There needn’t be any doubts that Sony will release a PS5 Slim in the coming years. The Japanese company has constantly released a smaller and lighter revision of its home consoles – from the original PlayStation to the PS4, which capacity a PS5 Slim is absolutely a matter of when, and no longer if.
Sony will be searching to shave off a few inches and knock a couple of pounds off the PS5’s unique polarizing design, then, however, a PS5 Slim isn’t simply about attractive to customers who may additionally have been put off through the console’s gargantuan size.
Slim consoles are in actuality a cost-cutting exercise for companies. As manufacturing expenses begin to wane and greater efficient components are available, Sony will be in a position to create a smaller model of the PS5 that now not only costs much less to make, however, will supply the equal experience as its bulkier predecessor however in a significantly smaller package.
In fact, Sony has already started to trim down the PS5, at least internally. New models of the PS5 Digital Edition, CFI-1100B, is a whopping 300 grams lighter than the launch model was, and Sony even decided to change the screw that comes with the PS5’s stand, too. The console also has a redesigned heatsink, which resulted in a lighter system.
There are a few caveats to keep in mind when it comes to hardware revisions, though. Slim consoles can have a tendency to feel cheaper than launch models, which can sometimes be over-engineered. While that’s not always the case, sometimes the cost-savings can be felt, and sometimes features are even removed. The PS4 Slim, for example, removed the optical port which was found on the launch model.
Still, the smaller, lighter design of a PS5 Slim should outweigh most of the negatives a cheaper design can bring, and Sony will ultimately replace the original console design with its new model as it looks to maximize its profit margins during production.
If you’re interested in picking up a PS5 Slim, here’s everything you should expect to see from Sony’s slender new hardware revision.
PS5 SLIM PRICE AND RELEASE DATE
The PS5 Slim will likely be cheaper than the original PS5’s launch price of $499. We’d expect it to be around $100 cheaper, so $399, which was the launch price of the PS4. The original PS5 price tag of $499 will likely be replaced by the PS5 Pro, as was the case when the PS4 Pro was released.
It’s unclear whether Sony will release a PS5 Slim Digital Edition, but we’d expect it to follow the same pricing scheme as before, with a discount of $100 over the disc version. That could make Sony’s all-digital console incredibly appealing, but we’re not sure if Sony will pursue another digital model at this stage.
Historically, Sony tends to release a Slim version of its consoles three years after launch. This was the case with PS3 and PS4, while the PS2 Slim and PS One took four years and six years to arrive respectively. It’s likely, then, that a PS5 Slim could arrive sometime in 2023 or early 2024.
PS5 SLIM DESIGN
While it’s impossible to predict exactly how the PS5 Slim will look, we’re expecting a fairly drastic reduction in the console’s overall size and weight. It’s likely that the console’s design won’t stray too far from Sony’s original vision, so expect a smaller, more compact version of the PS5’s current design.
The PS5 is the biggest console Sony has ever made and can demand a fair bit of room in your home entertainment center, especially if you plan on placing it vertically. We’d love to see Sony do away with the stand completely for those who put the console on its side, and imagine it will be a lot shorter than the current PS5.Advertisement
Sony has already knocked 300 grams off the current PS5 models, but we’d also expect to see further improvements to the console’s hefty frame as it’s the second heaviest system Sony has made to date at 8.6 pounds, which is only a touch lighter than the PS3.
PS5 SLIM SPECS
The PS5 Slim will likely be identical from a technical perspective to the current PS5, but we have seen some Slim revisions get a slight performance boost. Microsoft improved the Xbox Series S’s performance ever so slightly, and Nintendo also added a bit more grunt to the New Nintendo 3DS which enabled it to play specific games. Sony hasn’t generally improved the hardware inside its Slim models, however, and with a PS5 Pro on the horizon, it wouldn’t make much sense.
Sony could increase the PS5 Slim’s storage, or at least offer two SKUs for those who want a bit more wiggle room when it comes to storing games. There’s also a chance that the console’s ports could change or move around, as we saw with the PS4 Slim which axed the optical port.
