FCC documents suggest an updated PS3 incoming

Documents filed with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) suggest an updated PlayStation 3 games console is on its way.

The current-generation PS3 Slim is the 3000-series model, but the documents show an updated 4000-series console with a CECH-4001x model number. Eurogamer believes that this is the new "super slim" model that has been rumored for some time now, and that this updated console could be announced at Gamescom in Germany in August.

There is nothing in the documents to suggest that this is the much-rumored PlayStation 4 console, however.

The documents don't give much away but do include the expected FCC label position diagram which gives us an outline of the device in question.

Compare this to the label position diagram for the current PlayStation 3 CECH-300 console and the original PlayStation CECHA00 console.

Note that these images are not to scale and cannot be used to compare the relative sizes of the consoles.

A quick scan of the FCC filing documents also show that the new console contains both Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR and 802.11g/n antennae --- the same networking specifications as the current console.

Earlier this year, Piper Jaffray analysts Michael J. Olson and Andrew D. Connor said they believe there will be an average drop in software sales for the systems of 53 percent during the first 14 months after their release based on "meetings with industry sources".

Sony declined to comment.

Image source: FCC.