PS5 Black Console Version: Will Sony release a black PlayStation 5 console? All the latest on a black PS5 edition, including price, release date, pre-orders and more!

It's now been well over a year since Sony first launched the PS5, and there has been no sign of a PS5 black console. All PS5 stock - released in limited quantities - has consisted entirely of the white PS5, to the dismay of many. However, stock levels have gradually increased, and more gamers have finally got their hands on a base PlayStation 5 console. So could it finally be time for Sony to turn its attention to a variant on its PS5 design?

Releasing a black PS5 could draw the PS5 further comparisons to its competitor- the Xbox Series X. The Series X first launched in white. But similar to PS5 fans, Xbox fans also expressed interest in a white Xbox Series X console. While fans have waited patiently, or impatiently, for a black version, news has been thin on the ground. Until now, that is.

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Here's everything we know about the PS5 black console version...

Update: Black PS5 Console Covers Finally Announced

We've been waiting a long time, but that wait is finally at an end. In December 2021, Sony announced some new customisation options for the PS5. This includes the long wished for black faceplates. So while this may not be a black console right out of the box, it does now allow players to have a fully black console, should they wish.

Alongside the announcement of the black console covers, Sony announced new DualSense controller colours - Nova Pink, Starlight Blue, and Galactic Purple. These went on sale worldwide in January 2022.

The console covers - Midnight Black, Cosmic Red, Nova Pink, Starlight Blue and Galactic Purple - have a slightly different release schedule. The black and red covers became available in January 2022 in the following locations: USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea, and the Philippines. The pink, blue and purple covers will launch later in the first half of 2022 in the same places. Sony hopes to release these in additional territories through the course of the year.

Additionally, if you live in the US, UK, France, or Germany, some of these products will be available via early access via direct.playstation.com. The Midnight Black console cover launched on the website January 21, before becoming more widely available from February 18.

So if you've been hoping for a sleek black PS5, your prayers have finally been answered. As long as you live in certain parts of the world. Read on, to see how this story has unfolded over the last year or so...

UPDATE: Midnight Black PS5 controller revealed

Sony revealed two new DualSense controller variants - Midnight Black, and Cosmic Red. Released in June 2021, these were the first PS5 products to not come in the black-and-white design, and shows us that Sony has not thrown away its black paint entirely.

First revealed in a trailer on 13 May 2021, which you can see below, these two DualSense controllers could signal that Sony has heard its fans and is set to launch a new swathe of PS5 products in different colours.

In explaining the Midnight Black and Cosmic Red design, Sony’s Leo Cardosa said in a blog post: “We wanted the new controller colors to complement each other, as well as the original DualSense wireless controller and PS5 console, so we designed the colors around the theme of ‘galaxy’ as it felt like a natural progression from the original PS5 and accessories designs.”

Players could buy the Midnight Black and Cosmic Red DualSense controllers from June 2021.

Does this mean we might also see a Cosmic Red PS5 in the future?

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about the PS5 controller black version

PULSE 3D in Midnight Black

To tease us even further, Sony is releasing a midnight black version of its Pulse 3D headset in October 2021. This is by no means proof that a PS5 black console is in the pipeline. But it isn't exactly a stretch to envisage a black console to match the headset and the DualSense controllers. Why wouldn't Sony allow us to coordinate our equipment? Are they monsters? We will have to wait and see.

PS5 redesign reported for 2022, but will it be black?

Much like the highly anticipated Nintendo Switch Pro, the PS5 is reportedly set to receive a hardware redesign next year. As reported by DigiTimes (via VGC), the semiconductor manufacturer TSMC is ramping up plans for the new PS5 revision, which also includes a new AMD 6nm CPU.

While the Switch did not receive this hardware upgrade in 2021 (with the Switch OLED launching instead), this rumour is still floating around for the PS5.

This would be the perfect chance for Sony to release colour variants of the PS5, but unfortunately, it seems this may not be the case. According to these reports, the redesign will focus on the internal components of the next-gen console.

However, there is still hope for a black PS5...

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Is a Black PS5 available through official channels?

In a huge FAQ post about the PS5 released a few days before the console's launch, Sony confirmed that "there won’t be additional colors or designs available for either of the PS5 models at launch."

This was an expected confirmation, given there has been no mention of a variation on the PS5's current two-tone design. As a result, many have taken to creating a black PS5 themselves, including one of our friends over at Gfinityesports.com, taking off the PS5 panelling and painting it black.

This may sound like a nifty idea, but it comes with a warning! This will likely render any warranty void, meaning if your PS5 runs into any issues, Sony might not help you.

Of course, the key phrase in the FAQ's was 'at launch'. This leaves open the possibility for a black PS5 in the future. But here we are over a year later, and we still know nothing about what this could entail.

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When will Sony announce a black PS5?

Sony has remained quiet about any console or console variant, which means we cannot be 100% certain about a black PS5's existence until an announcement arrives.

It seems unlikely that a black console will be ready for a while, following comments from PlayStation's Head of Global Marketing, Eric Lempel, in an interview with Geoff Keighley.

When pressed by Keighley about different coloured controllers or consoles, Lempel stated: "Right now, it's a hard enough job to get the unit we showed out so, we'll talk about it at some point."

PS5 black console release date

The PS5 was released on November 12 in the USA, Japan, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea - with the rest of the world getting in on the PlayStation action on November 19th. There was no black variant to be seen.

If we had to make a prediction, the earliest Sony could feasibly launch a black PS5 would not be before 2022. The company remains constrained by component shortages and other issues that come from launching a new console amid a global pandemic.

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PS5 black version pre-order

As the PS5 pre-orders began on 17th September 2020, there was not a black PlayStation 5 in sight. This did not stop the next-gen console from selling out almost immediately, with countless retailers running out of stock in mere minutes. This trend has continued ever since, through numerous restocks from the likes of Curry's, Argos and Amazon.

If you're waiting to pre-order a black PS5, we do not know when they will open. The variant has yet to be officially announced. However, we'd expect the same retailers shipping the white PS5 to also hold stock of a black version. It's worth keeping those links around for when pre-orders go live.

We'll update this page with any new information as it comes.

PS5 black console price

When in stock, the PS5 is available for £449.99 in the UK, or $499.99 in the US. Unless black paint costs more, we'd expect this price point to remain the same for the black edition.

As for the PS5 Digital Edition black, we'd again predict the disc drive-less console will cost £359.99 or $399.99 - the same price as the base version.

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How to buy a black PS5

However, just because Sony has yet to release an official black PS5 doesn't mean that you can't pick one up from a third-party seller.

The company CMP Shells has offered fans the chance to get their hands on a black PS5 through black faceplates. Its limited edition CMP Blackout is no longer available. But there is a range of other faceplates on sale on their website.

Hints of a black console in the works?

There are other companies on the web offering black PS5 faceplates. But this no longer includes the folks over at Dbrand (you can click here to check their one out). DBrand famously said, "Sue us, Sony". According to a recent Reddit post, Sony has called their bluff. DBrand have confirmed they received a cease and desist order, which they've chosen to comply with "for now". Interestingly, they also make the following statement:

As far as conspiracy theories go, this is much closer to "Jeffrey Epstein didn't kill himself" than to "the COVID-19 vaccine has 5G microchips inside of it." Let's examine the chronology:

First, Sony launches a white PlayStation 5, white DualSense controllers and a white Pulse 3D headset.

Next, Sony launches black DualSense controllers.

After that, Sony launches a black Pulse 3D headset. We'll let you speculate on what's being blacked out next.

https://www.reddit.com/r/dbrand/comments/q94jua/darkplates_are_dead_thanks_sony/

The suggestion from DBrand is that this action from Sony only makes sense if they have plans. Specifically, plans to either launch a PS5 with black faceplates, or possibly a licensing model to have a monopoly on custom faceplates. To further add to the intrigue, Sony has just filed a patent for the PS5 faceplates. This could, of course, be an effort to support their legal threats against the likes of DBrand.

Alternatively, it could suggest that Sony themselves are preparing to launch a range of coloured faceplates, to give PS5 owners customisation options. If this is the case, then we'd expect black to be involved. This would be consistent with the statements from Sony prior to the console launching, where they confirmed that that the console was more customisable than previous generations. It's all tantalising, but we await definitive answers.

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Sony themselves have stated that due to high demand, there is a limit of one set of console covers per household. But at least we can get a black PS5 now. It's been a long road. But we've finally made it.