Earlier today, Nintendo announced the Wii Mini for Canada. Offered at just $99, the smaller console is targeted at the budget contentious consumers though at a price. Unlike the original Wii which will continue to be sold along side the new iteration, the Wii Mini lacks any form of online connectivity and GameCube compatibility. Nintendo seems to think that probably a good portion of their user base probably didn’t own their previous system and were never interested in online play, seeing how the Wii is quite popular with the non-gamers, particular the elder crowd. This of course got us thinking, what would a PlayStation 3 Mini look like?

The first thing to address would be the price of the PlayStation 3 Mini which surely would fall at $149. Seeing how The Wii Mini is priced at $99, unless Sony scrapped most of the features that make the PS3 a PS3, the system at this time could never hit the $99 price point. That is, unless Sony wanted to take a loss on each console. We also have to take into consideration that there are some components that Sony cannot remove from the PS3 like its Blu-ray drive which every single game is based on. Sony cannot also get rid of backwards compatibility as that feature was axed a long time ago. So where does this leave Sony and what features could the PS3 Mini lack?

Some cost cutting for Sony can come from the inputs offered on the back of the console which still features an optical out. If we really want to get a bare bone console, let the PS3 Mini just offer an HDMI out and leave everything else off the production line. The reality of it is that anybody whose purchase a TV in the last 10 years has an HDMI input and if not, the PS3 and HD gaming/movies isn’t probably on their radar. (Depending on the cost, Sony can be less drastic with this and leave the A/V output for Component/RCA out). Taking a cue from Nintendo, I’d also leave that other port off the production line as well. Yes, the holy ethernet port which gives the PS3 access to the PlayStation Network. If they want to jump online, that’s what the built in Wi-Fi is for.

Depending on the cost of that chip, I would even argue that maybe killing all online functionality for the system might not be a bad idea. While this might seem like blasphemy for PS3 users in the west, the truth is that many of the services we enjoy and take for granted might not be available in all regions. Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Instant Video? Mainly just a US service. PlayStation Network and Music/Video Unlimited, not available in all countries and if so, the content is not always the same as ours. Why not cut out that feature in general and save some costs. For those wanting to do a firmware update, they can always download the flash via a flash drive and plug it into the PS3’s USB port.

The PlayStation 3 is no stranger to losing USB slots. The original console launched with 4 slots and now the current iterations only offer 2. Why not cut that down to just one slot? If anybody needs more, they can always purchase a USB hub for $10. Of course, besides firmware updates, Sony can also offer game updates via the web which means the unit will need some form of hard drive. In this case, a 8GB flash drive should be more that sufficient. In fact, Sony offers a PlayStation 3 Slim in Europe currently with such a 16GB drive.

I know, I know, the PlayStation 3 Mini sounds like a horrendous machine. Limited inputs and outputs, a small drive, and no internet functionality. However, if we look at what the unit can still do, play all PlayStation 3 games, watch Blu-ray/DVD movies, browse photos and videos, we can start to see the promise from such a machine. Especially if Sony targets the machine to less established countries like South America, India, and Russia where Sony has continued to support the PS2 for similar reasons; lack of infrastructure but huge growth opportunities.

By giving those who want some core functionality but not all the bells and whistles, Sony can continue to expand the PS3 and Blu-ray install base while creating would-be PlayStation 4 consumers who might just want some more out of their next console.

Discuss:

How would you build a PlayStation 3 Mini in order for it to hit the $149 price point?