Sony’s Revised PS5 Slim Could Be Getting Cheaper To Make, But Not To Buy

It looks like Sony has quietly revised the PS5 console once again, with new internal changes across the (mother)board. It’s not clear when these new models came into service, but they seem to have entered circulation around the same time Sony released limited-edition Marvel’s Wolverine PS5 consoles.

Spotted by Modyfikator89, longevity and repairability appear to be the key areas that Sony has focused on. The redesigned motherboard offers easier access to the CR2023 battery, the streamlined internal layout makes repairs less risky, and the hardware takes a page from the PS5 Pro playbook with refined liquid-metal containment and revised heatsink materials. In theory, the updated barrier around the processor die should keep the liquid metal better contained over time, ensuring stable thermal transfer performance even under intensive loads.

Sony has also moved to a newer, lower-cost HDMI retimer chip, which likely cuts down bill-of-materials costs and improves display signal stability. Overall, this will likely lower production costs while maintaining higher assembly yields, at a time when sourcing components has become more challenging. Companies routinely make stealth revisions to cut manufacturing costs, but unlike previous console generations that shrank and became cheaper over time, the PS5 has only gotten more expensive since it launched in November 2020.

When it first launched, the entry-level PS5 Digital Edition had an MSRP of $400, but in 2026, you can expect to pay $600 for one. The base model PS5 with a disc drive has increased from $500 to $650, while the PS5 Pro has shot up from $700 to $900. Sony is aiming to make the PS5 a better value proposition as it heads into the lucrative holiday season, after recently launching a new AI-upscaling technology for its base-model PS5s.

Only two of its exclusive games support it currently–Marvel’s Wolverine and Ghost of Yotei–and the technology will be released to more developers soon. By enabling the base PS5 to deliver sharper visuals through Quick Spectral Super Resolution, Sony offers a visual upgrade in select games without having to splash out on the more expensive PS5 Pro.