Today during Sony’s “The Future of Gaming” show where the company and its partners revealed a slew of next-generation game titles, we also had a first glimpse of the physical design of the new PlayStation 5.

The new console is a significant departure for Sony’s console hardware which has retained a standard black design aesthetic ever since the PlayStation 2 (Although different colour scheme variants have been available). The new PlayStation 5 immediately stands out with its white-black design, as well for the fact that Sony is seemingly presenting the new console in a primarily vertical standing position.

The looks of the console are defined by an enveloping white rounded body that envelops a central glossy black middle section like some sort of cape. The black middle section at the top emits a blue light, illuminating the white side panels as well as the ventilation grills.

Today’s teaser showcased the first time what the console’s cooling hardware might look like. The new design looks to have ventilation grills throughout the whole top of the console as well as the top half of the front of the device, curving along the top corner of the design, with the grills present on both lateral sides. We don’t know if this is an exhaust or intake, or maybe even both, as we haven’t yet seen the back side of the new unit.

Sony’s presentation only showed the console in an upright position, so the design was possibly designed to be used like this in its most optimal fashion.

Another hint that the console might not be designed to be used in a horizontal position is the odd “hump” that appears where the BluRay disc drive is located. It’s a pretty unusual asymmetric design choice that inarguably will spark a lot of discussions.

Edit: Sony also showcasd the console in a horizontal position for a split second in the outro section of the show. It looks like the console is sitting on the "foot" that's depicted in the vertical position shots. This explains why the two feet look different in the previous picture - they both serve as the stands for the console in vertical and horizontal positions, with the odd shape of the foot designed to cup the round side of the console in the horizontal position, with the Digital Edition console having a different curve to it.

Sony is also announcing a Digital Edition of the PlayStation 5 which doesn’t feature a disc drive, getting rid of the hump in the design. Digital distribution has gained a ton of popularity of the last few years and Sony now releasing a digital only console certainly points out that the company envisions this trend to continue and grow.

Both console variants feature a minimalistic front – we only find a single USB-A port and a single USB-C port, alongside a power button, and for the regular version the disc eject button.

Alongside the two new PS5 variants, Sony also announced several new accessories for the console: The new DualSense controller which we’ve known for some time now, a new DualSense charging station which charges up to two controllers at a time, a stereoscopic HD camera, a media remote, and a new headset dubbed the PULSE 3D Wireless Headset.

3D audio is meant to be a big part of the new PlayStation 5 experience thanks to the console’s new audio hardware capabilities – so Sony releasing a first-party headset tied in with the console release isn’t too big of a surprise.

The Sony PlayStation 5 is scheduled to be launched this holiday season at a yet undisclosed price. It is powered by a custom AMD SoC employing 8 Zen 2 cores up to 3.5GHz, a new customised RDNA 2-based GPU with 36 CUs and up to 2.23GHz frequency, and a new ultra-fast SSD and storage architecture that is said to be multiple times faster than the best PC storage devices on the market.

Comments Locked

112 Comments

View All Comments

  • Valantar - Friday, June 12, 2020 - link

    It's worth mentioning that this thing is HUGE. Much, much bigger than any previous console, and much bigger (taller) than the XSX. https://www.techpowerup.com/forums/threads/sony-sh...

    Also, of course, it's ugly too.
  • ads295 - Friday, June 12, 2020 - link

    Do you go by the same username on TechPowerUp?
  • PeachNCream - Friday, June 12, 2020 - link

    I'm more excited about what a PS5 release will do to current console prices and availability. Although I don't use my PS3 much because of how much heat it generates compared to my laptop in the summer, I am looking forward to picking up a refurbished or used PS4 Slim after the new generation goes on sale - though I have to admit that its hard to even justify that since most of my gaming happens on my phone nowadays so even a cheap console feels redundant and unnecessary.
  • Samus - Friday, June 12, 2020 - link

    It's funny how well the PS2 has stood the test of time as a contemporary design, aging well to this day. Then they come up with this...
  • eastcoast_pete - Friday, June 12, 2020 - link

    Here a suggestion: make those white side panels a bit taller and wider, put a tempered glass plate on the top, and you got yourself a post-modern coffee table; plays games, too.
  • Sttm - Friday, June 12, 2020 - link

    This is a stupid design that looks fit for a Chinese OEM console of the 2000s.
  • ET - Friday, June 12, 2020 - link

    The inter-haters are having a field day, I see.
  • Dug - Friday, June 12, 2020 - link

    This would explain why they couldn't clock as high as xbox.
    Shitty airflow. This thing I guarantee will be loud, just like ps4 pro with it's tiny fan spinning full speed.

    At least xbox is promoting a larger slower moving fan, and a far more efficient design.
  • Hardware Geek - Sunday, June 14, 2020 - link

    I'm not picky when it comes to the way a system looks as long as it works well and lets me play the games I want to play. That being said, I think the design is hideously ugly and would gladly take a generic looking black box instead of this. Not that it matters since I know I'll end up buying both eventually.
  • Oxford Guy - Monday, June 15, 2020 - link

    "They don't have the freedom of PCs obviously, but instead offer a hassle-free way for non-tech savvy people to play games."

    What they offer is hassle-free profits for MS and Sony.

    There is no good justification for "consoles" these days, outside of portables like the Switch (which aren't consoles, they're handhelds). The reason portables are justified to have some incompatibility is novel form factors.

    "Consoles", by contrast, are nothing more than artificial walled software gardens that exist because of consumer stupidity.

Log in

Don't have an account? Sign up now