EDDIEWONG

The Metal Gear Solid 4 special limited edition PlayStation 3 unit (40GB) which was announced a little over 2 months ago is by far the most attractive to me because the unit doesn’t have that horrible ultra hi-gloss coating on it - it is matt (like the silver version).

The name of the special edition PS3 is known as HAGANE (鋼) which means ‘STEEL’ and from the rendered images, the colour seems to be leaning towards grey-ish green, something I don’t feel too hot about. But when I came across a display unit (pic above) at Bic Camera in Yurakucho, it seems to look more black to me. Actually, to be honest I am not sure if it is dark-grey or black. I wouldn’t be surprised if it is indeed black but due to the absence of the hi-gloss coating, it gives the illusion it is grey. It also doesn’t help with it being in a glass display (reflections) and the lighting coming directly from beneath the unit.

Here in Japan, the special edition PS3 comes in a bundle called the MGS4 PREMIUM PACK (MGS4プレミアムパック) which also includes a colour matching wireless DualShock 3 controller, and the special edition MGS4 game. The MGS4 PREMIUM PACK retails for ¥51,800 which makes it a little over ¥2,000 more expensive than getting a normal 40GB PS3 (¥39,800) with a copy of the special edition MGS4 game (¥9,800) BUT that small price difference is well worth it considering it’s a limited edition PS3 you’re getting. The MGS4 PREMIUM PACK will be shipping on June 12 - the same day the game hits the shelves nationwide.

For those who want the MGS4 PREMIUM PACK but did not pre-order it when it was first announced, you can forget it now because they’re already pre-sold out as the official Konami page indicates:

Official Konami page - already pre-sold out!

Well, if you cannot find the MGS4 PREMIUM PACK at your local importers, you could always resort to eBay providing you’re willing to sell a limb or two for it… hahaha.

Good luck!

By the way, do not confuse the MGS4 PREMIUM PACK with the MGS4 WELCOME BOX bundle which comes with a ’standard’ PS3 unit, a DualShock 3 controller, and a copy of the ’standard edition’ MGS4 game for ¥49,800 (also available on June 12) .