The new Playstation 5 models. What has changed?

Sony has released a new Playstation 5 model that adds new features and cuts down on costs

Sony is a multinational company that works in a variety of different industries. One of these is the home console market, where they sell the Playstation 5 for $399 and $499 dollars. The PS5 is their newest console and due to the recent pandemic, it is in high demand. However, the pandemic has also led to component shortages, meaning the console sells out extremely quickly and thus is very hard to find. Recently, Sony has silently released a new model for the extremely popular console. So what has changed, and will these changes significantly impact the performance, cost and availability of the console?

From,Henry, Arthur. "New Playstation 5 Model Goes On Sale; See What Changes". Olhar Digital, 2021, https://olhardigital.com.br/en/2021/08/23/games-e-consoles/novo-playstation-5-veja-o-que-muda/. Accessed 19 Sept 2021.

The first, and biggest, change Sony made to the Playstation 5 is that they not only redesigned the heatsink but also made it alot smaller, which decreases production cost and makes it a lot lighter, around 3kg, but newer models runs at a slightly higher temperature than the original console, an increase in the exhaust temperature by 5 degrees celsius. The heatsink, along with fans, are electrical components used to dissipate the heat naturally created by passing electricity through components. By shrinking the heatsink, Sony has allowed more heat to build up in the console, which could lead to performance issues, as the motherboard, the main component of any computer, may slow down components that are too hot. Heat can also damage components, but since this model is new we won't be able to see these effects until much later. Even so, me and many others believe that this temperature increase won't make much of a difference since the console still runs colder than its competitor, the Xbox Series X, and because a 5 degree difference on the air being expelled from the console won't do much to affect its performance. The only place where it might make a difference is if you keep your console in a closed environment with poor air circulation, however any electrical device that outputs a lot of heat will suffer in that environment, as the heat would build up around the enclosed space and cause the temperature in there to rise.

From, Warren, Tom. "Sony’S New PS5 Model Weighs Less Because It Has A Smaller Heatsink". The Verge, 2021, https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/29/22646963/sony-new-ps5-model-lighter-smaller-heatsink-teardown. Accessed 19 Sept 2021.

The other change made to the console was to the baseplate screw, which now can be screwed in by hand. Since the baseplate is simply used to decide whether you want your console to stand up vertically or sit horizontally, this change not only had no impact on the performance but it also most likely won't affect the price, and unless the screw was the component in shortage, it most likely won't affect the consoles availability. Instead, the change was made to make PS5 users life easier as it allows you to change the way your console stands without needing to buy or use a screwdriver. Therefore, this change is a nice addition for people planning on buying the PS5 but unless you are one of the rare people who are constantly moving your console, don't own a screwdriver or can't be trusted with one, this change has minimal impact to your experience with the console. In my opinion, however, I believe that this change is useless, and unless they do this to the section of the console which allows you to increase its storage capacity, it will remain useless.

From,Henry, Arthur. "New Playstation 5 Model Goes On Sale; See What Changes". Olhar Digital, 2021, https://olhardigital.com.br/en/2021/08/23/games-e-consoles/novo-playstation-5-veja-o-que-muda/. Accessed 19 Sept 2021.

In conclusion, the changes made to the new model of the PS5 make it run only slightly worse than the original, and this change is so slight the average consumer would likely never notice it, so until we see (or if we see, since the change is so slight it is highly unlikely) any effects on the components lifespan, the new model of the playstation 5 is almost exactly like the old one, just with some slight quality of life changes to the base and screw. In my opinion, since both models are fairly similar and due to the fact that finding any model of the PS5 is extremely hard, because of the shortage of components, if you want to buy the console then you should get whichever model is available. However, if you are still convinced that the original model is far superior to the new one, then you can find out if the console you are buying is the new or old model by looking at the model number. If it is a model CFI-11024A then it is the new one but if it has the model number CFI-1000 then it is the original model.

References:

• Bates, Philip. "How Heat Affects Your Computer, And Should You Be Worried?". MUO, 2014, https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-heat-affects-your-computer-and-should-you-be-worried/. Accessed 19 Sept 2021.

• Grubb, Jeff. "The New Playstation 5 Model Is Not Actually Worse". Venturebeat, 2021, https://venturebeat.com/2021/08/30/the-new-playstation-5-model-is-not-actually-worse/. Accessed 19 Sept 2021.

• Henry, Arthur. "New Playstation 5 Model Goes On Sale; See What Changes". Olhar Digital, 2021, https://olhardigital.com.br/en/2021/08/23/games-e-consoles/novo-playstation-5-veja-o-que-muda/. Accessed 19 Sept 2021.

• Kain, Erik. "Is Sony’S New PS5 Model Worse Than The Original?". Forbes, 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2021/09/01/sony-new-ps5-model-downgrade-smaller-heatsink-/?sh=52e498873867. Accessed 19 Sept 2021.

• Mellon, Rory. "New PS5 Model Now On Sale — Here’S What’S Changed". Tom's Guide, 2021, https://www.tomsguide.com/news/new-ps5-model-available-now-but-it-wont-fix-the-restock-disaster. Accessed 19 Sept 2021.

• Peppiatt, Dom. "PS5 Stock Issues Expected To Last Into 2022, According To Sony''. VG247, 2021, https://www.vg247.com/ps5-supply-stock-issues-last-2022-sony . Accessed 19 Sept 2021.

• Smathers, Michael. "How Does Temperature Affect The Performance Of Computer Components?". Small Business - Chron.Com, https://smallbusiness.chron.com/temperature-affect-performance-computer-components-28197.html. Accessed 19 Sept 2021.

• Sommerlad, Joe. "Why Are PS5 Stocks So Low And Is The Situation Improving?". The Independent, 2021, https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/big-question/ps5-stock-low-price-explainer-b1904435.html. Accessed 19 Sept 2021.

• Warren, Tom. "Sony’S New PS5 Model Weighs Less Because It Has A Smaller Heatsink". The Verge, 2021, https://www.theverge.com/2021/8/29/22646963/sony-new-ps5-model-lighter-smaller-heatsink-teardown. Accessed 19 Sept 2021.