PlayStation 5 Slim Review

The PS5 Slim Review: A Necessary and Nuanced Evolution

Three years after its monumental launch, the PlayStation 5 is getting its inevitable mid-cycle refresh. But this isn’t the “PS5 Pro” many were hoping for; it’s the PlayStation 5 Slim, a leaner, more modular iteration of the console that dominated the generation. Sony’s goal wasn’t to redefine performance but to address the original’s most glaring issue: its sheer, unadulterated size. The result is a system that feels less like an architectural statement and more like a practical piece of home entertainment hardware. It’s the PS5, refined.

Design: A Welcome Diet, With a Few Wrinkles

Let’s address the elephant—or former elephant—in the room. The PS5 Slim is significantly smaller, with Sony claiming a volume reduction of over 30%. In person, this is immediately apparent. Where the original PS5 demanded you rearrange your entire media center, the Slim slots in with far less drama. It’s shorter, thinner, and lighter, trading the monolithic presence of its predecessor for something more discreet.

The design language has also shifted. The original’s two large, curving faceplates are gone, replaced by a four-panel system. The top two panels now sport a glossy finish, while the bottom two remain matte. This is a curious choice; the glossy plastic is a magnet for fingerprints and micro-scratches, feeling like a slight step back in practicality. The most significant design change, however, is the new modular, detachable Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive. It integrates cleanly, preserving the console’s silhouette, but its implementation introduces a new wrinkle: the flimsy included stand. You now get two small plastic “feet” for horizontal orientation, while a proper vertical stand is a baffling $30 optional extra. This feels like a needless and cynical cost-cutting measure on a premium device.

Performance and Features: The Same Beast in a Tighter Cage

If you were expecting a performance uplift, you can temper those expectations now. Internally, the PS5 Slim is functionally identical to the launch model. It leverages the same powerful AMD Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU, delivering the same incredible 4K gaming, high frame rates, and ray-tracing capabilities we’ve come to expect. Games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 load in the blink of an eye and look absolutely stunning. The world-class DualSense controller, with its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, remains unchanged and is as brilliant as ever.

The one internal hardware upgrade is a meaningful one: storage. The SSD has been bumped from a peculiar 825GB to a full 1TB. After accounting for the system software, this nets you around 848GB of usable space, a tangible increase from the 667GB on the original. In an era of 100GB+ games, this extra capacity is a significant quality-of-life improvement. On the front, the port situation has been modernized, replacing the old USB-A and USB-C combo with two high-speed USB-C ports, a welcome touch for a 2023 device.

The star feature is, of course, the detachable disc drive. This is a genuinely clever piece of engineering. It allows users who buy the Digital Edition to add physical media capabilities later for $80. The drive attaches and detaches easily, but it’s important to note that it requires a one-time internet connection to pair with your console for security verification—a minor but notable hurdle for those with limited connectivity.

Value Proposition and Final Verdict

Priced at $499.99 for the model with a disc drive and $449.99 for the Digital Edition, the PS5 Slim doesn’t change the console’s core value proposition. It effectively replaces the launch model at the same price point. For a brand-new buyer, the decision is simple: the Slim is the superior choice. You get a much more manageable form factor and a larger SSD for the same price.

For existing PS5 owners, however, this is not an upgrade. There is zero performance incentive to make the switch. You’d be paying for a smaller chassis and slightly more storage, which isn’t a compelling trade-off unless your space constraints are exceptionally severe.

Ultimately, the PlayStation 5 Slim is a smart, pragmatic revision. It addresses the original’s most common criticism without compromising the powerful performance that defines this generation. It’s the version of the PS5 that probably should have existed from the start—a sleek, powerful, and now sensibly sized gateway to some of the best games on the market. It is, without a doubt, the definitive PS5 for anyone new to the ecosystem.

Where to Buy:

Check it out on Amazon