PS5 concept design fixes a major problem with the dev kit

The design of Sony’s PlayStation 5 remains a mystery and with launch less than a year away, fans have been doing everything in their power to figure out what Sony is cooking up. One fan's excellent mockup looks way more impressive than even the PS5 dev kits that were previously released. Might this finally pressure Sony into some kind of official reveal?

Leaked images of the console’s developer kits have previously suggested Sony might opt for a peculiar, V-shaped design, but a batch of fan-created and totally unofficial concept renders published Tuesday address the biggest issue gamers had with the dev kits: their massive size.

Animator and 3D artist Jermaine Smit, better known as Concept Creator, collaborated with German tech blog LetsGoDigital to create a stunningly sleek mockup for the upcoming PS5 that looks legit despite being in no way official. These designs are purely Smit’s interpretation of how the next-gen gaming system might look like when it’s released later in the year.

The renders share the same traditional, rectangular design that has been used for every PlayStation in history, but it's incredibly compact and slim compared to the PS4. The original PS4 is wedge-shaped and stands at just over 2-inches tall. These renders seem like they have shaved off as much as half an inch and have ditched the wedged front for straighter edges that ironically more closely resembles the Xbox One.

All of the PS5 dev kits we’ve seen so far look like they could be at least double the height of the PS4. They're also covered in air vents, which may have caused some gamers to worry about the final design. Fortunately, it’s unlikely that the final design will look anything like its dev kits. That kind of test hardware is specifically designed to maximize performance and keep internet components cool so developers can use at their maximum potential without any hitches.

The product that goes to market will most likely look a lot more like Smit’s designs as opposed to the PS5 dev kits. The PS4’s dev kits were absolutely monstrous compared to the console’s final shape and the same thing will most likely happen with the PS5. That is, unless Sony opts for a design out of left field to try and one-up Microsoft’s Xbox Series X.

The new Xbox was revealed to be shaped like a PC-tower, which is unlike any other Xbox that has come before it. That means it’ll be the tallest but the narrowest Xbox ever released, which should help it fit snugly next to books on gamers’ shelves. Sony could try to match Microsoft’s surprise design change with something more futuristic.

A less-than-legit “leak” that also surfaced online Tuesday claimed that Sony would opt for a ridiculous, spherical design like the Okama Game Sphere from a 2001 episode of South Park. There’s no real evidence to believe Sony will do anything of the sort, so gamers are left to expect that the PS5 will once again be rectangular.

Let’s just hope the final rendering of the PlayStation 5 is as slender as Smit’s mockups.