Sony’s new PS5 is a ‘complete internal redesign’ compared to its older versions

Sony has made changes to the SSD, the main cooling fan, and updated its motherboard

(AFP via Getty Images)

Sony has completely redesigned the inside of its PlayStation 5 as it launches a new version of the console.

The 1200-series PS5 replaces the previous 1100-series, which was the second version of the PS5, and the new console is approximately 450 grams lighter.

YouTuber Austin Evans, who posted a teardown of the new console, said that “almost every part of this PS5 has been touched”. Sony has made changes to the SSD housing, the main cooling fan, and replaced the motherboard – to the extent that there is now a smaller heatsink and a new heatpipe inside the PS5.

“It’s basically a full internal redesign”, he tweeted. “The PS5 1200 model is over 1 pound lighter than the launch model, pulls 20-30W less and delivers roughly the same noise/heat output. Sony shrank almost everything including motherboard and the internal packaging to make it lighter and almost certainly cheaper (for them)”.

The new PlayStation should also use less power – just 201 watts compared to 218 watts of the original PlayStation and 229 watts of the 1100-series – according to Mr Evans’ testing.

The news comes after Sony announced a price increase for the console last month. The PS5 disc edition console increased by £30, from £449.99 to £479.99, while the PS5 digital edition, without the disc drive, rises to £389.99.

Chief executive Jim Ryan blamed the price increase on the challenging global economic environment, forcing the company to pass the extra cost onto consumers.

“We’re seeing high global inflation rates, as well as adverse currency trends, impacting consumers and creating pressure on many industries,” he wrote in a blog post.

The new console will come ahead of Sony’s updated virtual reality headset, called the PlayStation VR2.

With updated features compared to the original version, the VR2 includes haptic feedback, can track the player’s eyes, is 4K and HDR-compatible with high frame rate support, and only uses a single USB-C connection to connect to the console.