Microsoft predicts PS5 Slim console launch this year

Microsoft reckons Sony will launch a PS5 Slim console later this year.

There’s been a fair amount of legal to-and-fro between Sony and Microsoft of late, as the former – alongside several of the world’s major regulators – attempts to prevent the latter from acquiring mega-publisher Activision Blizzard.

The upside of all this courtroom wrangling, at least for curious gamers, is that loads of juicy information on both companies has been exposed to the light. Take this latest tidbit for instance.

As part of the ongoing FTC v. Microsoft hearing (one of those major regulator interventions we mentioned), the American company had this to say: “PlayStation likewise sells a less expensive Digital Edition for $399.99, and is expected to release a PlayStation 5 Slim later this year at the same reduced price point.”

We’ve been asking whether there’ll be a PS5 Slim since at least 2020, when Microsoft announced the stripped back Xbox Series S. Back in September, there was even a well-sourced rumour claiming that Sony was working on a revised PS5 with a removable disc drive, which could be this PS5 Slim that Microsoft has referenced.

The question is, does Microsoft know something more than these rumours that all of us have already heard? Or has it used its special industry access to glean intel on its rival’s console launch plans?

Microsoft also repeats its previous assertion that “Sony is also anticipated to release a handheld version of PlayStation 5 later this year for under $300”. Again, does Microsoft know something we don’t? Given its uniquely privileged position in the industry, we suspect so.