PS5 Leak Suggests It May Be Customizable
The release of the PlayStation 5 is mere months away and there's still plenty that we don't know about it. We finally got to see what the console looks like last month, but a recent leak suggests that Sony is about to change all of that in an interesting way.
Noted video game info leaker Wario64 recently posted a series of pictures on Twitter that showed off the white outer shell of the PlayStation 5. It's always cool to see something like this seemingly during assembly. However, the one detail of these pictures that will have people talking is that the faceplates have hooks appear to be designed to snap onto and off of the outside console, instead of being a piece that would be permanently affixed.
This could mean a few different things. One reply to Wario64's post suggests that this will make the system a lot easier to clean (which would be great, considering the all-white design). However, it also seems like the faceplates have been designed to be easier to swap out. In other words, we could be looking at a system that is built to be customizable.
It should be noted that Wario64 is usually on the money when it comes to info leaks. Wario64 is the one who famously leaked screenshots of Resident Evil: Resistance before it was officially announced.
If these pictures of the PS5 shell are legit, they actually match up pretty well with some of the things we've heard regarding the special editions of the PlayStation 5 and customization. During a conversation on LinkedIn (via Tom's Guide), PlayStation's vice president of UX Design Matt MacLaurin talked up the wide range of things he expected to be done with the PlayStation 5.
MacLaurin told fans, "Customization with special editions will be beyond anything seen before," referencing different mockups for faceplates he had seen online. He also confirmed on LinkedIn that PlayStation 5 "is also customizable in ways previous gens weren't."
In other words, there is a very good chance that the pictures posted by Wario64 are legit. And if that's the case, then it opens up a whole new avenue for how fans can customize their PlayStation 5 consoles. Sony may indeed be planning to sell a variety of alternate faceplates for gamers to swap onto and off of their PS5s.
MacLaurin has actually hinted at this previously, mentioning that he hoped to see PlayStations modeled after specific video game franchises. As an example, he told fans that he'd love to see a PlayStation 5 console with a Horizon Zero Dawn theme. There are plenty of awesome console exclusive games headed to the PlayStation 5, so there are likewise several candidates for game-specific PS5 faceplates. Superstar artists like BossLogic are already creating mockups of things like a Miles Morales-themed PS5 to show us the possibilities.
It would certainly be interesting to see Sony selling different faceplates for the console, as well as whatever kooky designs could be cooked up by third-party partners. There have been a few instances in the past of companies doing something similar to this. For example, as pointed out by a fan on Twitter, Microsoft gave out limited edition faceplates for the Xbox 360 at special events. Also, as KitGuru points out, the first PS4 model had a plate on its left side that could be swapped out and allowed owners to replace the system's HDD. However, it seems like Sony is banking on this being a whole other market for its latest console to explore.
This is an exciting prospect for some fans. One person replying to Wario64's post wrote, "No more having to buy an entire new console just for a paint scheme. Now Sony can jus [sic] sell you the shell and you can apply to your console if you choose. Pro consumer!"
If options for customization are going to be a big part of the PS5 experience, then it could solve a major problem that people have with the console. Ever since the initial reveal of the PlayStation 5's design at the Future of Gaming livestream event, the overall response to the PS5's design has been mixed at best. People have made memes clowning on the PlayStation 5's design, with the most common joke being that it looks like a fancy white router.
It seems like Sony may have actually anticipated there being some backlash to this big change in PlayStation design aesthetics. We probably won't know the specifics of the PS5's customization features until closer to the console's release this holiday season. In the meantime, it should be fun to just imagine what kinds of designs we can look forward to seeing.
Presumably, they won't all be as intense as that 24K gold PlayStation 5 that was just announced.