PS5 “Slim” teardowns suggest same chip, not much shrinking, but nifty disc drive

Enlarge / It’s the same chip in the PS5 Slim, but there are some changes in where the heat goes. (credit: Dave2D)

You aren’t supposed to be able to buy Sony’s redesigned PlayStation 5 yet, but because global commerce is just too complicated, some people have already gotten their hands on them. One of those people is YouTube vlogger Dave2D. He gently took apart the unofficially named “Slim,” noted the savings in weight, if not so much size, and detailed some intriguing details about the new heat management and detachable disc drive.

Sony has made a smaller, usually slimmer version of each of its PlayStation consoles available as its market matures: the PS2, PS3, PS4, even the PS One, kinda-sorta. Usually, there is no question that the newer, smaller version is an all-around better pick. But the newest version of the largest home console in decades isn’t a straightforward improvement in efficiency, at least as seen by Dave2D and Linus Tech Tips.

The new console is now divided into four panels, and the finish differs between the top and bottom. That’s because, on the newer, slimmer PS5 standard edition, the disc drive is now detachable. There are visible screws on the module, but the drive connects through a single socket port.