New look PS5 console launches next month

Sony is set to launch its new look PS5 console for the busy holiday season. The company revealed today that the new ‘slimline’ PlayStation will hit shelves in US distributors come November, with a global release coming in the following months.

Similar to the standard PS5 system, the new console will be accessible in both disc and digital-only edition models. However, Sony has assured fans that the new model will have an upgrade option available for players who purchase the digital version first but want to add disc playability in the future.

The new model comes with 1TB of storage and provides an option to add an Ultra HD Blu-Ray Disc Drive to the PS5 digital version for the price of $80. In regards to its size, the smaller PS5 design is said to be 8% slimmer and 8% shorter, with a depth reduction of 17%. Compared to the previous system, this is around a 30% reduction in volume.

The smaller design doesn’t translate into a smaller price tag though. In both the UK and across broader Europe, prices for the PS5 have already increased in the last year. The retail price for both redesigned versions will launch at the same price as the standard PlayStation 5.

In the United States, the disc-drive version will retail at the same selling price of $500 that the standard PlayStation 5 has sold for since it launched in 2020. The new digital-only system, on the other hand, is set to rise by $50, for a retail price of $450.

Japanese gamers will see the biggest price hikes of the console thanks to the recent struggles of the yen. Sony has already increased each version’s price last year by ¥5,000. The disc-equipped system will see its retail price increase by another ¥12,000, while the price of the digital-only model will rise by ¥15,000.

As a somewhat surprising revelation, Sony also confirmed in its announcement that the original PS5 models will be discontinued and will no longer be available to buy once current the crop of consoles is sold out.

The following is the list of the regional retail prices for the new PS5 system:
United States
– PS5 with Ultra Blu-ray Disc Drive – 499.99 USD
– PS5 Digital edition – 449.99 USD

United Kingdom
– PS5 with Ultra Blu-ray Disc Drive – 479.99 GBP
– PS5 Digital edition – 389.99 USD

Europe
– PS5 with Ultra Blu-ray Disc Drive – 549.99 EUR
– PS5 Digital edition – 449.99 EUR

Japan
– PS5 with Ultra Blu-ray Disc Drive – 66,980 JPY (Including tax)
– PS5 Digital edition – 59,980 JPY (Including tax)

The new PS5 system will come with a horizontal stand included. A new vertical stand compatible with all PS5 versions will also be released and sold separately for 29.99 USD | 24.99 GBP | 29.99 EUR | 3,980 JPY.