Perhaps the most asked question since the PlayStation 5 was unveiled has been, “will it come in black?” So far, the answer has been no, and the console has been mocked for its appearance. One company is looking to change that in 2021 with a special edition PS5 that will commemorate the 30th Anniversary of the PS2.
The first to attempt to give the PS5 a new look is PlateStation5, a website which announced black replacement plates for the PS5 before the console was even released. Sony threatened legal action and the website changed its name to Customize My Plates briefly before being forced to shut down entirely and refund all pre-orders. Another website tried to avoid lawsuit by instead selling vinyl skins to wrap onto the PS5, but it gave up on the venture, citing the job as too difficult, and swearing at its customers in the process.
A new group called SUP3R5 announced on the PlayStation subreddit that it will be selling PS2-themed “30th Anniversary of PlayStation” edition PS5s next week, even though the PlayStation brand only just recently celebrated its 26th anniversary. The special PS5s feature a matte black finish on the removable plates with a classic-styled rotatable PlayStation logo, just like the PS2 and PS3 had. The controller will also feature the same black finish and will be available separately as well.
SUP3R5 will selling both disc and non-disc versions at $100 above the MSRP for the systems, which is still a good price when compared to the astronomical amounts some PS5s have been going for on eBay. SUP3R5 will be selling 304 of them, though it did not clarify the breakdown between the two PS5 models. The website also notes that it must disassemble the DualSense controller to change its color, and as such, the warranty for it will be voided. The website does not expect that to be an issue with the PS5 itself, as the plates are designed to be removable.
Some questions still remain, like how SUP3R5 will obtain 304 PS5s to modify, as the only other group other than a retailer who has managed to obtain that many is a UK reselling group who amassed over 2,500 systems by using bots to buy up stock. It also is possible, if not likely, that SUP3R5 will also be forced to cease and desist by Sony’s legal team. Only time will tell. The pre-orders for the 30th Anniversary of PlayStation will be on January 5, 2021, with the option for those interested to sign up for an email notification for a specific time on that day.
The previously mentioned PS5 skin retailer that canceled orders and swore at customers, known as dbrand, also has plans for 2021, having just recently announced plans to construct “OEM-grade faceplates” for the PS5 while making the bold move to egg Sony on into suing them. How it plans to succeed where others and its previous self have failed is unclear.
The PlayStation 5 is available now.
Source: SUP3R5