• News

Sony announces slimmer PS5 models ahead of 2023 holiday season

The upcoming PS5s are said to be 30 percent smaller and 18 to 24 percent lighter than the original models.

Donovan Erskine

October 10, 2023 9:25 AM

Sony Interactive Entertainment

4

As the current generation of gaming consoles approach their third anniversaries, it’s about time for some hardware refreshes. Sony is first to the punch, announcing a slim model of the PS5. This digital model has a smaller form factor, and sports an attachable disc drive. The new PS5 model will go on sale this November, and will eventually replace the launch PS5 entirely.

Sony announced the new PlayStation 5 model in a PlayStation Blog post today. The new model is quite similar to the standard PS5, but with a few key differences. For starters, Sony has officially axed the disc drive, at least as a built-in functionality. Now, the Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive is an extra piece of hardware that users can buy separately for $79.99 USD. The image below shows how the disc drive can be attached and removed from the console.

The new PS5 is also smaller overall compared to the original model. “The new PS5 has been reduced in volume by more than 30%, and weight by 18% and 24% compared to the previous models. There are four separate cover panels, with the top portion in a glossy look, while the bottom remains in matte.”

Interestingly enough, Sony has also confirmed that its new PS5 hardware refresh will eventually replace the launch PS5 console entirely. “Once inventory of the current PS5 model has sold out, the new PS5 will become the only model available.”

There had been rumors swirling that an updated version of the PS5 hardware was on the way, and there goes our official confirmation. The slim PS5 will cost $449.99 USD and is set to be released in November. This news comes just a month after the Xbox Series X’s upcoming hardware refresh was revealed in leaked Microsoft documents.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a young journalist from Maryland, who likes to game. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge Scream nerd and film fanatic that will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_