Will the PS5 Slim be faster than the PS5? Leaked specs and more explored

The PS5 Slim will launch later this year as a cheaper and slimline revision to the PlayStation 5. Although Sony has been tight-lipped about their first mid-gen refresher to the ninth-gen gaming machine, multiple leaks that say a ton about what we can expect have surfaced online. We can now make an educated guess about what to expect from the upcoming home video gaming console.

Looking at past trends, mid-cycle refreshes generally extend the computing power and efficiency of the original console a few years after the introduction of the first machine in the lineup. In the last three generations, we have seen the PS2 Slim, the PS3 Slim, and the PS4 Slim bring a more slim-bodied design that occupies less space while delivering slightly better gaming performance.

While it would be unusual for Sony to drift from this set formula, there are a few key differences between the current-gen consoles and those that preceded them. Let's go over why we believe the PS5 Slim won't be a massive upgrade over the original PS5 from 2020.

Do note that none of the conclusions and information is confirmed by Sony yet and is based entirely on leaks and expectations. The final product might be completely different from this.

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The PS5 Slim will only be slightly faster than the PS5

The upcoming PlayStation 5 Slim will likely share a similar spec sheet with the currently available PS5, with the most significant difference being an improvement in power efficiency and a slimmer package. Unlike most other generations, computer hardware hasn't improved too significantly since 2020, and the PS5 is a mighty machine for 4K gaming. Thus, there isn't enough for the upcoming Slim version to bring to the table.

According to some reports, most games released on the PlayStation 5 don't nearly utilize its full capabilities, let alone be bottlenecked by the AMD APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) powering it.

Instead, the PS5 Slim is targeting a cheaper $400 price tag, according to information the Japanese console maker published during the recent Microsoft vs. FTC court trials. In today's recession-plagued market, this price cut will help Sony sell more units, pushing adoption numbers.

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PS5 Slim specs rumors

However, a few rumors have Sony relying on an upgraded 5 nm process node for the upcoming PlayStation 5 Slim console. Leaks originally published by YouTuber Red Gaming Tech hinted that the company had already booked TSMC 5nm chips expected to enter mass production soon.

Thus, although the PS5 Slim will be slightly more powerful, refined, and smaller than the original PS5 from three years ago, the difference in gaming performance isn't going to be big. The consoles will generally sit in the same tier the PS5 Slim's launch.