By default, Sony markets the PlayStation 5 only in white. However, the Japanese company also sells colored plates if you want to personalize the console. Except that the hanging system is a nightmare.
Three years after its launch, the PlayStation 5 was given a little diet: Sony launched a Slim version, which has the merit of reducing its measurements. Enough to make a console that is absolutely not easy to place in a piece of furniture less bulky – its atypical design doesn’t help matters. The PS5 Slim is therefore a blessing for our decoration.
But there is one point that can be debated: as standard, Sony sells the PlayStation 5 in white. This finish can clash in an interior that is not as light. Fortunately, it is possible to personalize the color of the PS5 Slim by purchasing plates. During CES 2024, Numerama was able to take photos of three other colors (red, blue and silver). We have just received the black plates, sold for €55 on the PlayStation store. So far, so good.
Changing the color of your PS5 Slim is a nightmare
First thing to know: modifying the fronts of your PlayStation 5 Slim has no impact on the warranty. This is a means of customization that is officially authorized by Sony. We will also remember that installing an SSD in your console requires removing one of the four plates.
Other important information: the colored fronts marketed by Sony are compatible with both versions of the PS5 Slim (with or without reader) – but not the PS5 Fat, of course. In the box, there are actually five plates: three common to both and one which adapts to your choice of having a reader or not (it is removable).
The faceplates are designed to be simple to remove and replace. In the instructions provided by Sony, they are identified by one of the four buttons on the controller (cross, square, circle, triangle). These symbols make it easy to find your way around and make sure you don’t have the wrong plate. In reality, everything is not so simple.
The black plate is poorly placed
The white one fits perfectly
I have changed the color of the PlayStation 5 Fat several times, whether with official plates or not (with the dbrand brand), without any problem. On the PS5 Slim, it’s a different story. As the facades are based on four parts (compared to two for the Fat), manipulations are more complex.
The idea is always to lift lightly and pull. However, the way the PS5 Slim’s fronts are designed makes the process less obvious. Everything rests on small, fairly fragile lugs, on which we do not dare to force too much, even though it is necessary for each plate to be well fixed (a small clicking sound should be audible). On the original PS5, the lugs are much larger and better designed, because they are more robust.
The lugs of the black plate are damaged
The lugs on the white board are perfect
During my color change, I was able to attach three of the four plates without much effort. It was with the fourth that things got complicated: impossible to install it correctly, unlike the original one (in white). I then looked at the back, noticing that some lugs were bent differently, preventing the plate from taking its natural position. Did I come across a defective model Or did I damage the lugs by perhaps forcing too much? I lean towards the first option, being a delicate person. In all cases, these lugs are much too small and the system chosen by Sony, imposed by a convoluted design, is not at all ergonomic. It’s even annoying when it doesn’t work and I almost broke everything by forcing it a little too much. At €55 for a set of plates (€60 for other colors), this is unacceptable.
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