A new slim PlayStation 5 could be released in the near future, according to statements made by Microsoft in court documentation for the ongoing FTC vs. Microsoft trial.
In a portion of the court documents where Microsoft is arguing in favor of including the Nintendo Switch as a competitor to both Xbox and PlayStation, a line makes mention of a new lower-cost PlayStation 5 model that Sony hasn’t yet announced. Microsoft mentions that its competitor is planning to “release a PlayStation 5 Slim later this year at the same reduced price point,” referencing the cheaper Digital Edition PlayStation 5 which retails currently for $400.
This wouldn’t be the first mention of a PlayStation 5 Slim, with rumors of the consoles dating back to September last year. Since then, further reports regarding the console and additional accessories have surfaced, with one report suggesting that Sony will launch an external Blu-ray drive alongside the console to add disc support to both the new slim model and existing digital-only console. The report suggests that the PlayStation 5 Slim will be packaged both standalone and bundled with the external drive, and launch sometime in September 2023.
Reports surrounding the PlayStation 5 Slim have also indicated that this new console will not feature any processing power improvements, quashing any suggestion that this could also be a new PlayStation 5 Pro model. Xbox’s Phil Spencer recently stated that the desire for new consoles is “not the feedback we’re getting right now”, and that the company is “pretty set on the hardware we have.” This suggests that a release similar to that of the Xbox One X might not be planned at Microsoft currently.
The FTC vs. Microsoft case is now in the hands of Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley, with a judgment on the FTC’s preliminary injunction expected in less than two weeks.
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