Next year, the PS5 will be three years old. So the time is right for Sony, just like it did with previous generations of its console, to introduce the first major hardware redesign. In recent months, reports have begun to emerge about the PS5 Slim and its supposed characteristics, and now it is the Japanese company itself that anticipates surprises for next year.
In an interview with Famitsu, Hideaki Nishino, Senior Vice President of Platform Experience at Sony Interactive Entertainment, was asked about the possibility of seeing new models like the much-rumored PS5 Slim. Although the manager did not delve into specific details, he did hint that in 2023 we will have news in relation to this topic.
“I can’t go into details right now, but hopefully they’ll look forward to next year,” he said. This is the first time that such an important figure at Sony has spoken about it. From his words, we can almost take it for granted that in 2023 we will see the first major revision of the PS5. The question that remains in the air is: will it be only the PS5 Slim? Or also the Pro variant with greater features.
During the previous generation of consoles, both Sony and Microsoft took advantage of the mid-cycle of their hardware to present a more powerful console than the original version. In the case of the Japanese, however, the reception of the PS4 Pro was not entirely positive. In sales it fell short of expectations, and its performance fell behind its direct competition, the Xbox One X.
Sony will surely have learned from the mistakes made in the past so that, if they really intend to launch a PS5 Pro, they will not repeat them again. However, it is important to note that to date there have been no reports on the specifications of this hardware.
What we know about the PS5 Slim
Quite the opposite occurs with the PS5 Slim, from which several features have already been leaked. Last September, Tom Henderson, who has proven to be a reliable source in the video game industry, assured that the first redesign of the PlayStation 5 will have a removable disk drivethus allowing consumers to choose their preferred game format.
You might think that this is nothing new because Sony currently already has two versions of the PS5 to serve the same purpose. The difference is that, if people with the digital variant want to make the leap to the physical format, or take advantage of those games on disc that they already have, they must necessarily purchase the Standard Edition. With the PS5 Slim, however, they would only have to buy the reader unit.
Henderson added that this strategy will allow Sony to present a smaller and lighter design. Of course, in terms of performance, do not expect changes in the PS5 Slim.
Later, in mid-November, The Leaker noted that the PS5 Slim will enter production during the second quarter of 2023. Sony’s goal would be to put it for sale in the third quarter of the same year. Like Henderson, he commented that he will have a completely new and more compact exterior design. It would not even be necessary a support to place it in a vertical or horizontal position – as is the case with the current model. On the other hand, Sony would have managed to reduce energy consumption.
