Sony is rolling out a redesigned PlayStation 5 system for the holidays.
The company today announced the new smaller PS5 will arrive at US retailers in November, followed by a global rollout in the months to come.
Like the original PS5, the new system will be available in disc and digital-only models. Unlike the original, Sony is going to offer an upgrade path for those who buy the digital version and want to add disc functionality later on.
An Ultra HD Blu-Ray Disc Drive that can be installed into the system will be available for $80 (€120, £100, ¥12,000).
As for how much smaller the system is, Sony is touting a 30% reduction in volume compared to the previous systems. Comparing the PS5s in their vertically standing configuration, the redesigned model is 8% shorter and 8% slimmer, while its depth has been cut 17%.
The smaller system doesn’t mean a smaller price tag. In the Europe and UK, the prices of both redesigned PS5s will remain the same as their predecessors, which already saw their prices hiked last year.
In the US, the disc-equipped PS5 will still arrive at the same $500 price point it has commanded since the system’s 2020 launch, while the new digital-only system is rising $50 to $450.
Japan sees the worst of it thanks to the recent struggles of the yen, as Sony already rose each version’s price by ¥5,000 ($34) last year, and the disc-equipped system will see its price rise another ¥12,000 ($81), while the new digital-only version jumps ¥15,000 ($101).
As part of the announcement, Sony confirmed the original PS5 models are being discontinued and will no longer be available once current inventory has sold out.
