Sony's PS5 has now been available for over half a year. Alongside the standard PS5 console - complete with a disc port - Sony also launched its PS5 Digital Edition. Like its slightly bulkier and more expensive sibling, it comes in white. Well...for now, anyway.
The original PS4 was black; it was sleek; it was svelte; it was stunning. But PlayStation's design team have shaken things up with the PS5's two-tone design that also translates to the Digital Edition.
Since the console was first revealed, one of the most requested features or changes was a black variant. If Sony does release a blackPS5, we'd expect it to be available as a Digital Edition too.
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With that in mind, here's everything we know about the PS5 Digital Edition Black version...
PS5 Digital Edition Black Release date
There's no word yet on the PS5 Digital Edition Black's release date. Unfortunately for those perhaps waiting for a last-minute black reveal ahead of the PS5's November 12 launch, no such event occurred. The PS5 released worldwide in November 2020, exclusively in white.
As prospective console owners are still struggling to buy a PS5 console now, almost six months later, we'd expect Sony's focus for now just to be getting PS5's into their hands, regardless of the colour. This means that a black PS5 is likely at least a year off, if not longer. At the earliest, we'd predict a late-2021 release. More realistically, however, it won't be until 2022.
Indeed, with a new PS5 redesign reportedly launching in 2022, this could be the perfect chance for a colour change. However, as DigiTimes reports, this hardware revision is likely just to be internal, rather than focusing on the aesthetic.
There is also the slight chance that Sony could focus its attention on a black version of the PS5 Standard Edition, leaving the Digital Edition only available in white. The emphasis is on the slight chance of this, as the Digital Edition is a highly profitable product for Sony, as it forces players to buy games exclusively through its storefront- a fact that would not change if it launched in black.
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Midnight Black and Cosmic Red PS5 controller revealed
On May 13, Sony revealed its two upcoming DualSense variants, finally ditching the white controller design for two all-black and red-and-black designs. You can read everything we know on these controllers here, but what does this mean for the black PS5 Digital Edition?
Well, for starters it shows that Sony has not lost its black paint. Some feared that Sony would stay committed to its white design for some time, but now a black PS5 controller is launching just 7 months after the console's release, it gives us a slight hope that a black console might not be too far off, either.
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PlayStation exec comments on potential PS5 colours
After Geoff Keighley's hands-on with the DualSense event, Eric Lempel, PlayStation's Head of Global Marketing, gave an interview to Keighley in which he was pressed about PS5 colour variants.
"Right now, it's a hard enough job to get the unit we showed out," explained Lempel "so, we'll talk about it at some point."
Lempel seems to be hinting that a black PS5 variant may be coming down the line, but perhaps not until well after the release of the base PlayStation 5.
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PS5 Digital Edition Black price
We now know the PS5 Digital Edition is priced cheaper than the base PS5, costing $399.99/£359.99 compared to the PS5's $499.99/£449.99 price point.
The original PlayStation and PS2 hit the shelves at £299, with the PS3 at £425 and PS4 at £350.
We'd expect that if Sony ever does release a Digital Edition in black that the next-gen console will also cost $399.99/£349.99, although this isn't confirmed.
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PS5 Digital Edition Black pre-order
The white PS5's pre-orders opened on September 17. But given there is no news on a black version of either the Digital Edition or the base PlayStation 5, we don't expect pre-orders to open anytime soon for a black variant.
When pre-orders did go live, both the base PS5 and the Digital Edition sold out almost instantly. Retailers such as Argos, Curry's, and Amazon have all received new stock in the past few months, albeit this has been limited.
While PlayStation 5's seem to have sold out across the board, restocks are imminent, and so we'd recommend keeping an eye on these links if you want to secure a white PS5 ahead of the launch of the black version.
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A gold PS5?
If black's not really your style, this gold PS5 will class up your gaming setup!
TrulyExquisite, who describe themselves as "the UK's Premier Luxury Customisation Brand" has released a custom gold PlayStation 5 console they intend to make.
Their custom PS5's will be available in 24k Gold, Platinum and 18k Rose Gold.
On their PS5 page, which you can visit here, TrulyExquisite adds that they "cannot wait to start custom making these true beauties."
The company said they would start shipping the gold PS5's in December 2020.
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