After a few months of rumors, Sony has revealed the first major revision of its PlayStation 5 console — just ahead of its third birthday and, importantly, the Holiday season.
Once again, the PS5 — which is likely to be nicknamed “Slim” by the fans, matching previous PlayStation consoles — will be available in both a regular and Digital version. Unlike the original console though, you won’t be locked into your choice courtesy of a neat add-on.
The console has undergone a couple of changes since that launch edition in November 2020, but they’ve been confined to internal tweaks — primarily around the heatsink. This update is the first complete form factor change and sees a profound difference in size and weight.
Coming in at 358mm x 216mm (14.1in x 8.5in), the new console is nearly 10% shorter and narrower than before, with the thinner Digital Edition almost 15% slimmer. Weight drops to 3.2kg and 2.6kg (7lb and 4.5lb) respectively, a reduction of 20% and 30% compared to the most recent PS5 units.
Internally the console appears identical to its predecessor except in one vital area: storage. The onboard SSD has increased from its unusual 825GB size — touted as the most efficient for the new 12-channel IO — to a more standard 1TB. At present there’s no mention of any changes to the M.2 expansion slot, which we’d assume still fits in under the now two-piece top cover.
Arguably the most significant change comes to the Digital Edition, which now gains an option to upgrade to a standard model by way of an additional disc drive. This can be purchased separately, and appears to slot into the console directly — likely with a proprietary connector — under a replacement cover, as if it was always there.
While the USA was previously shielded from mid-life price increases, it’s now joined other markets in seeing a price bump — while Europe and the UK remain at their post-increase costs.
The regular PS5 will set you back $499.99 (€549.99/£479.99), with the Digital Edition priced $50 cheaper at $449.99 (€449.99/£389.99). That’s interesting as you’ll need to shell out more than the difference to pick up the optical drive, which is priced at $79.99 (€119.99/£99.99).
If you want your PS5 to stand upright, there’s a new stand which is now sold separately too. That comes in at $29.99 (€29.99/$24.99), with a horizontal stand included with the console’s price.
You won’t need to wait as long to accessorize either, as even though there’s a new four-piece design for the console’s outer shell — with the top two panels now glossy white — the replacement covers will be available early next year.
Curiously, Sony states that the most recently revealed Deep Earth Collection colors — Cobalt Blue, Sterling Silver, and Volcanic Red — along with a matte black item will be available, but doesn’t reference the five colors in the earlier Galaxy Collection. However it does note that additional colors will be released in the future, and that prices start at $54.99 (€54.99/£44.99) — just as they do for the current console.
The new PlayStation 5 will be released in the USA first in November, rolling out to other countries over an as-yet unspecified time frame. It will also replace the original console, so if you want one of the full-size units you should pick one up now before stocks run out.
See more articles on PlayStation 5.
