As part of a storied history of mid-generation console tweaks, Sony announced its PS5 Slim three years into its PS5 lifecycle as a hardware replacement for the original PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition right before the holiday season.
The PS5 Slim is a new, slightly smaller version of the PS5 with a neat detachable disc drive feature. While Sony claims the overall volume of t he PS5 Slim is 30% less than the original PS5, the size and weight difference is harder to eyeball given the new side bulge that accompanies the PS5 Slim with removable disc drive.
As part of the PS5’s new trick, the bulge-inducing disc drive can be removed and replaced with one of four new cover panel options. The adaptability of the PS5 Slim allows customers to also purchase a Blu-ray disc drive separately for $79.99 (€119.99 / £99.99)
Sony has also gone and updated the port selection on the PS5 Slim with dual USB-C replacing the single USB-C and USB-A configuration from 2020 models. Customers will also be gifted with a horizontal stand in the box while having to come out of pocket $29.99 (€29.99 / £24.99 GBP) to get the more desirable new vertical stand.
Sony fans hoping for a less expensive mid-generation refresh of the PS5 will have to continue to wait as the new PS5 Slim will cost $449.99 for a model without a disc drive and $499.99 with one.
According to Sony’s senior director of content communications, the plan is to roll out the new PS5 Slim in November in the US with select retailers as well as its own directplaystation.com sit, and eventually seeding the console to other international markets in the following months with pricing in the UK already leaked at £479.99 with the drive or £389.99.
- U.S.
- PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – 499.99 USD
- PS5 Digital Edition – 449.99 USD
- Europe
- PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – 549.99 EUR
- PS5 Digital Edition – 449.99 EUR
- U.K.
- PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – 479.99 GBP
- PS5 Digital Edition – 389.99 GBP
- Japan
- PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive – 66,980 JPY (includes tax)
- PS5 Digital Edition – 59,980 JPY (includes tax)
Due to the high volume of sales for the original PS5 basically stripping product availability, the new PS5 Slim is meant to be the modular replacement of the older console, as the default purchasing option.
