PS5 Slim could be coming sooner than you think! Here’s how it will be different from PS5 Slim?
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It’s been three years since PS5 was released. Historically, Sony released the Slim versions of its consoles after three years of the release. PS4 Slim and PS3 Slim were released three years after PS4 and PS3. So PS5 Slim’s release is more likely to be as close as ever.
PS5 is a humongous console that takes up much space in your living room. A trimmed-down PS5 Slim could satisfy users’ need for a smaller gaming console.
Rumours suggest that Sony is working on a new version of PS5, which could offer
Sony could also be looking to launch PS5 Pro along with PS5 Slim. Let’s discuss PS5 Slim and how it compares with the standard PS5 and the PS5 Digital Edition.
PS5 Slim: Release Date
PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition have started to just become available on various channels and parts of the world. But, considering Sony’s past release schedule, we can expect PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro to launch in 2023 or early 2024.
While Sony has yet to say anything official about the release of PS5 Slim, Hideaki Nishino, SIE Platform Experience SVP, interviewed Famitsu, a Japanese publication. When asked about PS5 Pro, he said, “By the end of fiscal 2022, cumulative sales will exceed 37 million units, and we believe that it will be a very important time for the platform as well. I hope you will look forward to next year (2023).” He was hinting at a possible launch of PS5 Pro; if that’s launching, we can expect PS5 Slim to tag along with it.
Another report also suggested that Sony is working on a PS5 variant with a detachable disc drive which would be launching in 2023 itself.
PS5 Slim: Price
PS4 Slim was launched for $299, which was $100 less than the launch price of the original PS4.
We can also expect a similar pricing structure with the PS5 Slim. PS5 was launched for $499, while the PS5 Digital Edition came for $399. If a PS5 Slim is coming, it should be either similarly priced to PS5 Digital Edition, or it should be priced lower than that, as Sony might choose to replace PS5 with PS5 Pro and PS5 Digital Edition with PS5 Slim.
PS5 Slim vs PS5
PS5 was launched in two versions, the standard PS5 and the disc-less PS5 Digital Edition. PS4 Slim and PS3 Slim came with disc drives, but there’s a chance PS5 Slim could launch without a disc drive and could replace the existing PS5 Digital Edition models.
As Sony would be releasing PS5 Pro along with the PS5 Slim, the chance of the company offering the PS5 Pro in two versions, one with a disc drive and one without, and also releasing a PS5 Slim on two different versions is pretty slim. Sony would be looking to maintain a simple product portfolio for PlayStation. It would mean PS5 Pro and PS5 Slim replace the standard PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition.
But, if Sony does choose to offer PS5 Pro in two models, a standard PS5 Pro and a disc-less PS5 Pro Digital Edition, PS5 Slim could sit below it and be offered at an even more aggressive price.
PS5 Slim vs PS5: Design
Now, comparing PS5 and PS5 Slim, the main difference would be the design. PS4 Slim, when launched, offered a more sleek design that was thinner than the original PS4. We can expect something similar from PS5 Slim, a slimmer and sleeker PS5. PS5 is hefty, and chopping it down would make it a much better fit for most living rooms.
But how exactly PS5 Slim would look is hard to predict. Sony could make a similar design for PS5 Slim as that of PS5, but it could also go for a different style to cram all the internal components at a smaller form factor. At this point, we can only wait for the official teasers to come to know more about the design of the PS5 Slim.
PS5 Slim vs PS5: Specifications
PS4 and PS4 Slim shared the same CPU and GPU. We could expect a similar pattern with PS5 and PS5 Slim.
PS5 came with a custom AMD CPU based on Zen 2 cores. The CPU comes with 8X Zen 2 Cores at 3.5GHz. The GPU is a custom AMD RDNA 2 GPU with a 10.3 TFLOPS peak and variable frequency of up to 2.23 GHz. It came with 16GB GDDR6 RAM and had a custom internal SSD of 825 GB. It also has an NVMe SSD slot for expandable storage and supports USB HDD for external storage.
We can expect the exact specifications to be put together in a slim form factor in PS5 Slim. PS5 Slim aims to replace PS5 in the market while PS5 Pro takes centre stage.
Should You Wait For PS5 Slim Or Buy A PS5 Now?
As we discussed, PS5 Slim would essentially be a repackaged PS5. We currently have no confirmation on whether or not Sony will launch the PS5 Slim this year.
Despite being three years old, PS5 stocks have been hard to find until recently, owing to the chip shortages causing supply issues. It could mean PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro would take longer than expected to arrive at the market.
But the question you might be facing is, do I need to wait for PS5 Slim? Can’t I just get PS5 or PS5 Digital Edition right now instead?
If you’re waiting for PS5 Slim, that could be because of the lower pricing that you’re expecting. But PS5 Digital Edition already offers the console at a lower price than the standard PS5.
Even if PS5 Slim is launched, it might not have a disc drive and would opt for a digital-only format like the Digital Edition of PS5. PS5 Slim could also be priced similarly to the PS5 Digital Edition or close to the pricing of the Digital Edition.
If you’re waiting for an upgrade from PS5, PS5 Slim won’t possibly offer it. You need to be on the lookout for PS5 Pro instead.
PS5 Pro would be coming with an upgraded CPU and GPU, offering better performance and possibly 4K 60FPS gaming as well. It could even support 8K gaming as the TV market progresses towards 8K TVs.
