The era of the next-generation gaming consoles is almost here, and many players are now looking forward to what the latest technology in console gaming will offer to the table. Earlier this month, Sony finally unveiled the design of the PlayStation 5 alongside some of the games that will be released to the console. While the reception of the PS5's design has been mixed, many are wondering what the actual dimensions of the system are, given that Sony did not divulge that information during its official unveiling.

This led to widespread speculation on the PS5's dimensions, and based on the photos released by Sony so far, it appears that the PS5 is on the bulky side. Of course, this is expected given the console's beefier internals, which would require the support of a proper cooling system. Although the size of the PS5 still remains a mystery, many speculate that it will be bigger than the Xbox Series X, and may even be the biggest console Sony has ever produced. Now, here is a breakdown of all the previous generation PlayStation console and how the PS5 compares in size based on estimates from photos.

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PlayStation and PlayStation One vs. PS5

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Starting off with the very first PlayStation, which was released by Sony in 1995. Back then, the gaming landscape was dominated by companies such as Nintendo and Sega, making Sony the newcomer to the industry. But despite Sony's lack of experience, apart from the failed partnership with Nintendo that resulted in Sony making its own console, the PlayStation offered the latest technology in 3D gaming and sophisticated graphics. When it was released, the PlayStation was slimmer and smaller than most of its competitors with a dimension of 260 mm x 185 mm (10.2 x 7.2). Although no one knows the official dimensions of the PS5, it is guaranteed that it will be bigger than the original PlayStation.

Five years after the release of the original PlayStation, Sony launched a smaller and slimmer version of the system called the PSOne, which began the company's tradition of releasing a slim version of its original console. In terms of dimensions, the PSOne stands at 193 mm x 144 mm (7.6 x 5.7 in), making it the smallest PlayStation console that Sony has ever produced.

PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 2 Slim vs PS5

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In the same year that the smaller PSOne was released, Sony also launched its second-generation PlayStation, which is of course called the PS2. Similar to the original, the PlayStation 2 pushed the limits of gaming technology and offered faster, smoother gameplay, with top of the line graphics. In terms of dimensions, the PS2 stands at 302.3 mm x 182.9 mm (12 x 7.2 in), making it significantly bigger than the original PlayStation. Since its launch in 2000, the PS2 has sold over 155 million units worldwide, making it the best-selling video game console of all time. Of course, the massive success of the PS2 cemented Sony's place in the video game industry, which pushed more video game developers to create games for the PS2.

Four years later, Sony released the PS2 Slim, with dimensions of 230 mm x 152 mm (9 x 6 in), making it significantly smaller and thinner than the PS2's launch edition. Apart from the slimmer design, the PS2 slim solved most of the PS2's hardware issues and is more reliable than its predecessor. As far as the PS5 is concerned, it is also likely that the upcoming next-generation console would be significantly bigger than both PS2 models.

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PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 3 Slim vs. PS5

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Six years after the release of the PS2, Sony launched the PlayStation 3, which competed against Microsoft's Xbox 360, and Nintendo's super popular home console, the Wii. During its launch, the PlayStation 3 was the first console that used Blu-ray Discs as its primary storage medium. Due to this, players who purchased a PS3 got a home console and a Blu-ray player all in one package, which helped it sell millions of units. Dimension-wise, the PS3 is at 325 mm x 274 mm (12.8 x 10.8 in), with a height of 98 mm (3.8 in) when laid flat, making it the thickest PlayStation console thus far.

Several years later, two slim versions of the PS3 was released with the smallest one at 290 mm x 230 mm (11.42 x 9.06 in), and its height, when laid flat, was significantly reduced from the original's 98 mm (3.8 in) to 60 mm (2.36 in). Unfortunately, due to the PS3's high price at launch, the PS3 had the worst launch compared to other Sony consoles, given its $599 price tag. Nonetheless, the PS3 still gained some success thanks to the wide assortment of PlayStation exclusive games, and the price cut that Sony introduced later on. At the moment, it appears that the PS5 will be bigger than the PS3 in terms of height and width, but whether or not it will be thicker than the original PS3 is still a mystery.

PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4 Slim and Pro vs. PS5

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In 2013, Sony released the PlayStation 4, which is the current-generation PlayStation console. After the troubled release of its predecessor, Sony launched the PS4 at a more affordable price of $399. Since then, the PS4 became a massive hit and became Sony's second best-selling console behind the PS2, selling 110.4 million units worldwide. In terms of size, the original PS4 is slimmer than the launch editions of the PS3 and PS2 at 305 mm x 275 mm (12 x 10.8 in).

Continuing its tradition of launching a similar version of the console, the PS4 Slim was released with minor hardware updates and stands at 288 x 265 mm (11.3 x 10.4 in). However, Sony also released the PS4 Pro, which is a beefier version of the original console in terms of specs but is slightly larger in size at 327 x 295 mm (12.8 x 11.6 in). Of course, most PS4 players would know too well that the original PS4 can get loud when playing high-end games. This is the reason why Sony created the PS4 Pro with a larger chassis, to support a better cooling system. As it stands, the PS4 Pro is the second-largest PlayStation console behind the PS3, but based on estimates by most people, it appears that the PS5 will be bigger than both consoles, in order to support its stronger specifications.

If estimates prove to be true, then players can expect that the PlayStation 5 will take a huge space in their entertainment systems and will be the biggest and most powerful console that Sony has ever made. Now that the actual design of the PS5 has been announced, it is likely that other information, such as its dimensions, price, and release date, will be revealed soon.

The PlayStation 5 is expected to launch in Holiday 2020.

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