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.