A new PlayStation 5 Slim might be on the way, according to Microsoft. We are certainly on the back end of the current console-generation, and what the next iteration of gaming hardware from Microsoft and PlayStation might look like is entirely up in the air – all digital streaming devices maybe? But it looks like Microsoft thinks we are still to expect a next iteration known as the PlayStation 5 Slim before any of that happens after it mentioned as much during the recent FTC v. Microsoft hearing, according to reports. It also seems to think it has the inside scoop on an/the upcoming PS5 handheld pricing. More details below.
PlayStation 5 Slim on the way this year?
We previously heard rumors of a new all-digital PlayStation 5 coming down the pipeline that would see Sony allow gamers to choose whether or not to bundle in a detachable external disc drive. Whether or not that’s the model Microsoft mentioned during the hearing or not is unclear, but here’s what it had to say, according to a recent report from The Verge:
PlayStation likewise sells a less expensive Digital Edition for $399.99, and is expected to release a PlayStation 5 Slim later this year at the same reduced price point.
As you can see, Microsoft thinks the new PlayStation 5 Slim console will be an all-digital one that gets priced at $399.99. That’s on par with the regular price on the all-digital current-generation PlayStation 5 console (the flagship model with the disc drive carries a $499.99 MSRP), which would align with the previous detachable disc drive model rumors nicely.
The console makers are no stranger to introducing updated models, even some with more than just stealthy internal hardware upgrades, deep in the console generation – the OLED Nintendo Switch, PS4 Pro, that kind of thing. So it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Sony follow suit with PS5 in hopes to bolster sales even more. While the detachable disc drive option does give gamers some choice – you could presumably always score the $400 base model PlayStation 5 Slim and upgrade with the drive later on – only time will tell if that’s where Sony is headed, but Microsoft does seem to think an announcement is imminent and coming “later this year.”
And a new PlayStation 5 handheld?
Microsoft also went on to say that Sony will be releasing a handheld version of PlayStation 5 this year at $300. One can assume it is referring to that handheld streaming device revealed during the summer PlayStation Showcase that looks more like a console than it is, but that indeed is just a PS5 add-on that allows folks to stream games from their console over Wi-Fi, as far as we know at this point. Nonetheless, if that is indeed what Microsoft is referring to here, we can expect that streaming device to come in at just $100 under the price of a full-on current-generation digital console – a bit pricey if you ask me, but it certainly wouldn’t be out of character for Sony at this point.
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