Sony has just announced a new PS4 model launching first in Japan at the end of this month, and in other territories later on. This is the CUH-1200 series and brings the following differences:

Weight reduced by 10%
Power consumption down by 8%
HDD cover now has same matte finish as the rest of the system

It isn't entirely new, so it is coming with the same 500GB HDD with the suggested retail price of $399/€399. It has not been stated whether the US will actually be getting the standalone glacier white system as an option, as it is currently only available as part of the Destiny bundle in the US.

In related news, starting on July 15th, the 1TB model of the PS4 will be available in select Europe and PAL territories. This will be the standard design and offer no changes except for the higher capacity HDD. According to a Playstation France Facebook post the price will be the same as the 500GB model, heavily implying an incoming 500GB model price drop.

To sum up:
- A new more uniform PS4 model is coming probably to mostly silently replace current models on the market
- The 1TB model finally has a release date for Europe with other regions waiting on an announcement, although it will not have any of the new revisions at launch

Official Sony Press Release (New Model)
Playstation Blog - Europe (1TB model)

 

[Nathan Drake]

I don't know why anyone would buy a first version playstation model. Sony's track record, when it comes to quality control for gaming consoles, is piss poor. My fat model PS3 suffered a YLOD. And a PS2 I bought shortly after launch broke down within a year or two.

Building consoles that are built to last is something Nintendo is MUCH better at.

Except the PS4 is closing in on two years old with no major failure like the YLOD or RRoD to speak of. To be fair to Microsoft, the Xbox One seems to be a well built machine too. Outside of launch problem systems that always happen, there have been no major failures taking the internet by storm for either console. Also, basing the "track record" off of a single generation and your anecdotal single example for another is hilarious. Good try though.

 

[FireGrey]

This new model seems to just make the console cheaper to make, hopefully they sell it for cheaper too.

 

[Prior22]

Except the PS4 is closing in on two years old with no major failure like the YLOD or RRoD to speak of. To be fair to Microsoft, the Xbox One seems to be a well built machine too. Outside of launch problem systems that always happen, there have been no major failures taking the internet by storm for either console. Also, basing the "track record" off of a single generation and your anecdotal single example for another is hilarious. Good try though.

So Nintendo doesn't have a better track record of system reliability than Sony? I don't recall hearing of gamecubes and wii's breaking down in significant numbers, like the ps2 and ps3 did.

 

[Sakitoshi]

Internal revisions are that important now to make such an announcement?? I didn't know. unless they are doing it in purpose to alarm the hackers and make them buy the first model to search exploits that this revision could have fixed.

 

[Nathan Drake]

Internal revisions are that important now to make such an announcement?? I didn't know. unless they are doing it in purpose to alarm the hackers and make them buy the first model to search exploits that this revision could have fixed.

I imagine it was just a preemptive move to keep people from thinking their physically different PS4 model was defective or rare or something. It just saves Sony a headache, ultimately. If the device was the same general design in terms of finish and such, I doubt they would have bothered saying anything.

 

[henn64]

Next up, PS4 Slim with a top loader

PS4
PS4 Family Edition
PS4 Mini
P̶S̶ ̶4̶ ̶U̶

 

[Sakitoshi]

I imagine it was just a preemptive move to keep people from thinking their physically different PS4 model was defective or rare or something. It just saves Sony a headache, ultimately. If the device was the same general design in terms of finish and such, I doubt they would have bothered saying anything.

maybe, but they didn't made such a fuss about the visually different revision of the PS3 slim. just wanted to point out that.

 

[Nathan Drake]

maybe, but they didn't made such a fuss about the visually different revision of the PS3 slim. just wanted to point out that.

Those are really small things, nothing as prominent as the entire HDD cover on the PS4 being changed from glossy to matte.

 

[ComeTurismO]

Hope prices drop soon for this; seems like an interesting purchase.

 

[Sakitoshi]

Those are really small things, nothing as prominent as the entire HDD cover on the PS4 being changed from glossy to matte.

I think is the other way around. The extra leds of the CECH-2xxx PS3 models are useful for something, while the appearance of the cover is just cosmetic.
But whatever. No one is gonna change his PS3 for those leds if is working correctly or PS4 only for a more uniform with the rest of the system cover.

 

[Bladexdsl]

Disgaea 5 out in October!

 

[Foxi4]

So Nintendo doesn't have a better track record of system reliability than Sony? I don't recall hearing of gamecubes and wii's breaking down in significant numbers, like the ps2 and ps3 did.

The Wii suffered from the same problem as the 360 and the PS3 when it first launched - BGA damage due to overheating. Their version of RROD and YLOD was called Blue Slot of Death, but it was never really talked about much, either because it was more rare (since the system was considerably weaker and thus easier to keep cool) or because people didn't care as much. It was just a problem specific to how BGA's were constructed and mounted, it wasn't specific to Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo, rather a general problem in electronics at large at the time. Other Nintendo fiascos include self-scratching screens or easily breakable sliders on the 3DS, among other issues. Nobody's perfect, I'm afraid.