One clear advantage that the PS3 has over its competition is Linux support. Sure, it may not be an aspect of the system that is widely taken advantage of, but the ability to run a custom distro of your choosing without restrictions posed by the PS3 OS is a feature held in great regard by hobbyist developers. No other mass-market gaming platform has provided such capabilities, officially that is. With the PS3 Slim, Sony is nixing this feature. The official statement is as follows:

The new PS3 system will focus on delivering games and other entertainment content, and users will not be able to install other Operating Systems to the new PS3 system.

It’s important to note that this only applies to the PS3 Slim. Apparently, those with regular PS3 units will still be able to install a third-party OS. If fooling around with Linux on the PS3 sounds enticing, better spring for an old unit now before stock is depleted.

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