While the rumours of a slimline version of the PS3 have quietened down a touch during the last few days, news that IBM and Sony are now working on a smaller and cheaper version of the Cell Processor makes the whole idea seem a touch more likely.

This brand new version of the famed Cell Processor will not only be 34% smaller, and consume 40% than the current 65nm Cell, but it’ll be a lot cheaper to produce too.

Add that to the rumours of the new revision of the PS3, and the whole thing starts to make much more sense. Just imagine a dinky version of the PS3 with another chunk shaved off the RRP. Sounds like an incredibly tempting prospect, especially to all those PS2 owners who aren’t too willing to splash out £300 on a powerful HD console.

Take this, the fact two stunning PS3 exclusives in the guise of Metal Gear Solid 4 and LittleBigPlanet aren’t that far away, and it seems 2008 could truly be the year of the PS3.

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