05 August 2023 , 05:00
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The PS5 taking its biggest-ever price cut during the PlayStation Summer Sale might mean that the PS5 Slim announcement is just around the corner.
Rumours have been swirling about the PS5 Slim and with the recent PlayStation Summer Sale seeing the price of PS5 drop to its lowest ever with an £80 discount, it looks like Sony could be dropping it sooner than we think. The PlayStation Summer Sale could easily be Sony clearing out excess PS5 stock in preparation for the PS5 Slim announcement
Bear in mind we haven't seen any significant discounts on the PS5 since its release back in November 2020; so it's quite a surprise to see the price drop by almost £100 with the discount making PS5 bundle deals incredible value for money as well. On top of that, this isn't a flash discount either; the PlayStation Summer Sale, which is seeing price cuts on games as well as hardware and accessories, kicked off in mid-July and runs up until Tuesday, August 16. That's practically a whole month for consumers to get their hands on a PS5 in what is the best deal we've ever seen on the console.
Typically when we see prices drop on major hardware like the PS5, Xbox Series S or Nintendo Switch, it's during key sales periods like Amazon Prime Day or Black Friday. They're short-lived, lasting for just a few days, to encourage a spurt of sales as people save up specifically to make the most of the discounts. So this current extended discount period seems to indicate that there may be an ulterior motive here for Sony.
If the company really is clearing PS5 stock out in order to prepare for the PS5 Slim announcement, then it sure has done a good job with PS5 sales increasing by 75% in the UK following the rolling out of the price drop (via GamesIndustry.biz). This comes shortly after the PS5 hit 40 million units sold just last month, and it shows no sign of slowing down.
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Slim chance?
Based on previous PlayStation console launches, the PS5 Slim announcement should be near. We saw the PS4 standard edition come out in November 2013, followed by the PS4 Slim just three years later in September 2016. If the PS5 follows suit, then we should be seeing the PS5 Slim announcement fall around sometime next month, in September.
Rumours from earlier this year suggest that the PS5 Slim will have a detachable disc drive which will be sold separately, making the two separate models we currently have obsolete. But I wouldn't hold off on buying a PS5 during the sale – this is pure speculation, firstly, and secondly, if Sony is wiping out the standard and digital editions as they currently stand, you'll probably be able to see it years later for a bumped up price as a piece of gaming history.