The 80GB model is going to see some serious hardware constraints in the weeks ahead, and retailers have about 60 days worth of inventory before the systems will become hard to find. Expect to see many more 160GB units on store shelves. Those units have no constraints yet, but if the retailers sell through that supply as quickly as they did the 80GB, Sony is in a good place for the final part of its plan in 2009: dropping the price of hardware and launching the PS3 Slim in the fall.

We have absolutely no information on what to expect from that price drop, so we don't know how large it will be... yet. Still, hearing confirmation from the Mole that it's coming is great news. Sony has had much success getting people excited about the PSP platform with a raft of new games and the PSP Go hardware, so launching the PS3 Slim and dropping the price on the hardware that's out now should give the platform its own boost.

The machine has a white PS logo, a new eject button, two USB ports and features a curvier PS3 typeface on the side.

The footage was chucked on the internet by the chaps at UltimatePlayStation.com. The person who shot it says the slimline PS3 was on sale at an underground market in the Philippines, priced at around GBP 250.

* unit was bought from some dude who got the unit from the US.
* there are two units but only one unit was for sale (the one he got).
* it was sold to him because it cannot be modded (LOL).
* they tested a PS3 game (Unreal Tournament III) and it worked.
* they tested an unknown (not bootlegged) PS2 game from an unknown region, the PS3 detected the disc, it didn't work. SUCKS!
* hard drive slot is underneath when placed horizontally.
* slim PS3 cannot be placed vertically without some sort of a stand unlike the fat one.
* he got it for 12K PhP.
* there was some sort of packaging but it's not a retail box.
* it came with the necessary cables and a DS3.
* he sold the unit to an indian fellow who has a game store in Bridgeway for 22K PhP.
* he said the indian dude was planning on creating a customized box for it (I guess for it to look like something that is being sold in retail).
* slim PS3 is almost the same size as the fat PS2.
* he's unaware of the firmware installed.
* it's possible for him to get another unit next month.
* when asked about any contact information of the dude that sold the unit to him, he declined giving it.