Sony Quietly Revised the PS5 Again, and This Version Could Last Longer

Sony has quietly released another PS5 revision, making it one of the latest hardware changes to the console since it launched in 2020. The new model arrived alongside the Wolverine bundle, which includes the console, covers, controller, and game. While Sony hasn't made a major announcement about the changes, the hardware appears different.

This isn't the first PS5 revision we've seen. Sony has already made several changes to the console over this generation. The first major revision reduced the motherboard's size by roughly half and removed some of the copper previously used for cooling. After the PS5 Slim arrived, Sony continued making smaller hardware revisions.

The latest model was identified by its hardware tag, one of the easiest ways to spot a new PS5 revision.

When that tag changes, it usually means Sony has made some sort of internal adjustment. In this case, the user manual apparently hadn't been updated to reflect the new hardware yet, so checking the console directly made the change easier to spot.

The new revision is particularly interesting because of what Sony has apparently done with its cooling system. The PS5 has used liquid metal to cool its APU, which combines the CPU and GPU on a single chip. Over the years, concerns have been raised that the liquid metal could move or leak from its intended position, particularly when the console is kept vertically.

If the liquid metal moves toward one side of the chip, cooling can become uneven. In a more serious situation, enough liquid metal could potentially escape that the chip would no longer receive the cooling it needs. That could eventually result in overheating and hardware damage.

The vertical orientation has come up in discussions because the PS5's unusual shape makes it hard to find a good horizontal setup.

Many people end up keeping the console vertical on or beside their TV stand, simply because it takes up less space that way. The problem is that this is also the orientation associated with concerns about how the liquid metal behaves over time.

Sony's latest PS5 revision appears to address that issue by making significant changes to the tray that holds the liquid metal. The new design is intended to prevent the liquid metal from leaking over time, potentially improving the console's long-term reliability.

That's not the only major change, either. The motherboard has apparently been reduced in size again, with the latest version believed to be around 75% smaller than the motherboard found in the original PS5 released in 2020.

Sony has also redesigned parts of the cooling system. Interestingly, some of the components appear to be related to hardware originally developed for the PS5 Pro. Since the PS5 Pro has a much more powerful chip, Sony made several changes to its cooling hardware to keep temperatures under control.

The idea appears to be that Sony could reuse some of those components in the regular PS5.

With the PS5 Pro costing around $900 and demand not necessarily high enough for Sony to manufacture as many units as it could, additional Pro-related parts could be available. Instead of leaving those components unused, Sony could use the cooling and board technology with the regular PS5 APU and put everything inside the PS5 Slim chassis.

For someone buying a new PS5 Slim, that could be good news. Some of the changes made to the PS5 Pro were designed to improve cooling, security, and longevity, and those improvements can now apparently carry over to the regular PS5 through this latest revision.

It's also interesting because the PS5 Pro previously had some hardware improvements that weren't found in the PS5 Slim. The latest revision effectively brings some of those ideas to the standard console without requiring you to buy the more expensive Pro model.

However, if you already own a PS5, there's probably no reason to sell it and replace it with the revised model immediately. Getting enough money back from your current console to justify buying another one at full price would be difficult, and the older PS5 models aren't suddenly unusable because this revision exists.

The bigger problem is actually figuring out which version you're buying if you're shopping for a PS5 in a store.

Sony's packaging and manuals don't always get updated at the same time as the hardware. That means the information printed on a box may not necessarily make it obvious which internal revision you're getting.

Retail stores also aren't exactly designed for you to inspect every PS5 box. Usually, you'll see a dummy box or display model, while the actual consoles are kept behind a locked glass door. If you want to check the hardware code, you may need a store employee to open the cabinet and bring out the console, which can turn the process into more effort than it's worth.

If you're buying your first PS5, though, especially with GTA 6 on the horizon, getting the latest revision could make sense. You're getting several of the hardware improvements associated with the PS5 Pro, including changes intended to improve cooling and long-term durability.

That's particularly relevant because we're now approaching the later part of the PS5 generation. Consoles aren't getting any cheaper, and if you're buying a PS5 this late in its life, you may expect to keep it for several years rather than replacing it immediately with whatever comes next.

The PS6 is expected to arrive in the coming years, but buying a PS5 now doesn't necessarily mean you're planning to upgrade as soon as Sony's next-generation console launches. With current console prices, many people buying toward the end of the generation will probably want to keep it for a long time.

This latest revision also highlights how different Sony's approach to console hardware has become compared with previous generations.

In the past, hardware revisions often came with more obvious physical changes. You could get a completely different chassis, a special edition, or a redesigned console that looked noticeably different from the original.

The PS3 is a good example. There was the original PS3 Fat, including versions with special designs like Spider-Man 3 branding. Then came the PS3 Slim, which many people ended up buying. There was also the PS3 Super Slim, which switched to a top-loading design with a sliding door.

The PS4 also had its own redesigns and special-edition systems. The original PS4's matte black design eventually became familiar, and Sony also released several themed consoles tied to individual games, including the PS4 Pro.

The PS5 generation hasn't had quite the same variety.

There have been special editions, particularly for Marvel games and Ghost of Yōtei, but they have been relatively limited compared with previous generations. Sony has also dealt with the manufacturing difficulties surrounding both the PS5 and PS5 Pro, which may help explain why the company hasn't produced hardware variations at the same pace.

Pricing is another factor. Previous PlayStation generations eventually saw price cuts as they aged, but the PS5 generation has gone the opposite way. Instead of becoming consistently cheaper over time, the console has seen price increases in different markets.

So, while this latest PS5 revision isn't something existing owners need to rush out and replace their consoles for, it does represent an interesting set of changes. The smaller motherboard, redesigned cooling system, and improved liquid-metal tray could make this one of the more durable versions of Sony's current console.

If you already have an original PS5, there's still little reason to worry. The older machines still work, and there's no indication that every previous model is suddenly suffering widespread hardware failures. The new revision is simply another step in Sony's ongoing effort to refine the PS5 hardware as the generation moves toward its later years.