In the fall of 2020, the PlayStation 5 was released. Almost exactly three years later, Sony introduced a new variant of the console, which is now coming to market and displaces its predecessor.
It’s hard to miss during the weekly grocery shopping season above the sight of numerous cookies, speculoos and gingerbread: The Christmas season is just around the corner – and with it the Christmas business. Sony is taking advantage of this this year to launch a new, slimmed-down model of the PlayStation 5.
Slimmed down is to be taken literally, because the “new look” for the turn of the year, as Sony calls it, is particularly evident in the size and weight of the PlayStation. Compared to the original version, the volume is over 30 percent smaller. Depending on the version – with or without a drive – the weight is also reduced by 18 or 24 percent. In exact figures, this means that the new console weighs about 3.2 kilograms with the drive. Without the drive, it’s about 2.6 kilograms. A form factor that offers “more choice and flexibility”.
Same performance in a smaller case
But the weight loss should not come at the expense of technology. “The same technology features that make the PS5 the best gaming experience are packed into a smaller form factor,” the original Oct. 10 announcement said. So you don’t have to sacrifice performance if you want to get the smaller version of the PlayStation 5.
New, however, is a certain modularity of the hardware. The Digital Edition, which comes without a drive, can be retrofitted with one. Just remove the lower half of the two-piece outer casing on each side. Afterwards, the drive is attached and then covered with an included cover that fits over it. The upgrade will cost you 119.99 Euros in this case.
This also makes it clear: If you think it is likely that you will need a drive, you should definitely go for the version that already has one. The retail prices of the two versions are exactly 100 Euros apart. The Digital Edition will cost 449.99 Euros in Europe, and 549.99 Euros for the PlayStation with a drive.
Current model has no future
It’s also clear that the new PS5 is the model of the future. That’s because once the inventory of current PlayStation models is sold out, “the new PS5 will be the only model available.”
When exactly the sales launch of the slimmer Sony hardware is imminent is still open. But it shouldn’t take much longer. Because in the US, the model should already be available “from November” at “selected retailers” and of course directly from Sony. The worldwide launch would continue “in the following months”.
