The highly anticipated PlayStation 5 Slim, which is scheduled to release this holiday season, has been finally announced by Sony officially.
Sid Shuman, Senior Director, SIE Content Communications, stated that Sony developed this new PS5 “to address the evolving needs of players” in a post on the PlayStation Blog.
He further added that the new PlayStation 5 will feature the same technology that makes the PS5 the best in the business, only packed in a smaller form. It will also have an attachable Disc Drive along with increased internal storage.
PlayStation 5 Slim Release
Beginning in November of this year, “selected local retailers” will sell the new PS5 Digital Edition and PS5 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive. In the United States, it will be available at a few local stores and at direct.playstation.com. However, the consoles will also be sold through the official PlayStation store from November 3, 2023.
Sony has simply stated that the new PS5s would “roll out globally in the following months” and there is still no information available regarding a release date for the new PS5s internationally.
PlayStation 5 Slim prices
The PS5 Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive will retail for $499 in the United States, €550 in Europe, £480 in the United Kingdom, and AU$799.95 in Australia. The PS5 Digital Edition will cost $449 in the United States, €450 in Europe, £390 in the United Kingdom, and AU$679.95 in Australia.
The cost of the PS5 has not increased in Europe or the United Kingdom following price increases in both locations last year. However, the PS5 Digital Edition’s pricing has increased by $50 from its $399 launch price in the United States. But for the money, you get a thinner console with 175GB more storage space and the ability to add an optical drive.
While all PS5 consoles from Sony will come with a horizontal stand in the box, a new vertical stand will be sold separately for $30 (AU$49.95). Additionally for $80 in the United States, €120 in Europe, £100 in the U.K., and AU$159.95 in Australia, an Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive for the Digital Edition of the new PS5 will be offered separately.
PlayStation 5 Slim specifications
The volume of the new PS5 has been decreased by more than 30%, and the digital console is now 18% lighter than the disc drive variant. The design of both versions of this new system has changed significantly, but the major alteration is that there are now four cover panels, as compared to just two on the PS5, with two on each side.
The cover panel on the bottom right side of the console may be removed from the new PS5 Digital Edition and replaced with the new Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive now. An extra console cover will also probably be included with the add-on disc drive because the original won’t be broad enough once the drive is added, though Sony hasn’t confirmed this.
Except for the addition of a larger 1TB SSD, the new PS5’s internal specifications are basically unaltered.
The console will continue to come with an AMD Ryzen Zen 2 CPU and 16GB of GDDR6 memory. The new PS5 won’t receive an upgrade to its Wi-Fi either.
PlayStation 5 Slim pre-order
Top retail establishments will allow you to register your email address to be notified when pre-orders start, and Sony is presently accepting sign-ups for a limited pre-order phase. PlayStation 5 Slim can be pre-ordered at the following destinations:
- Amazon- PS5, PS5 Digital Edition, and DualSense Wireless Controller.
- Best Buy – PS5, PS5 Digital Edition, DualSense Wireless Controller, and other accessories.
- GameStop – PS5, PS5 Digital Edition, DualSense Wireless Controller, Advanced PlayStation 5 System Bundle (PS5, DualSense Wireless Controller, 1 Year PS Plus, Destruction All Stars, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Launch Edition), and Advanced PlayStation 5 Digital System Bundle (PS5 Digital Edition, DualSense Wireless Controller, DualSense Charging Station, 1 Year PS Plus, $100 for PlayStation Store).
- Target – PS5, PS5 Digital Edition, and DualSense Wireless Controller.
- Walmart – PS5, PS5 Digital Edition, and Peripherals.
The PlayStation Slim is a welcome addition for many while being a not-so-welcome addition for the rest. We can only hope that the price of the slim version simmers down to make it distinct from the PS5.