Sony’s PS5 is a divisive machine, with some people liking the bold two-tone design, and others finding it to be a big and ungainly console that could do with some slimming down. Thankfully, that's now happening in the form of a new slimmer PS5 — though Sony isn't outright calling it the PS5 Slim.
Instead, as Sony explains in a blog post, the console will now be known simply as the ‘new PS5’. Despite being 18% lighter for the Digital console and 24% lighter for the Disc drive model. Its internals remain largely unchanged, though the console will now feature a 1TB SSD instead of the 825GB SSD that shipped with the launch PS5.
One of the main rumors that did turn out to be true though is that this new PS5 redesign will come with an external disc drive. Yes, that’s right, you’ll no longer have to choose between a standard PS5 with an optical drive or the PS5 Digital Edition. Instead, you can buy the cheaper digital edition and then add an Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive to it later on if you decide you want to play physical games.
While Sony didn’t make that many changes under the hood with these updated PS5 consoles, here’s everything you need to know about the new PS5 Slim including where you can buy one for yourself.
Where to buy the PS5 Slim
PS5 Slim release date
The new PS5 Digital Edition and PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive is on sale now at "select local retailers" in the United States, including the official PlayStation store. But only with the disc drive. The Digital version of the console appears to be missing at the time of writing.
Right now American gamers can pick up the console by itself, or as part of two separate bundles — each costing $499 and coming with either Spider-Man 2 or Modern Warfare 3.
There's no word on an international release yet, with Sony only telling us the console will “roll out globally in the following months”.
PS5 Slim price and accessories
The PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive will cost $499 in the U.S., €550 in Europe, £480 in the U.K. and AU$799.95 in Australia, and the PS5 Digital Edition will sell for $449 in the U.S., €450 in Europe, £390 in the U.K. and for AU$679.95 in Australia.
In the U.S. you can also pick up the console as part of a bundle, with either Modern Warfare 3 or Spider-Man 2. So far those bundles have the same $499 price tag.
In Europe and the U.K., the PS5’s price remains unchanged after both regions experienced a PS5 price hike last year. However, there is a price hike in the U.S. with the PS5 Digital Edition as it’s going up by $50 from its launch price of $399. For the price though, you are getting a slimmer console with 175GB of extra storage space and the option to add an optical drive down the line.
For those who prefer to have their console positioned vertically instead of horizontally, you will also need to purchase a separate stand. While the new PS5 will come with a horizontal stand in the box, a new Vertical Stand compatible with all of Sony’s PS5 consoles will be available for $30 / AU$49.95.
It looks a bit better than the original vertical/horizontal stand that was included with the launch PS5 thanks to its new design which features plastic in the middle with a metal ring on the outside. Still though, it would have been nice to see this included with the console instead of sold separately as an add-on.
If you like add-ons, an Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive for the Digital Edition of the new PS5 is available separately for $80 in the U.S., €120 in Europe, £100 in the U.K. and AU$159.95 in Australia.
Although it will still be cheaper to buy the Disc drive model outright, the fact that an optical drive can be purchased after the fact is a nice addition to prevent buyer’s remorse with the Digital Edition of the new PS5. You will end up paying slightly more if you go down this route than you would if you purchased a console with a disc drive from the get-go.
We've also learned that an internet connection will be required to pair Sony's new Disc Drive with the PS5 Slim. For most users, this likely won't be a problem but for those without access to a stable internet connection, it could pose an issue. We also have concerns about the PS5 Slim's longevity as Sony could disable the servers required to verify the Disc Drive in the future.
Once again, PS5 Console Covers are making a return and Sony says that ones for this new model will be available early next year. when those covers arrive, there will be an all-matte Black colorway for sale along with the Deep Earth Collection colors in Volcanic Red, Cobalt Blue, and Sterling Silver.
These new PS5 Console Covers will start at $55 in the U.S., €55 in Europe and £45 in the U.K. with additional colors slated to be released in the future.
PS5 Slim design and specs
The new PS5 has been reduced in volume by more than 30% and the Digital console is now 18% lighter while the Disc drive model is 24% lighter. However, the biggest change in terms of the design of both versions of this new console is that there are now four cover panels with two on each side as opposed to just two on the launch PS5.
With the Digital Edition of the new PS5, the cover panel on the bottom right side of the console can be removed and the new Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive can be added in its place. While Sony has yet to confirm this, the add-on disc drive will likely come with a spare console cover since the original won’t be wide enough once you add the drive.
The rest of the internal specs for the new PS5 remain largely unchanged except for the addition of a larger 1TB SSD. The console will still ship with 16GB of GDDR6 memory and a Ryzen Zen 2 CPU from AMD. Likewise, the new PS5 isn’t getting a Wi-Fi upgrade either and you’re still stuck with Wi-Fi 6 as opposed to the newer Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 standards. This is a bit of a shame as Microsoft’s Brooklin version of the Xbox Series X will be getting faster Wi-Fi.
Here are the full specs of both the Digital Edition as well as the Disc edition of the new PS5:
| Header Cell - Column 0 | New PS5 | New PS5 Digital Edition |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $499, €550, £480 | $449, €450, £390 |
| Processor | Custom AMD Zen 2, 8-core / 16 threads, 3.5GHz | Custom AMD Zen 2, 8-core / 16 threads, 3.5GHz |
| GPU | AMD RDNA 2, 10.3 teraflops, 2.23 GHz | AMD RDNA 2, 10.3 teraflops, 2.23 GHz |
| Ram | GDDR6 16GB | GDDR6 16GB |
| Storage | 1TB SSD | 1TB SSD |
| Disc drive | Ultra HD Blu-ray, up to 100GB/disc | Optional add-on |
| Video out | 4K, 120Hz | 4K, 120Hz |
| Ports | 1 x USB Type C (front), 2 x USB Type A, 1 x gigabit Ethernet, 1 x HDMI (rear) | 1 x USB Type C (front), 2 x USB Type A, 1 x gigabit Ethernet, 1 x HDMI (rear) |
| Networking | Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6 | Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6 |
Interestingly enough, when Sony first announced the PS5 Slim, it didn't include a side by side shot of it next to the original PS5. But now that the console is out in the world, it looks like the new machine is slightly smaller. Not by much, but enough that it may be able to fit in spaces that are too tight for the original models.
PS5 Slim outlook
The new, slimmer PS5 will completely replace the launch versions of the console once the current stock has sold out. If you own the Standard PS5 or the Digital Edition, now would be a good time to stock up on any accessories as I doubt Sony will continue making Console Covers for these consoles once they’re discontinued.
As for those new to the PS5, November now looks like the perfect time to pick up Sony’s current-gen console as you’re getting a much slimmer machine with a larger 1TB SSD and the option to add or remove its disk drive. These new PS5 Slim consoles will no doubt fit much better in your current entertainment center while taking up significantly less space in smaller homes and apartments.
We’ll likely find out more about these new PS5 consoles as well as how easy the optional disc drive is to install/remove once we get closer to launch. Stay tuned for all of the latest coverage on the PS5 Slim as well as the rumored PS5 Pro which could bring the kinds of upgrades to Sony’s console many have been hoping for.
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