After Sony's Tokyo Game Show 2012 press conference, our compadres at Engadget got lots of close-up shots of the re-redesigned PlayStation 3 hardware. While they weren't able to get hands on the unit, it appears that the disc-tray now operates on a sliding mechanism. Furthermore, the newer, slimmer unit seems to come with a stand to stabilize the console in the vertical position.

The slimmer 250GB PS3 model (in black) will be available in the U.S. on September 25 for $269, bundled with the "Game of the Year" edition of Uncharted 3 and a voucher for $30 worth of content in the free-to-play shooter Dust 514, according to the PlayStation Blog. A non-bundled version of the new 250GB console will be priced at $249 eventually; however, a Sony press release notes that only bundles "will become available at launch timing."

The 500GB model will launch for $299 on October 30. The blog also revealed a special, limited edition Assassin's Creed 3 bundle was in the works, but did not announce price. In a press release, Sony noted that Japan will get the white model and that "other regions and countries will follow."

Europe and Hong Kong will also get their hands on a 12GB flash memory console on October 4, priced at €299 ($389).