PlayStation’s 30th anniversary PS5 and PS5 Pro consoles are so very pretty
The original PlayStation console, otherwise called the PS1, came out in Japan in late 1994. So we are quickly coming up on the console’s 30th birthday. To commemorate the occasion, Sony just revealed nostalgia-tinged redesigns of both the . They look like the original PlayStation, with that classic gray colorway and the old-school logo. Gamers of a certain age will have a hard time resisting these things. Sony did something similar in 2014 with the PS4
This isn’t a quick and dirty redesign. There was legitimate thought put into this. The updated DualSense controller doesn’t quite match the original design, but does mesh with the overall aesthetic. Sony’s throwing in a retro-looking cable connector housing and PlayStation-shaped cable ties. The box even looks like it came from a Toys “R” Us in the 1990s.
There are two bundles to choose from. The PS5 bundle ships with the console, a standard DualSense controller, the aforementioned accessories and additional goodies like a sticker, a poster and, uh, a PlayStation paperclip.
The PS5 Pro bundle includes everything mentioned above, but swaps out the standard controller for the DualSense Edge. It also includes a retro cover for the optional disc drive. It’s easy to dunk on that when it looks basically the same as a regular PS5. It’s much harder to do when it looks like it stepped out of a 1995 fever dream.
Even the PlayStation Portal is getting a themed refresh, which features the iconic gray exterior. Sony fans can even pick up redesigned controllers without springing for an entire console.
Preorders start on September 26 at participating retailers and . These items will be released on November 21. That’s just a couple of weeks after the PS5 Pro launches. To that end, Sony’s only making 12,300 of the PS5 Pro retro consoles, so we recommend getting that preorder in early. The company hasn’t released pricing information, unfortunately, and it’s likely that the PS5 Pro bundle will absolutely obliterate bank accounts. We reached out to ask about pricing and will update this post when we hear back.
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