Sony has officially released a new PS5 model with a removable optical drive and 1TB of internal storage. The new model, often referred to as the PS5 "Slim", is slightly thinner and shorter than the current model, but will crucially replace the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition. In the United States, the new model is priced at $499.99 including a hard drive, while the PS5 digital version is priced at $449.99.
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The overall size of the new PS5 has been significantly reduced by more than 30%, and the weight has been reduced by 24% (depending on the model selected by the user). Sony has now designed a bump on the side of the PS5 for the optical drive, which can be removed and replaced with a side panel.
Sid Shuman, senior director of content communications at SIE, said in a blog post: "There are four separate covers, with the top half having a glossy look, while the bottom half remains matte. If you buy the base PS5 Digital Edition, you can add a Blu-ray drive later, as Sony is selling the Blu-ray drive separately for $79.99 (€119.99, £99.99).
The new PS5 has two gaps on each side and dual USB-C ports on the front instead of the single USB-C and USB-A ports on the current PS5.
The new PS5 will be on sale in November at select U.S. retailers and Sony’s PlayStation direct sales website, priced at $449.99 without a hard drive and $499.99 with a hard drive. Once stock of the current PS5 model is sold out, the new PS5 will be the only model available. In Europe, the digital version will cost €449.99, with a hard drive, for €549.99; in the UK, with a hard drive, it will cost £479.99, and the PS5 Digital Edition will cost £389.99.
The official release of this updated PS5 model comes months after the device was leaked and reports emerged last year that Sony was developing a PS5 with a removable hard drive. Sony also just ended its first PS5 sale, with prices slashed in the UK, Germany, India and other regions.