PS5 Slim secrets revealed in teardown videos: Modular potential and port upgrades but no die shrink included

The popular YouTube channels Linus Tech Tips (LTT) and Dave2D have been given the new variant of the PlayStation 5 (colloquially known as the “PS5 Slim”) to tear down and have a proper look at. Interestingly, Linus Sebastian considered the new model to be “way smaller” than the original PS5 console whereas Dave Lee opines that the PS5 Slim “is not actually that much smaller”, but both of them appear to have mixed feelings about the combination of glossy and matt panels that have been chosen for the revised console's design.

As for hopes of the PS5 Slim coming with an upgraded 5 nm chip, something that had been previously rumored, both channels were quick to point out that it appears to be the same 6-nm AMD Oberon Plus processor that was found in the last PS5 revision (2022) that is also present in the new model. In the Linus Tech Tips video, the die is measured at about 260 mm², which points to the 6-nm part, and in the Dave2D PS5 Slim teardown clip a stress test loop and power consumption chart indicate that the same chip is onboard. Unsurprisingly, both channels also share the fact that the PS5 Slim does not appear to show any improved power efficiency over its larger predecessor (370 W power supply).

One of the exciting things worth pointing out about the PS5 Slim, and perhaps the future of PlayStation as a whole, is the modularity aspect. The detachable disk drive is shown to be easily removable by the user, and it is at this point that Sebastian’s curiosity about the connector type leads him to wonder if Sony has made this specific choice to allow for other peripherals or “detachables” to join the PS5 ecosystem in the future.

Other PS5 Slim secrets exposed in the teardowns include a big change in the vent construction internally and externally, the presence of a 19-blade cooling fan from Foxconn, the change from 2x 5 Gb + 2x 10 Gb ports to 1x 5 Gb + 3x 10 Gb on the rear, and the upgrade of the USB-C + USB-A ports from the front of the older console to 2x USB-C ports for the 2023 model. The PS5 Slim release date is mentioned as supposedly November 10 in the LTT video but this has still to be confirmed by Sony.

Buy the PS5 on Amazon