The PS5 with new design, known unofficially as PS5 Slim, will debut this month in the United States and in the rest of the markets in the coming months. The new version would formally arrive on November 10, on the occasion of the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. However, one user has already put his hands on the precious device, and the comparison with the original model is surprising.
Photos of the original PS5 and the Slim variant side by side quickly went viral on X (Twitter). Images belonging to the user @phantompainss allow us to better appreciate the aesthetic changes, as well as the notable reduction in the size of the device.
The original publication appears to no longer be available, but the comparison between the two models has been republished by several other accounts on the social network. Now, how is it possible that a person has already accessed the PS5 Slim when it should only reach the public in the coming days? According to VGCthe new console was obtained through a store located on a military base.
Regardless of their origin, the images are more than eloquent about how much the PS5 Slim changes compared to the original model which was introduced at the end of 2020. Below you can see for yourselves:
The PS5 Slim and its notable reduction in size compared to the original
When Sony introduced the redesign of the PS5, it indicated that its volume would be reduced by 30% both in the version with a disc reader and in the digital one. Likewise, the weight would decrease 18% for the version with Blu-ray HD drive and a 24% for the variant without said component. Here you can see some tables with the main changes in the evolution of the device.
Be careful, just because the PS5 Slim is lighter does not mean that the Japanese had not worked to optimize this edge in the original model. In fact, the digital edition received at least two revisions – one in 2021 and the other in 2022 – that considerably lowered the weight thanks to the application of internal improvements. More specifically, shrinking the motherboard and redesigning the heatsink.
As we said at the beginning, Sony has chosen not to officially use the “PS5 Slim” moniker. The reason is quite clear: the new version will not coexist with the original for the remainder of the life cycle of this generation. Therefore, when the world stock of the first model runs out, both the disc and digital variants, the new console will remain the only available option.
Beyond the aesthetic change and its volume and weight, the most relevant thing about the PS5 Slim is the modular feature of the digital edition. This means that users can buy the disk drive separately and attach it whenever you want. This possibility has been very well received by the public and the press, although it has also given rise to controversy. Everything indicates that an internet connection will be mandatory to validate the authenticity of the peripheral when it is connected for the first time.