PlayStation 5 - Design Analysis

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June 29, 2020

During its “Future of Gaming” livestream, Sony revealed the much anticipated PlayStation 5 (PS5) console. People had some really strong feelings about the PS5 when it was revealed on June 11, 2019. We came across several memes comparing the PS5 to Zaha Hadid buildings, wifi router and popes headgear. Most of the talking points have stemmed from our own experience of designing products for various different brands in a wide variety of sectors including consumer products, electronics and medical devices. However, we have not ever written anything that could be considered a product review. This is only an opinion about the design of the PS5. Some people really liked the way it looks, while others hated it. Let’s look at what works and what doesn’t work.

We really respect the design team at Sony for trying something new and unique. The design of the PS5 definitely makes a bold statement and compliments it’s tagline - Play Has No Limits. Sony took a completely unexpected approach towards it. Clearly, they wanted the PS5 to stand out and look futuristic.

The first thing you notice when you look at the PS5 are the two white surfaces that appear to be floating off from the main body. The two white surfaces have very gentle and subtle curves that creates a strong visual movement. The big glossy and shiny main body helps to draw your eye in. Sony has cleverly hidden all the functional aspects of the PS5 like the USB ports, buttons and vents, by blending them in with the main body.

The most expressive feature of the PS5 are the white fins that extend outwards past the edges of the main body. Another feature that makes the design very expressive are the vents. The vents are seamlessly tucked in between the white shell and the main body. In contrast to most tech products that have straight edges and geometric vents, the PS5 has more organically shaped and non - uniform vents that flow nicely along the curves of the white shell.

The biggest critique we have for the PS5 is the presence of the disk drive input. There is no other straight line present on the console which makes it look quite odd. It would have made more sense to place it in the center with the other functional components. The placement for the disk drive feels like an afterthought. That is why we feel that the digital edition of the PS5 has a more cohesive design.

Another major critique we have is that the PS5 may not fit inside a home. Designing a product in context of where and how it will be used is good design practice. For some people, gaming is an escape from everyday life. Is that what Sony is hinting at through PS5’s design? Is Sony hinting that the PS5 might transport you to a different dimension?

The design of the PS5 is what we thought the future would look like in the early 2000s, maybe because we've already seen these trends in architecture, especially in buildings designed by Zaha Hadid, and that provides a certain degree of familiarity with its design language. It's nice to see Sony embrace an emotive design. Being an entertainment system, it will already be entertainment in itself to see these in living rooms. But we will be able to give our final review only when we see the PS5 in person.