Hiya!

It’s hardly a secret I’m a Sony PlayStation fangirl. I grew up watching my brother play PlayStation 2 games and I have owned a PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. It was only a matter of time for me to finally get a PlayStation 5 but a lot of things got in the way from me purchasing and getting one for a long time. When the darned thing was released, Sony just couldn’t keep up with the demand of gamers wanting their very own PlayStation 5, jacking up the price of the console. It certainly didn’t help how scalpers were snatching them up and jacking up the prices and I was never going to indulge this uncouthly practice. Why reward them for doing something so scummy? So, I waited and waited.

Slowly but surely, supply managed to catch up and Sony was able to make more PlayStation 5 systems. Scalpers weren’t making money from their scummy practice, helping the price go down even further. Sony even had a sale recently, dropping the price even more and I thought this was the time to finally take the plunge and, at long last, get myself a PlayStation 5.

I actually planned to go out to my local mall and finally buy a PlayStation 5 when my next paycheck came in during the middle of this month. I even cleared out a shelf near my television setup but wouldn’t you know it? Sony decided this was the time to reveal they’ve been working on a “slim” version all this time and they’re releasing it in November? This totally threw a wrench in my plans because now I have to think if I should get the old “fat” version or the “slim” version in time for the holidays!

Come to think of it, it was about time Sony did redesign the PlayStation 5 and put out a “slim” version. After all, this isn’t the first time they’ve done it. They’ve always put their consoles on a diet so, after a couple of years from its launch, people who have a video game console fetish would get one because… it’s new. I’m not one of these people, though. I say work whatever you have until it breaks down and you can’t repair it anymore! Besides, as I’ve never gotten the old “fat” PlayStation 5, I’m not in a huge rush to “upgrade” something I’ve never owned.

I’m also going to assume the “fat” PlayStation 5s are going to be marked down as Sony and retailers are going to make room for the newer “slim” version in November. Now that I thought about it, that’s probably why Sony had made the current “fat” Disc version of PlayStation 5s cheaper now. Last I checked, they were going for around P25,000 Philippine pesos. That may sound like a lot of money for the gamers who live in other more well-off countries. Converting it to US dollars, though, that comes to around $440, which is cheaper than the upcoming “slim” version. I’m always one who likes a good deal so that is a point on the “fat” version’s side.

On the other hand, I’ve been a little cautious about the quality of the “fat” PlayStation 5. I’m the type of gal who likes to watch YouTube and, every once in a while, I would get suggestions on videos I would normally not go out seeking. Occasionally, YouTube would ask me to watch videos on technicians repairing video game consoles. Among the products being repaired would be, you guessed it, the “fat” PlayStation 5. Maybe watching all of these videos fed into my buyer’s paranoia as there’s now a part of me that thinks Sony didn’t really do a good job in putting together the original PlayStation 5. Well, it’s no guarantee that the “slim” version would have less defects but I would assume that would be the case, right?

However, right out of the gate, I can already see a potential problem with the new “slim” version of the PlayStation 5. I’m no electronics technician or an engineer or anything like that, but Sony made the new “slim” model a little more modular. In the old “fat” models, you had to pick if you wanted one with a Disc drive or a fully digital model. With the “slim” models, the Digital version now has a port where you can order a separate Disc Drive just in case you want to get one all of a sudden. That seems neat on paper but I can’t help but worry if that’s a future point of failure. Imagine if that port fails in the future. Your entire system might not run because it can’t detect the Disc Drive or the unit might think there’s a Disc Drive when there’s none. Once again, it just might be my buyer’s paranoia speaking but I can’t help but think of these kinds of things when something can be considered a huge investment.

Then again, the fact you can simply attach as new Disc Drive without having to completely take apart your PlayStation 5 might actually make it much more simpler to repair if the only problem is the Disc Drive. Heck, I might be able to do the fix myself since all I would technically have to do is just remove the busted Disc Drive and slap in a new, working one! Still, I can’t help but think I would break something because I am a klutz.

The mere fact that Sony will now exclusively manufacture “slim” PlayStation 5s and will be discontinuing the original “fat” version can also be a problem if I did get the first generation model. That’s because all future accessories, 1st and 3rd party makers, will only be made for the newer system. Sure, the current DualSense controller should work for both but future versions might have some features the original one didn’t. The side panels which you can switch out are also going to be different. Heck, even the old stands aren’t going to fit on the “slim PlayStation 5! So, if I did want to do some modifications on an old “fat” system if I do get one, I might not be able to even if I wanted to! I also do have to mention how you need a separate stand for the new “slim” system if you want to make it stand vertically. That’s not a problem for me as I don’t want my gaming consoles standing upright. Doing so makes me feel uneasy it’ll topple over if I bump it wrong.

The biggest reason why the “slim” version might be a good buy is because, well, it’s slimmer! It’s lighter and smaller, which is always nice. That means it takes up less space and, from what I understand, also uses less power to get the same performance. It’s basically optimized much better than the older “fat” version. That should mean it would not overheat as much and probably be quieter than the “fat” system. That’s always a good thing!

However, for me, it all boils down to pricing. I will wait until November to see how much the price drops for the original “fat” PlayStation 5 and how much the newer “slim” consoles are. By then, the older units might be significantly cheaper and retail stores will probably be bundling them with extra stuff like an extra DualSense controller and probably a couple of games just so they can get rid of the old stock and make room for the brand spanking newer version. I’ll also be waiting to see some official reviews on the “slim” PlayStation 5’s performance and get a consensus if it’s considerably better than the older model. I’ve waited more than 2 years to get a PlayStation 5 already. What’s an extra month to limit my buyer’s remorse?

Byee!

What’s your take on the “slim” PlayStation 5? Will you be getting one or not? Let me know in the comments section below!