UPDATE 15/03/2024: Stuff got in touch with PlayStation South Africa’s distributor, Gamefinity, which confirmed the official launch date of 5 April 2024 for both the PS5 Slim (Digital) and the PS5 Slim (Disc). It also noted that their prices would be R12,000 and R14,000 respectively.
As for the new console’s accessories — the standalone BluRay disc drive and Slim Vertical stand will be released alongside their console counterparts on 5 April 2024. The disc drive will cost R3,000, while the vertical stand (also sold separately) will cost R700.
ORIGINAL 15/03/2024:
Seriously, it’s time to say goodbye to that first-gen PS4 you’re still holding onto. We get it. A failing economy, nostalgia, and the fact that it doubles as a mini heater in Winter makes it an enticing bit of kit. But it’s 2024. It’s time to move on and what better way to do so than with the PS5 “Slim”, which is expected to land in South Africa sometime in early April.
It might not be a “Slim” in Sony’s eyes — who insists on calling it a plain old PlayStation 5 — but the massive weight and volume reduction coupled with a facelift that doesn’t make us want to hurl beg to differ. It’s a Slim, Sony. Get over it. And it’s turning up in South Africa, and soon. That’s what South Africa’s PlayStation distributor, Gamefinity had to say on the subject.
Will the real PS5 Slim please stand up?
When Sony first launched the refreshed PS5 in November last year, it didn’t come with any technical upgrades. It’s rocking the same hardware as a regular COVID-era PlayStation 5, wrapped in a smaller, lighter and prettier package. The most notable change was the loss of the disc drive, making the “Slim” an entirely digital affair.
Don’t worry, physical isn’t dead (yet). Sony’s dreamed up a solution that’ll see customers picking up their own disc drives and installing them separately, bringing in a new revenue stream for the Japanese company.
Read More: PS5 vs. PS5 Slim – What’s the difference?
If you were hoping for a price cut once the new consoles arrived, we envy your naivety. Sony’s sticking with the current console’s RRP of R12,000 for a PS5 with a single controller and no BluRay disc drive. If you’re after a bundle that contains a disc drive out of the box, you’ll be paying R14,000 — the price of the base PS5 in store now.
The PS5 Slim without a disc drive should arrive in the first week of April, as long as South Africa’s port services remain on track. The console’s Disc Drive Edition will only arrive three weeks later, nearer the end of April, again, contingent on South Africa’s port services.