The PS5 Slim | Does the Design Warrant an Upgrade?

The PS5 Slim has been leaked and we’re excited to announce that it’s going to be better than the vanilla version. However, don’t get your hopes too high because the differences aren’t monumental. Instead, you can consider the PS5 Slim to be a mid-cycle refresh of the regular PS5. It’s meant to solve the issue of PS5 availability worldwide while hiding some new tricks. The recent leak shows a hand holding the PS5, which supposedly hints at a lighter weight.

To that end, this review breaks down all the leaks, news, and updates we’ve read and heard about. It covers the new design, the storage increase, and the pricing of Sony’s new consoles. Hopefully, these consoles will be released before 2025 and who knows? Sony may surprise us with a PS5 Pro because Microsoft isn’t pulling any punches the next time around.

Also Read: Anticipation and Excitement: Exploring the PS5 Pro’s Expected Release Date, Specs, Price, and Impact on the Gaming Industry

A New Design

The PS5 Slim will be thinner than the vanilla PS5 and it has a two-tone design. Some fans love the new look, while others don’t. Allegedly, the new PS5 Slim will be 18% lighter for the Digital Edition and 24% lighter for the Disc Edition. It’s plenty powerful to play games like critically-acclaimed games like Baldur’s Gate 3. The aforementioned game is currently rated 9.5+ out of 10. 

Also, instead of having only two cover panels like in the standard versions, the PS5 Slim will have four detachable cover panels. There are no internal changes to the GPU or CPU, but internal storage is being increased from an 825 GB SSD that shipped with the vanilla PS5 to a 1TB SSD.

Moving forward, one of the advantages of the new design is that you’ll also be able to purchase an external disc drive. So, you’re not forced to pick between a Disc or Digital Edition. Instead, you can just pick up the external disc drive to play physical games. Though, it’s still cheaper to buy the Disc Edition from the onset, the prices of the new disc drive are:

• $80 in the U.S.
• €120 in Europe
• AU$159.95 in Australia.
• £100 in the U.K.

The PS5 Slim Is Rocking Two New Stands

The PS5 Slim now supports two stands instead of one, compared to the vanilla version. For one, a horizontal stand is included in the box. However, you’ll have to purchase the vertical stand separately and it costs £25. It’s as expensive as CD Projekt Red’s new DLC and sure, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty DLC boasts new features. The vertical stand spots a new design, which is a plastic base with a metal ring on the outside. 

Despite its cool looks, we still would have preferred to find it included in the box. This isn’t a sound move, especially as a free stand was included in the box with the vanilla PS5. Thankfully, the new stand will be compatible with all PS5 models. 

Same Old Price

The PS5 with a disc drive will retain its old price. You can find a detailed breakdown of the prices below. All-in-all, PS5 prices now heavily depend on your region.

Regions	PS5 Disc Edition	PS5 Digital Edition
U.S.	$499	$449
Europe	€550	€450
U.K.	£480	£390
Australia	AU$799.95	AU$679.95

In the U.K. and the rest of Europe, the price of a PS5 is still the same. However, let’s remember that PS5s in both regions cost more there than anywhere else. In the U.S., only the PS5 Digital Edition experienced a price hike, so it’ll cost $449 instead of its launch price of $399.

New PS5 Console Covers

PS5 console covers are back and bolder than ever! Sony announced that new covers will be available shortly after the PS5 Slim has been launched. So, you can expect them to hit stores early next year. Also, prices for the new PS5 Console Covers will start at £45 in the UK. Other regions can check out their countries’ respective prices below.

• It’ll cost at least $55 in the U.S. 
• It’ll start at €52 in Europe. 

At launch, the PS5 Slim will be available in its two-tone design. However, all-matte Black Console Covers will soon join the fold. After that, you can also expect Deep Earth Collection colours like Volcanic Red, Sterling Silver, and Cobalt Blue. 

The Issue of Rising Prices 

While Sony has announced price increments worldwide, Microsoft is playing the long game. They’re touting a budget-friendly Xbox Series S and in 2024 or 2025, they’ll release a renewed version of the console. Microsoft’s upcoming console will come with a pad that has haptic feedback like the DualSense. So, we’re surprised that Sony isn’t worried about its sales. It’s a bold move from the God of War developer, especially as there’s no PS5 Pro on the horizon. 

The PS5 Slim’s Release Date

Yes, Sony has announced that fans should look forward to seeing the PS5 Slim in November. However, we still don’t have a concrete release date yet so we can only hope that the new consoles won’t be postponed. The gaming devices will be first released at PlayStation Direct before hitting retail stores like Argos and Amazon later on. 

Will the PS5 Pro Ever Be Released?

While the PS5 Slim is making waves across news channels, the PS5 Pro is still a possibility. Yes, Sony hasn’t released any news that a PS5 Pro is in the works. However, if they want to remain as competitive as possible, a PS5 Pro may be necessary to tip the scale in their favour. Don’t get the console maker wrong; The PS5 Slim is meant to curb the console shortages that have plagued Sony’s consoles since launch. In the meantime, we can look forward to the PS5 Slim and Project Q, which is a handheld device that’s supposed to function like a streaming device.

Our Final Say

The PS5 Slim is still rocking the same internals as its vanilla version. So, you can expect 15 GB of GDDR6 RAM, a Ryzen Zen 2 CPU from AMD, and Wi-Fi 6. Both the new Xbox consoles coming out next year at the earliest are getting faster Wi-Fi. So, it would have been nice to see the PS5 Slim offer Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7. On the outside, there are two new USB-C ports at the front instead of the USB-C and USB-A ports on the older variants. Also, the rear will offer two USB-A ports. 

So, the new consoles aren’t necessarily providing drastic updates to their older siblings. However, these new consoles will completely phase out the older PS5s once they’re launched. If you own any of the older consoles, now is the best time to stock up on their accessories. After the PS5 Slim is launched, we doubt it’ll be easy to find their accessories.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Is the PS5 Slim Coming out in 2023?

Yes, the PS5 Slim is being released in 2023 though, it hasn’t been announced by Sony yet. Sure, it’s late 2023 already but Sony says we should look out for a November release. At least, that’s in the U.S. because the gaming industry giant hasn’t announced the release dates for other regions. The company’s rival, Microsoft, is working on more powerful Xbox Series consoles. So, it’s exciting to see how the market will react to their new consoles when they’re released in 2024 at the earliest. 

Will the PS5 Slim Be Faster?

Yes, the PS5 Slim will be faster than the vanilla PS5 but only by a small margin. Heck, you can expect it to be quieter and slimmer (Pardon the cliché) so it’ll be easier to fit on your TV shelf. However, we doubt that this upgrade is enough to purchase the PS5 Slim. Especially if your PS5 is still in pristine condition and still super quiet. However, if it feels like you have a turbo engine in your room, you may want to swap it for the new version.

Which PS5 Console Is Easier to Get Between the Digital and Disc Versions?

The disc-supporting PS5 is the easier variant to get between the two versions. Sure, it’s more expensive than the Digital Edition. However, on the bright side, Sony made more of the Disc Edition than the Digital Edition. However, the availability of both consoles is far better in 2023 than it was in previous years. Don’t blame the year; Blame the shortage of chips for making these powerful consoles.