The PS5 Slim has released in the UK – here’s where to buy Sony’s new console
The new machine is lighter, slimmer and comes with a detachable disc drive
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Rumours about a thinner console have been swirling for years, but the PS5 Slim is finally here. Sony unveiled the new, more compact version of the PS5 in October, and while the company stopped short of calling the console the PS5 Slim in its announcement, it’s essentially the PS5 Slim in all but name.
Sony didn’t provide an exact release date at the time, simply stating the console will launch in the US in November and in other regions in the coming months. But, thankfully, gamers haven’t had to wait too long, as the PS5 Slim went on sale in the UK on 29 November.
The recently announced model looks largely the same as the current PS5, but it weighs 24 per cent less, isn’t as chunky (with a 30 per cent overall footprint reduction, Sony says), and comes with a detachable disc drive that bulges out from the side. If you opt for the digital edition console, you’ll be able to buy the disc drive at a later date.
It features four panels, a departure from the two side panels found on the original model. The upper pair boasts a glossy appearance, while the lower pair retains the matte finish found on the PS5. Sony has confirmed the current face plates won’t fit on the new model, but it will be selling new ones for the slimmer console.
On top of all that, Sony has swapped the USB-C and USB-A ports on the front for two USB-C ports, and the new PS5 Slim comes with 1TB of storage instead of the 825GB found inside the original machine. As with previous mid-generation PlayStation console releases, the PS5 Slim will eventually replace the bulky PS5, once stock of the latter has sold out.
It will, to much dismay, come with a new horizontal stand instead of a dual-orientation one, but gamers will be able to buy a vertical stand at a later date. Here’s everything you need to know about the UK price, release date and where you can buy the new console.
Read more: Where to buy the PlayStation Portal
PS5 Slim UK release date: When can you buy the new PlayStation?
Sony announced the PS5 Slim on 10 October, but it didn’t reveal a firm release date. In its blog post, the company said the new PS5 model would be released in the US on PlayStation Direct and at select retailers in November, without revealing when it would launch in the UK.
Fortunately, the wait hasn’t been too long. On 23 November, Sony and third-party retailers put the PS5 Slim up for pre-order, and the console was officially released on 29 November. Amusingly, while Sony isn’t officially calling this console the PS5 Slim, even PlayStation is calling it the “PlayStation 5 Console (model group-slim)” online.
Where to buy the PS5 Slim in the UK
PS5 slim, disc edition console: £479, Amazon.co.uk
The new PS5 Slim disc edition costs the same as the old (and soon-to-be discontinued) PS5 standard console. It’s less bulky, weighs less, and comes with 1TB of internal storage instead of the random 825GB found on the previous model.
The big new design update gives it a detachable disc drive that you can take to your mate’s house and attach to their PS5 Slim digital console (if you want). You can currently buy the PlayStation 5 Slim from PlayStation Direct, Amazon, Currys, Very, Game and Argos.
PS5 slim digital edition console: £389, Amazon.co.uk
While the PS5 Slim digital edition has received a price hike in the US, it costs the same as the standard PS5 digital console here in the UK. Again, it’s slimmer, smaller and less heavy. The real benefit of the new digital edition is you can add on a disc drive at a later date.
The detachable disc drive costs £99.99, however, so if you really want to play physical games and Blu-Ray discs, we’d recommend opting for the PS5 disc edition console in the first instance, or you’ll just be paying an extra £10 in the long-run.
The PS5 Slim digital edition is available to buy now from PlayStation Direct, Amazon, Currys, Very and Game.
PS5 Slim vs PS5 standard: What’s the difference?
The PS5 Slim is pretty much the same machine on the inside (except with 1TB of storage). On the outside, it’s had a bit of a glow-up.
The PS5 Slim weighs 3.2kg, significantly less than the current PS5’s 4.2kg, while the PS5 Slim digital edition weighs 2.6kg vs the PS5 digital edition’s 3.9kg. It’s also volumetrically quite different.
The dimensions of the PS5 Slim are 358mm × 96mm × 216mm, and the PS5 Slim digital edition’s dimensions are 358mm × 80mm × 216mm. To put that into context, the current PS5’s dimensions are 390mm x 104mm x 260mm, and the PS5 digital edition’s dimensions are 390mm x 92mm x 260mm. That means the PS5 Slim is slightly shorter, narrower and more compact.
There are new accessories, too. If you want to stand your console vertically, you’ll have to buy the vertical stand (£24.99, Playstation.com), which is released on 1 December. The gaming giant will also release new PS5 Slim faceplates in the new year, which come in all-matte black, volcanic red, cobalt blue and sterling silver colourways, and will cost £44.99.
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