PS5 Slim Vs. PS5 - Specs, Price, & Differences Explained (2024)

In November 2023, Sony launched its redesigned PlayStation 5, which was slightly smaller and offered more features compared to its original 2020 model. Such a mid-generation refresh has become somewhat common with consoles, usually with "Slim" redesigns that figure out how to take many of the components of the original console and pack them into a sleeker design, or "Pro" type versions that offer more power and improve performance and visuals.

While a PS5 Pro has long been rumored, Sony has yet to announce it officially, and the mid-generation release instead fell into the "Slim" type category. Despite this, Sony never referred to the new model as "PS5 Slim", instead just calling it a "new look for the PlayStation 5", as this design will simply become the main PS5 model going forward.

How Does The PS5 Slim's Appearance Differ From The Original?

The Size Difference Isn't As Drastic As Previous Slim Models

While most Slim-type models see quite a drastic change in appearance to make them significantly smaller than their predecessors, the new PS5s are only 30% smaller and either 18% or 24% lighter compared to the original.

A full breakdown of the size difference is as follows:

The Slim model does have four side plates instead of the standard PS5's two, adopting a modular design, particularly on the Digital version of the console. One of the four panels can be removed on the Digital Slim model to incorporate a detachable Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive at a later date, should a player initially think they want to be digital only but then change their mind and want a disc version at a later date, perhaps for the sake of backward compatibility by getting cheaper second-hand disc versions of PS4 titles.

The PS5 Slim also has additional USB ports and a smaller power supply unit. Whereas the original PS5 has one USB-C and one USB-A on the front, the Slim model has two USB-C ports there instead. On both consoles, one of these is rated Hi-speed (the USB-A on the original PS5, up to 480Mbps), and one is SuperSpeed (up to 10Gbps). Both consoles have two rear USB-A SuperSpeed ports.

Does The PS5 Slim Have Any Major Technical Enhancements?

The PS5 Slim Does Have More Storage Space

Notably, Sony's PS5 Slim is not a major overhaul in terms of performance in the same way a PS5 Pro would be. The PS5 Slim essentially runs games the same as the original and is powered by the same AMD-designed system-on-chip (SoC) made on TSMC's N6 (7nm-class with enhancements) that powers the original PS5, with 10.28 teraflops of power. The main difference is that the PS5 Slim has more storage space with a larger 1TB SSD over the original model's 825GB, bringing it up to par with the Xbox Series X, which had 1TB when it launched around the same time as the PS5 in 2020, and the newer Xbox Series S consoles.

The PS5 Slim consoles also have a completely re-engineered motherboard, however, which allowed Sony to reduce the system's size and weight, and to make the machine smaller. To reduce the size of the consoles, however, Sony also had to rework its cooling system. The new cooling system has five heatpipes (up from four in the original) and a smaller backplate. Despite being generally smaller than the original PS5, the revamped cooling system is efficient enough to sustain the console's performance under high loads while maintaining lower noise levels. Because of this, PS5 Slim is quieter than the original - albeit not significantly - as it produces 33.6 dBA of noise, whereas the original one generates 33.8 dBA.

How Much Does The PS5 Slim Cost Compared To The Original?

The Slim Models Have Expansions That Could Work Out More Expensive

The PS5 Slim costs $499.99 with a built-in disc drive, while the digital-only version is $449.99. The PS5 has undergone various price changes over the years, but compared to the launch prices of the originals, the PS5 Slim disc drive version matches that of the original PS5 Disc console, while the PS5 Slim Digital version is significantly more expensive than the original digital-only PS5 model, likely due to its additional functionality in which players can attach a disc drive to it at a later date.

It's worth noting that the additional disc drive expansion for the digital version costs $79.99, so those who buy a digital-only version and then opt to add a disc drive later can end up paying more than those who bought the version with a disc drive built-in already. This seems like an unnecessary additional cost and a way to penalize those who may have changed their minds about physical media later.

A breakdown of the different PS5 costs is as follows:

A horizontal stand is included with the new PS5 Slim models, but a new vertical stand, which is also compatible with both the original and new PS5 models, is sold separately at $29.99. This is another change from the original, which included a single multipurpose stand that could be switched between horizontal and vertical use easily, and this new, less functional stand seems like just another way to get more money out of players.

As previously stated, the new, slimmer version of the PS5 will ultimately become the only one on the market, as the old PS5 model will be phased out after its remaining inventory has been sold, at least until a PlayStation 5 Pro is revealed, which seems inevitable at this point. It's unclear how long this process of clearing out the older stock will take or if Sony will start doing more discounts and promotions to clear the original console inventory quicker in the future.