Sony may have a new PlayStation 5 variant in the making, and leakers claim that a test kit that is circling around and working phenomenally well. While information about any potential new variants and subvariants of the PS5 console has been scarce, rumor has it that Sony has got a relatively major showcase coming up sometime in 2023.While all the previous Sony consoles have received refreshes with special Slim variants sometime during their respective lifetimes, there's been absolutely no word on whether the PS5 will receive the same sort of treatment. Namely, the console has already had a slight refresh that comes with a significantly smaller heatsink, but Sony has been mum about any bigger changes, and sources suggest that this is bound to change next year.RELATED: Sony Could Be Working on AR GamesWhile some may have been disappointed by the previous PS5 model refresh and its lack of meaningful novelty and improvements, leaker Tom Henderson claims that Sony has big things in store for 2023 and the next CES. Namely, Henderson claims that multiple sources claim that they've handled test kits for a new PS5 with a detachable disk drive. According to these sources, the console "works flawlessly," and there should be an official announcement coming soon. Posting via Insider Gaming, Henderson claims that the disk drive will be a separate purchase option that will connect to the console using a USB-C port, highlighting that it should attach "without looking external."

Setting aside any discussions about the potential PS6 release window in the more distant future, Henderson implies that Sony may be looking to replace the current disk and digital versions of PS5 with a customizable baseline in the shorter term. Specifically, he said that Sony is looking to produce 18.5 million units of these consoles and only 12 million of the existing PS5 versions in the fiscal year of 2023. This suggests that the existing model would eventually get phased out entirely.

While there's still no official information about the slim/customizable PS5 model, Henderson's claims are hardly out of place. Focusing on a single upgradeable device would streamline Sony's production capacities and make the basic model smaller and lighter. Those who have invested in custom PlayStation 5 faceplates, however, may find themselves unable to use them, depending on whether Sony has introduced major redesigns to accommodate these alleged changes.

The existence of a PS5 with a detachable disk drive remains officially uncorroborated at this time, so it's worth taking with a pinch of salt. If it does end up being revealed, as Henderson suggested it would, then the good news is that the hardware is bound to be fully compatible with the current PS5 iteration. The same cannot be said about Sony's VR endeavors, though, as the PS VR2 is not backward compatible.

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Source: Insider Gaming