Sony Announces the PS5 Slim Coming Later this Year
In an out-of-nowhere reveal, Sony have finally announced the heavily rumoured PlayStation 5 Slim- which is set to launch later this year. This was shown in a new PlayStation Blog post, which outlines the improvements to the console by making it lighter, smaller, and still perfectly functional. When you first take a look at the console, the changes from the original PS5 may not be all that apparent, but there are some important changes that make this a sight step up. As a result this may potentially the product to buy if you still haven’t got your hands on the PS5 three years after release.
Image by PlayStation
In the blog, Sony confirmed that the slimmer PS5 will be 30% smaller in volume and 18% lighter compared to the original. While nothing life changing, it is nice to see PlayStation working on making the chunky PS5 as small as possible without compromising on power. Speaking of, this rendition of the console is actually an improvement in terms of storage space. While not a huge step up from the 800GB from the original, its still a noticeable increase for when you want to cram as much as you can into the system without shelling out for pricey SSD solutions that can cost hundreds of pounds.
Image by PlayStation
One important note is that Sony are introducing this refresh for both the PlayStation 5 disc and PlayStation 5 digital versions. This means that, if you’re not interested in purchasing a console with the ability to play physical games, you can still pick up the digital edition for a substantial £90 price cut. What makes this digital version different from 2020s variation, however, is the ability to attach an ‘Ultra HD Blu-Ray Disc Drive for £99.99, which will allow you to play discs on the digital version of the console. This, while pricey, is a great option for those who may but the console but then discover that they want to collect physical games. With this, they don’t have to shell out for a completely new PS5.
Image by PlayStation
Unfortunately, it appears that this disc drive won’t retroactively work with the older digital only PS5s that launched in 2020- meaning you’ll have to buy a completely new console if you play on playing physical games. Still, this shows that Sony are still dedicated to physical media- and are even taking steps to ensure that everybody can play discs if they so choose. Since this is a refresh and not just a new model, once the older PlayStation 5’s have run out of stock, these will be the only new ones available to purchase. So, if you really want the chunky version of the console but still haven’t bought it, make sure to grab yours quick before they get phased out in November- which is when the new models are set to be introduced.
