Heres what a PS5 Slim could mean for the current console generation

Date:
Tue, 08 Nov 2022 14:04:34 +0000

Description:
Its been reported that a PS5 Slim could be coming in 2023, with the console revision featuring a removable disc drive.

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The long-rumored PS5 Slim is reportedly going to be released in 2023, making Sonys console much more compact. However, even if these reports turn out to
be true, we need to manage our expectations for the hardware.

Weve been hearing about a PS5 Slim since nearly as long as weve been able to buy a PS5 , but according to an anonymous source speaking to The Leak , the compact console will be released in 2023 and will feature a die shrink treatment for a smaller silicon board boasting the same capabilities as the larger console itself. This will mean that not only could the console be smaller and lighter, but also potentially cooler as it would require less voltage.

Rather than release a slim version of the PS5 disc drive model and the All Digital Edition, the PS5 Slim will feature a detachable disc drive, according to a separate report by Insider Gaming . This would save Sony from needing to sell different variants of the console, it could sell a single PS5 model with an optional disc drive attachment.

The removable disc drive would connect to the system through an additional USB-C port on the rear of the machine, and could be purchased separately from the base unit itself, the reported sources say. This would, in theory, give buyers a cheaper all-digital option with the ability to play physical games down the line. Will we see a PS5 Slim in 2023?

Its worth remembering that the PS5 originally launched just shy of two years ago on November 12, 2020. However, the semiconductor shortage and manufacturing delays on a whole due to the pandemic have heavily impacted the systems availability. Despite these setbacks, Sony says its sold over 25 million units since launch.

Supply for the PS5 appears to be in a much stronger place now than at any other point in the consoles two-year run. In September, PS5 restocks greatly improved with a 400% year-on-year increase , shipping over 7 million units in that month alone, the largest amount on record at this point. Considering
that the console received an internal redesign, complete with motherboard alterations this month, it shows that availability could be healthier. (Image credit: Austin Evans / YouTube)

Popular hardware YouTube analyst Austin Evans unveiled that newer versions of the system featured a smaller motherboard with a revised cooling heatsink
with no changes to the externals of the console itself. This means that we could see this board, or a smaller revision of it, featured in the PS5 Slim
as the components are already in use in the system as a whole. What is the
PS5 Slims place in the market?

If we look back at previous hardware revisions in the PlayStation line, then
a PS5 Slim would certainly make sense in 2023. Its worth remembering that theres usually a three-year gap between major reworks of the systems themselves. This was true of the PS4 to the PS4 Slim, with the former
released in November 2013 and the latter hitting the shelves in September 2016.

Looking back further, the PS3 launched in November 2006 and three years
later, in September 2009, Sony released the PS3 slim. The full-fat version of the console was released at a monstrously expensive $599 (425 / $999 AUD),
and largely stunned early adopters due to overheating problems with the dreaded yellow light of death.

Sony fixed those problems with the PS3 Slim and introduced a cheaper price point. This is when the PS3 really became competitive with Microsofts Xbox 360, as the consoles relaunch saw a 1000% sales increase, outselling the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360, which it had previously struggled behind,
according to The Guardian s sources from that time. Will the PS5 Slim be cheaper and more available?

The PS5 Slim is reported to launch in Q3 2023, so sometime between July and September. Based on previous launches, September seems most likely, thats
when Sony released the PS3 Slim and PS4 Slim. If the rumor of the removable disk drive is true, you would hope that the console would be cheaper to reflect that.

Traditionally, Sonys slim consoles have launched at lower prices than the original consoles. The PS4 Slim was released at $299 (259 / $439 AUD). The
PS3 Slim was a full $300 less than the $599 launch price, and it came with more internal storage and used less power than the original As to whether or not the PS5 Slim will be more affordable remains to be seen.

With stock in such short supply, theres been no need for retailers to provide PS5 deals or discounts over the last two years, in fact, the PS5 has even
gone up in price due to what the company states as a changing global economic environment and high inflation rates.

Were hoping that the Black Friday PS5 deals could help take the sting out of the price of investment, this is the first year where PS5 stock shortages
seem to be less of an issue so there will potentially be savings on console bundles, games, and accessories.

The price increase means the PS5 is more expensive in regions such as the UK, Japan, Australia, Europe, and Canada, with North American pricing remaining unchanged for now. As a frame of reference, the console went from 449.99 to 479.99 in the UK.

Thats an increase of 30 (a percentage increase of 6.66%). Given the fact that the new PS5 Slim is likely to use the 1200 motherboard, or something smaller, we would hope the price is lower than the full-size PS5 but there are no guarantees that Sony wont keep the price high. Netflix's Gears of War movie will only work with one big change



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/heres-what-a-ps5-slim-could-mean-for-the-curren t-console-generation/


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