Earlier this month (at time of writing), Sony announced what many people had been waiting for: a mid-generation PS5 design refresh.
However, before you get too excited, there are a couple of caveats.
The new design’s internals aren’t meaningfully different, and if you happen to be in the USA and you want to get your hands on a new PS5, you’re going to be paying a little more, too.
So, what exactly is the new PS5 design? What can you expect from it, and how much will it cost? Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about Sony’s recently-announced PS5 refresh!
It’s the same PS5
First, let’s get one thing out of the way: this isn’t a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X arrangement in which the internals of the console meaningfully change.
Rather, the specs of the new PS5 are exactly the same. You won’t be able to get improved performance out of your machine if you pick up this new PS5.
This goes for both the digital and disc-based versions of the machine (although there have been some rather big changes in that department, which we’ll come onto in a moment).
The new design is smaller and slimmer
According to Sony, the new PS5’s volume has been reduced “by more than 30%”.
In addition, the weight of the console is now 18% less for the disc version and 24% less for the digital version.
As such, if you’ve been putting off buying a PS5 because of the size of the machine, you’ll be pleased to know that both the bulk and dimensions of the PS5 have been significantly reduced with this refresh.
The new PS5’s design has also changed slightly; it now boasts four different cover panels, with the top panels sporting a glossy look and the bottom panels going for a matte finish instead.
The new Digital Edition console can now also have a disc drive
The new PS5 Digital Edition refresh is now also compatible with a new detachable disc drive that Sony is planning to sell.
The drive will retail for £100 and will allow your Digital Edition machine to play Blu-ray discs, so you can pick up the Digital Edition now, then add a disc drive later if you think you’re going to need it.
Of course, the Disc Edition of the console already has a disc drive included, so if you’ve got a large physical media collection or you’re planning to build one, then you should probably opt for that model.
Both models have 1TB of storage
We always thought that the PS5’s 825GB storage drive had a rather strange size.
It seems that Sony agreed with us, as the new PS5 models have 1TB of storage, meaning that you can store more games and media before you start to fill the drive up.
Bear in mind that, just as with the original PS5 models, both the Disc and Digital Editions of the new console have identical storage capacities, so it doesn’t matter which one you buy when it comes to SSD size.
US customers are getting a price hike
If you’re in the US, we’ve got some bad news for you when it comes to how much you’re going to be paying for these new PS5 models.
Sony appears to have taken the opportunity of announcing this new PS5 model to also hike the price of the console’s Digital Edition in the USA, meaning that you’re now paying $449.99 rather than the original $399.99.
That’s without buying the optional disc drive attachment, too, which will set you back another $80, bringing your total to $529.99.
If you’re looking to save money, it’s definitely better to buy the Disc Edition, unless you know for a fact that you’re never planning to play any kind of physical media on your PS5.
The new consoles come with a horizontal stand
A horizontal stand, allowing you to orient your console on its side, will be available with the new PS5 model.
If you want to stand your console vertically, you’re going to need to fork out for a different stand model, which will cost you £24.99 in the UK.
This is a change from the previous PS5 stand, which was able to orient the console in both styles.
If you’re planning to buy the new PS5, then you might want to make sure you’ve got the room for it in your setup, unless you’re looking to spend a little extra on the vertical stand.
Given that the new consoles come with an entirely new stand, it’s likely the old PS5 stand won’t work with them, although Sony hasn’t confirmed this yet.
These models will eventually phase out the old PS5
Sony says that the new PS5 model is coming out in November in the US. It’ll then start to roll out globally over the next few months.
Once all of Sony’s current PS5 stock has sold out, the new PS5 model will become the only one available.
As such, Sony is intending to replace the old PS5 with the new one, suggesting that this is the new standard design going forward.
This is similar to the company’s strategy with both the PS3 and PS4; both previous-gen consoles were eventually supplanted by smaller models.
Different covers will be available
Sony has confirmed it’s also planning to sell different-coloured covers for the new PS5 models.
Colours will include Volcanic Red, Cobalt Blue, and all-matte Black, and they’ll start at £44.99, with additional colours being released in the future.
Summary
With many thinking well ahead, towards Sony’s next-gen future offerings, such as a PS6 – we still have plenty of excitement to come within the realms of PS5. This latest announcement showcases just that!
