PlayStation 5 Pro: we've removed it from its box – and there's new information to share

The first part of the PlayStation 5 Pro embargo lifts today, meaning that we can show – on camera! – a console being taken out of its packaging! It’s a box that may prove similar to owners of the existing PlayStation 5, as it’s essentially packaged in the same way: an easily tearable outer layer gives way to a sturdier white cardboard box with a main compartment for the console itself and a secondary area for power cable, horizontal stand pieces, HDMI and USB-C to USB-C cables and a dual sense controller. So far, no surprises.

However, the console itself is rather nice. We can’t say that we’re fans of the original, hulking design of the launch PlayStation 5, but the revised Slim model has much reduced volume and a more svelte approach to the design – and so it is with the PlayStation 5 Pro, which is taller but still occupies a good deal less volume than the launch model.

Going into this experience, we were expecting a much larger, heavier piece of kit. Based on leaked specs, we were expecting a 6nm processor just like the Slim, scaled up for the extra hardware and requiring beefier cooling. The Pro larger but not to the extent we thought it would be. The manual says it weighs 3.1kg, down from the launch Digital Edition’s 3.9kg. It’s only 500g heavier than a Slim. A teardown from an early release unit that appeared on YouTube over the weekend also hints at a smaller than expected processor.

Beyond that, the unboxing holds no surprises. The unit can stand vertically without Sony’s official stand, but there is the possibility of some decrease in thermal efficiency if you don’t use it. Sony also supplied us with the stand, and it’s astonishingly expensive for what it is – but I was also surprised to see that it comes with an add-on plate for support for launch model PS5s, which shipped with a stand to begin with.