Microsoft suggests rumoured PS5 Slim is coming this holiday

Microsoft has added some legitimacy to recent rumours of a smaller PlayStation 5 model releasing this holiday.

In last week’s FTC v. Microsoft hearing over its pending Activision Blizzard acquisition, Microsoft filed documents mentioning a new PS5 console after discussing how the current entry-level Xbox and Nintendo consoles, the Series S and Switch, are priced similarly. “PlayStation likewise sells a less expensive Digital Edition for $399.99 [USD], and is expected to release a PlayStation 5 Slim later this year at the same reduced price point,” Microsoft adds.

Last year, the often-reliable Insider Gaming reported that the so-called PS5 Slim will release in September 2023. According to the site, the console is expected to be thinner and sold in two variants: one with a detachable disc drive, and one without. Insider Gaming added that the disc drive, which would connect via USB-C, isn’t expected to be compatible with the existing disc-less Digital Edition PS5, although plans could change. The idea is that users would also be able to purchase a new disc drive instead of having to replace the PS5 entirely.

It’s unclear exactly how much smaller the PS5 Slim would be. For context, the standard PS5 is 15.4-inch x 4.1-inch x 10.2-inch (width x height x depth) and 4.4kg (about 9.9lbs) in weight, while the PS5 Digital Edition measures 15.4-inch x 3.6-inch x 10.2-inch (width x height x depth) and 3.9kg (roughly 8.6lbs) in weight. Therefore, a thinner and lighter alternative would certainly be a nice option.

Of course, there’s also the question of price. Last year, Sony upped the Canadian price of the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition by $20 to $649.99 and $519.99, respectively. It remains to be seen how much cheaper a PS5 Slim would cost, as well as the price for the detachable disc drive on its own.

Elsewhere in its FTC filing, Microsoft says Sony is planning “a handheld version of PlayStation 5 later this year for under $300.” Presumably, Microsoft is referring to Sony’s Project Q, a Backbone-esque OLED device that can play PS5 games. However, it’s not entirely accurate to call this a “handheld version” of the PlayStation 5 since it relies on an internet connection for games to be streamed directly from your console. This means that it doesn’t work like Microsoft’s own Xbox Cloud Gaming, which brings entire Xbox console games to your mobile device simply through an internet connection.

That said, it’s interesting that Microsoft suggests a price range since Sony itself hasn’t said anything in that regard after briefly teasing the device during a May PlayStation Showcase. For clarity, $300 USD works out to about $400 CAD, so Project Q will certainly not cost that much. On the flip side, a Backbone controller on its own is priced at $139 in Canada, and Sony is throwing in an OLED screen on top of the controllers, so it will undoubtedly cost more.

Via: The Verge