When it launched in 2020, PlayStation 5 was one of the biggest and heaviest game consoles ever made. A full-fledged full-fledged Disc Drive Edition weighed in at 9.9 pounds (4.5 kg) and the Digital Edition tipped the scales 8.6 lbs (3.9 kg).
Nevertheless, reporters at Australian website Press Start have noted the release of a new set of PS5 models that weigh about 13 percent less than their launch counterparts. The new PS5 models (CFI-1202A and B for the Disc and Digital versions, respectively) have a planned September 15 launch date.
Press Start reports that the new models are on shelves in many Australian retailers right now, including manuals listing their official weights at 8.6 lbs (3.9 kg) for the Disc Drive Edition and 7.5 lbs (3.4 kg) for the Digital Edition. No other changes are apparent in either the size of the system’s casing or the listed system specs, according to the report.
Those who into gaming might recollect that this isn’t the first internal revision to the PS5 hardware. The CFI-11XX models—which also hit Australia first in August 2021— came in at 9.25 lbs (4.2 kg) and 7.9 lbs (3.6 kg) for their Disc and Digital Editions, respectively. That effectively splits the weight difference between the launch model and the newest model.
A smaller, redesigned heat sink that seemed to improve the console’s heat dissipation, is the main reason for the weight loss. There are reports saying Sony was moving toward a new, 6 nm production process for the system’s AMD-made CPU.
Arstechnica reports that both editions of the PS5 have shown a nearly linear weight-loss pattern in less than two years on the market. If those trends continue at the same rates, the Disc Drive Edition of the PS5 will weigh exactly zero pounds on August 31, 2034, with the Digital Edition hitting weightlessness on March 20, 2035.
