Millions of people all over the world (myself included) love their PS5, which is why it's bananas that Sony hasn't released a mid-generation refresh of its hardware yet. Launching in November 2020, the standard Ps5 is still the only model on the market (although you can choose between having a disc drive or going full digital).
But will that be the case for much longer? Pretty much since the console originally launched, talk has been about its successor. No not a PS6, but a PS5 Pro or PS5 slim. It's this speculated skinny model that we will be focusing on, and we might be in luck very soon.
PS5 Slim rumoured release date
First of all, let's just stress that officially the PS5 Slim is not even confirmed to exist, let alone have a release date. Between you and me however, all signs point to a holiday 2023 launch (Christmas time).
It's been thought since last year that 2023 would be the year of the diet PS5 with industry experts anticipating a 2023 Q3 release. We recently saw a rare PlayStation 5 sale in July for Prime Day, and considering it was previously difficult to even get a console at full price, I think this might be a sign of Sony trying to shift old stock.
Sony has recent precedent too, with the PS4 Pro being released pretty much exactly 3 years after the console's original launch, meaning we should cross our fingers for November.
How much will the PS5 Slim cost?
Good question. The PS5 launched at £450 / $490 / AU$749 for the disc drive edition and the price actually increased during 2022 (everywhere except the US) including a massive 20% jump in Japan. Prices seem to have settled down a bit now and the recent Prime Day sales saw some drop comfortably below £400.
If as I suspect, the slim model replaces the original PS5, I reckon the price will be similar to the £450 launch price or if it doesn't have a disk drive then just under £400.
Design: How slim will the PS5 Slim be?
We haven't got too much specifically to go on just yet but a leaked video seems to suggest a couple of differences between the slim and regular console. For a start, it looks like it will be capable of being held in one hand. Don't try this with a normal PS5, you'll break either it or your arm. It also seems to have two USB-C ports on the front compared to the usual one.
There's also a lot of speculation that it will feature a detachable disk drive which would help when taking it on the go. We would love to see the new design combat the overheating that can be common with the PS5.
If you're looking for upgraded performance, it's unlikely to come from this console, perhaps waiting for a PS5 Pro is your best bet.
