Originally releasing back in late 2020, thePlayStation 5has been on the shelves for nearly two years now. While it still proves to be an elusive console to find for many, who find that stocks simply aren’t available or have been snapped up by scalpers, it seems that Sony may be gearing up for a change in the PS5’s hardware. Already, there have been some major changes announced to thePS5’s pricingin many regions, and now it seems that the console itself is also going through some alterations.
This news comes as a lighter version of thePlayStation 5has been spotted in Australia where the new version with a disc drive now weighs in at 3.9 kilograms, where at launch it weighed 4.5. This new weight was once the heft of the diskless version of the PS5, though that model of the console has also lost some weight, dropping from 3.9kg down to 3.4. This marks the second occasion the PlayStation 5 has been made lighter, as back in 2021 Sony rolled out some other models which also weighed less than those at launch.
RELATED:Nintendo Addresses Switch Price After Sony Makes PS5 More Expensive
While this seems like a minor change, it does raise the question of why Sony would lighten the weight of the PS5. With the internet being as speculative as ever, some believe that this links in some way to the possible upcoming launch of aPS5 Pro console. However, others have pointed out that this is likely a decision made over hardware, either from replacing parts or removing unnecessary ones. In 2021, the PS5 was made lighter due to a change in the heat sink used.
It could be the case that Sony is changing up the hardware in the PS5 to help combat the global supply shortage that is still plaguing gamers. Since 2020, supply shortages for consoles and GPUs have led to a rise in prices and an inability for many to get their hands on the current-gen machines.Xbox Boss Phil Spencerbelieves that the Series X and S will struggle with hardware shortages for the rest of 2022 at least, but perhaps through lightening the console, Sony may be able to increase the production of PS5 units.
Without any official word from Sony at the time of writing, it is unclear as to why the decision has been made to make the PS5 lighter. Whatever the reasoning may be, it is doubtful that a small change in weight will affect the performance or sales of the console. Even the latest price increase of thePS5 will have a minimal impact on sales.
