Fan-made PlayStation 5 game case design concepts tackle a new PS5 debate: Square or rectangular?

While some designers have gone for the rectangular look that has encompassed game cases from the PlayStation 2 onwards, others have gone for a square-shaped design for PS5 game cases that is more reminiscent of the packaging that came with software for the original PlayStation. Of course, this also depended on which region you were living in at the time, as there were PlayStation games that came in rectangular cases for the first Sony PlayStation console.

Depending on who you believe, it has been stated that Sony initially used the larger rectangular cases for games because the company had to buy excess Saturn cases from Sega to make up for a shortfall. Eventually, square-shaped cases became common for games for the original PlayStation, before rectangular-shaped cases came back in vogue for the PlayStation 2.

Games for the PS5 are likely to follow the trend and come in rectangular cases, but there is an argument for square-shaped ones. Less packaging would be friendlier on the environment, cost less to produce, and square-shaped cases would take up less room in homes. Plastic could even be swapped out for another material: One concept designer chose sleek-looking cardboard square sleeves for the PS5 game cases over a chunky plastic creation.