The PlayStation 5 Slim has finally been released, continuing Sony's trend of releasing a thinner hardware revision for each PlayStation generation, dating all the way back to the PS1. This sleeker model significantly reduces the silhouette of the PS5 system while retaining the power of the base model.
The revised console, announced via the official PlayStation Blog, is gradually replacing the base PS5 model entirely, and began appearing on store shelves last November right when the Holiday season came calling. Now that PS5 Slims are out in a retail capacity, it'll likely be the model you see most often if you're shopping for the console for the first time.
The PS5 Slim revision is just as powerful as the base model, and it retains the same price point. However, it is much slimmer, has a slightly more appealing design, and provides an option to purchase a detachable Ultra HD Blu-Ray disc drive to the PS5 Digital Edition. Read on, then, to learn everything you need to know about the PS5 Slim.
PS5 Slim: price
The PS5 Slim comes in at exactly the original model's price of $499.99 / £479.99 / AU$799.95, in line with the previous PS5 price hike. Alternatively, the PS5 Slim Digital Edition will also be available at a cheaper $449.99 / £389.99 / AU$679.95. Again, this is in line with the original Digital Edition's price point.
Sony is also offering an Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive, sold separately, for those who buy the PS5 Slim Digital Edition and would like the option to upgrade to use physical media in the future. The disc drive clocks in at $79.99 / £99.99 / AU$159.95, making it much cheaper to buy in the US than it is in the UK.
Additionally, owners will also be able to purchase a new vertical stand that's compatible with PS5 models old and new. This'll retail for $29.99 / £24.99 / AU$49.95. The new consoles do, however, come bundled with a horizontal stand if you were concerned about scratching it against a surface.
Those looking for where to buy PS5 Slim should head over to our dedicated page which has all the info on the latest stock in the US, UK and other regions.
PS5 Slim: design
According to the official PlayStation Blog post (linked above), the new PS5 Slim "has been reduced in volume by more than 30%, and weight by 18% and 24% compared to the previous models." There's now four cover panels, too, as opposed to just two. The top two feature a more glossy finish, contrasting against the matte finish of the bottom panels.
This subdivision of panels is made to facilitate the new detachable disc drive design. You'll also still be able to insert the best SSDs for PS5, as the updated consoles continue to support M.2 NVMe SSDs.
PS5 Slim: specs
Besides the new size, weight and panels, specs for the PS5 Slim models remains almost exactly the same as the original models. That means the same RDNA 2-based GPU and support for Tempest 3D Audio tech as well as Dolby Atmos.
One important change to note, though, is that the original's 825GB of accessible storage has been upgraded to 1TB, meaning extra space has been added to offset the install size of the console's operating system upon first boot.
PS5 Slim - FAQs
Should I buy a PS5 Slim?
The PS5 Slim costs the same as the original model at $499 / £449 price tag. But if you've yet to purchase a PS5 at all, then it's certainly worth purchasing the slimmer model as it's equally as powerful as the base PS5, and offers options like a detachable disc drive should you wish to use physical discs.
When will the PS5 have a Slim model?
The PS5 Slim is available right now. Sony never really provided an official release date for the revision, but it did begin cropping up at storefronts like Walmart and Best Buy around the big Holiday sales periods last year.
Get the full PS5 experience with the best PS5 headsets, as well as the best SSDs for PS5 to be able to download a wealth of titles from the PS Plus Game Catalog.
