Game news We have the PS5 Slim and we tested it for you. Should you resell your PS5 Fat?
After months of rumors and an official announcement in October, the “PS5 Slim” is now a reality and we received it at the editorial office… But then, what is it worth? Here is our verdict.
For a more in-depth verdict on the PS5 Slim, a test will soon be available on JV TECH.
Today, the PS5 is losing weight! Starting in November in the United States and over the coming months in the rest of the world – including France -, Sony is rolling out “a new model” of its console with more than 45 million copies sold. Here, the imposing stature of the object has been scaled down, with a volume reduced by 30% and a weight which decreases by 18%-24% depending on the model. A redesign that does good, which is accompanied by a major new feature: a removable disk drive to turn your digital PS5 into a standard one. Another good point is that there is now more storage. In France, at certain resellers, it will be available for sale from this Friday, November 24.
One PS5 to rule them all:
This “new model” of PS5 is intended to completely replace the original version… Sony explains it in a press release: “once stocks of the current PS5 are exhausted, the new PS5 will become the only edition available”. For the Japanese firm, the ‘ultimate’ goal is to have a lighter machine, easier to produce (thanks to the removable disk drive) and to ship.
- See all PS5s available on Amazon
- See all the PS5s available at Fnac
- See all PS5s available at Cdiscount
- See all PS5s available at Auchan
Price, size, weight: basic information
Let’s start with the basic information! The “PS5 Slim” – its unofficial nickname – will be released this month at same price as standard editions | current digital: €549.99 for one, €449.99 for the other. In the first case, the removable disk drive is included by default, in the second case, it is possible to add it by purchasing it separately, at the price of €119.99. Basically, if you decide to upgrade to the standard version after the fact, the final bill will be €570 – that’s €20 more than the one-piece Blu-ray console. It should also be noted that the base allowing the machine to be placed vertically, included in the original pack, is now sold separately at €29.99. If you’re ever wondering, no, the original base is not compatible with the PS5 Slim – but the new one is backwards compatible with the PS5 Fat. Finally, if you wish to place your console horizontally, this can be done using two small stands integrated into the bundle. To install them, simply slide them into the notch on the right front panel. It’s simple, with a pretty solid finish.
What to carry a PlayStation now less heavy | massive. As mentioned above, the PS5 gains finesse here. On the standard edition, the dimensions in centimeters increase from 39 x 10.4 x 26 (width x height x depth in horizontal position) to 35.8 × 9.6 × 21.6; and with regard to digital, we start from 39 x 9.2 x 26 to arrive at 35.8 × 8 × 21.6. Placed side by side, there is no photo: the “Slim” is clearly smaller and more compact, we are not going to complain about it ! It also appears denser in terms of its weight/height ratio – even if the mass has been revised downwards. Whether for the console with or without a reader, the PlayStation loses 1.3 kg in both cases (from 4.5 kg to 3.2 kg for the standard and from 3.9 kg to 2.6 kg for the digital ). Enough to find its place more easily in modest TV furniture. In the “standing” position, the PS5 is now 5 cm higher than the Series X.
A “slim” design that makes all the difference?
A less imposing console than in the past and which also offers some new features on the outside! Beyond the small, less protruding wings (on the top of the machine), a disk reader adopting a more cubic shape and less “aesthetic” vents face to face, we particularly notice the two diagonals from side to side of the object, which cut the two facade plates into four pieces ! A choice consistent with the arrival of the removable disk drive, which gives the PS5 a less immaculate style (the upper part of the plates is shiny but the bottom remains “matte”). Besides, we are not necessarily fans of this new shine, which gives the object a little cheap side. But, this is something that is not set in stone. As with the first PS5, the Slim will be entitled to fronts of different colors (planned release: early 2024). In this case, there will therefore be four plates to install… The previous models will therefore not be compatible.
Installing the removable disk drive:
If you have opted for the digital PS5 Slim and you subsequently purchase a removable disk drive (€119.99, remember), you will obviously have to install it. To do this, simply remove the bottom right plate of the object and carefully slide the reader into the location provided for this purpose. The operation is surprisingly simple/reassuring. Unfortunately, to remove the plastic dress from the console, it’s still not that good (we worry, once again, about doing it wrong). Afterwards – once all the pieces are in place – all you have to do is connect your PS5 to the internet and register the player via a system update. Otherwise, Blu-rays are unusable.
Installation, connections, what’s changing?
We now get down to business, what really changes with the use of the PS5 Slim? Already, in addition to a button to insert/extract a Blu-ray now placed at the bottom of the disc player, the front connectors change, with – above the power button – 2 USB-C ports instead of the combo USB-A | USB-C from the previous version! Don’t worry, Sony thought about putting a USB-C cable | USB-C in the box to charge your DualSense controller. At the back, HDMI, Ethernet, the 2 USB-A are arranged differently, probably for architectural reasons. For the rest, the location for installing extended storage (NVMe SSD) is still located under the right front plate, at the top. This time, it’s just to the right and no longer to the left of the fan.
- See all PS5s available on Amazon
- See all the PS5s available at Fnac
- See all PS5s available at Cdiscount
- See all PS5s available at Auchan
From there, all that’s left to do is turn it on… Of course, inside, the PS5 Slim remains identical to its big sister (same components, same interface, same start menu), except for this which is storage. In a smaller format, this new model announces 1 TB of free space, which actually becomes 822 GB (Astro’s Playroom takes around ten GB | the rest is taken up by system data). In fact, it’s still better than the 667 GB of the original version. It’s the least you can do for a new version, certainly smaller, but sold at the same price.