Microsofthas inadvertently revealed thatSonyis working on aPlayStation 5Slim for release later this year. With the base console having launched almost three years ago at the time of writing, I suppose this level of hardware revision is to be expected. But now more than ever, it just isn’t necessary. There aren’t enough games, technical or monetary reasons for us to upgrade, but that won’t stop Sony from convincing us otherwise. Do not be fooled.
The document in question (viaIGN) claims that a PS5 Slim will be released later this year for $399.99, which for the record is the same price currently assigned to the digital PS5 without a disc drive. It stands to reason that this will either be phased out entirely or the rumoured Slim boasts a handful of unknown features. Patents have hinted at removable disc drives, SSDs, and similar modular features that go far beyond what consoles are normally capable of, but perhaps Sony is finally willing to have that conversation with us.
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We shouldn’t listen, and need to look at exactly what the PS5 has achieved during its time on the market and whether a mid-generation successor is even needed. Right now, I’m not convinced, sinceexclusive offerings on the console remain in the single digitswhile little has been done to take full advantage of its horsepower. Aside from the occasional gem likeFinal Fantasy 16orRatchet and Clank: Rift Apart, unique experiences are infrequent as I spend more time playing old PS4 games than anything else.
A console whose primary purpose is to play old games isn’t in need of an upgrade, no matter how much viral marketing would like to convince you otherwise. I’ll admit the PS5 is a bulky machine, and it’s taken gamers months to adjust to its dominant white stature, but its size has become part of its charm. New faceplates and other customisable aspects have been released to embrace what I once considered a shortcoming, and it would feel foolish to throw that away in favour of a smaller machine that only serves to complicate the market.
Chances are that now things have normalised and shortages aren’t as brutal, Sony has discovered cheaper and more efficient ways to produce the console that incentivise a new model. But not for consumers, many of which haven’t had their PS5 for very long because for years they were so difficult to find. Now you’re asking them to consider an all new model, which is little more than a blatant symptom of corporate greed that fails to understand how much the market has changed. It’s hardly a surprise, considering Sony is so stuck in the past.
Console revisions used to be far more necessary when we didn’t exist in a digital era which revolves largely around service-based ecosystems. Microsoft appears to understand all the progress we’ve made as it continues supporting theXbox Series Xand models of theSeries Soutfitted with additional memory. you’re able to also play on your laptops, tablets, phones, along with similar devices with control methods specially designed to work with them. It’s a flawed approach with plenty of teething issues, but at least it’s willing to make mistakes in service of the future. Sony doesn’t seem interested in this with its hubris-laden blockbuster exclusives and console it believed deserves a revision when the original is yet to prove its own worth.
When the way we consume, talk about, and interact with games is changing so much, all the consoles we play them on must do the same. I’m not sure whether console generations will stick around for the next couple of decades or if something entirely new will rear its head, since right now a console revision of any kind feels like it’s either coming too soon or doesn’t feel needed at all. I’m happy with how my PS5 plays, looks, and feels - and I’m not ready for Sony to suddenly tell me I need to upgrade merely to fill its coffers. Get your gaming output in order before you start claiming we need a new machine to play them on.
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