Sony PlayStation 5 Slim console may arrive this year, says Microsoft

Tech giant Microsoft has said that Sony is expected to release a PlayStation 5 (PS5) Slim model later this year at $399.99 (roughly Rs 33,000). The information was furnished by the company’s documents as a part of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) versus Microsoft case.

“PlayStation likewise sells a less expensive Digital Edition for $399.99, and is expected to release a PlayStation 5 Slim later this year at the same reduced price point,” the company said in the documents, as reported by The Verge.

Microsoft also mentioned in the footnote of the documents that Sony is also likely to launch a handheld version of PlayStation 5 later this year for under $300. But this is not exactly accurate. Earlier this year, Sony announced it is planning a handheld gaming console for later this year and it will let PS5 owners stream games from a console over a Wi-Fi connection. So, essentially, this handheld console will not work standalone and would require a PS5 console to offer game streaming.

Last year, Insider Gaming reported that Sony was preparing a PS5 with a detachable disc drive for September 2023. The console is expected to be sold on its own without the disc drive or in a bundle, which indicates that the company might be making the slimmer version of the PS5 the default. This would allow users to choose with or without a bundled drive, along with the choice to add a drive later if needed. Currently, customers have to either buy a $399 PS5 Digital Edition or the $499 PS5 with a disc drive, with no option to connect an optional drive later, the report said.

If what Microsoft has said about Sony’s upcoming PlayStation console is true, this would not be the first time that we have come across secrets of both companies in the former’s case against FTC. Last week, a confidential document, which likely belonged to Sony and was poorly redacted, revealed the margins the company shares with publishers for game purchases made on the console. The document also revealed revenue earned from Call of Duty, as well as the cost of developing some games.

— Written with inputs from IANS