early models of the PS3 but has been absent in the console's configuration since 2007. While certain fans desire backwards compatibility greatly, Koller shot down the possibility of it returning either in the form of new hardware or downloaded software.
"It's not coming back, so let me put that on the table," said Koller. "It's not as big as a purchase intent driver as you may be hearing. We've got such a substantial lineup of titles on the PS3; most people are buying the PS3 for PS3 games. They've buying it for PS3 games and Blu-ray movies. [It] won't be returning."
That sounds pretty definitive to us. If backwards compatibility is important to you, the earlier models of the PS3 are your best bet, or just hold on to your PS2.
