Leaked PlayStation 5 concepts show weird X-shaped case

Some new PS5 designs are making the rounds, showing a strange X-shaped chassis that looks ill-equipped to handle next-gen thermals.

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First we had the V-shaped PlayStation 5 devkit, and now we have an X-like design that's more like a fusion between a launch PS4 and stylish mock-ups of an Xbox system.

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The images come from Twitter user Drunk Cat, who posted up real photos of PS5 devkits back in November. Apparently this design isn't the final PS5 shape, but an authentic concept mock-up made internally at Sony Interactive Entertainment.

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Still though it's easy to see why Sony didn't choose this shape.

The PS5 devkit's tapering stingray chassis has an actual functional purpose--to provide adequate ventilation for the high-end components inside when stacked--but this mock-up seems extremely counter-intuitive for a console that'll purportedly support 8K gaming.

There just doesn't seem to be adequate cooling for a next-gen console aimed at hitting native 4K 60FPS in games, as well as demanding extras like ray tracing, enhanced textures and lighting effects, as well as a custom SSD solution for ultra-fast loading. All of these components together should belt out a decent amount of heat, and the intake/exhaust ports on the X-shaped chassis just don't seem adequate (the Xbox Series X, for example, is shaped like a breadbox with fans both at the top and bottom).

The case is clearly based on the PlayStation 4's diamond-shaped rhomboid housing, but instead of the top and bottom slanting in the same direction, the PS5 mock-up crosses its parallelograms to make an X. Ergo it looks more like an Xbox system that Microsoft would've designed in the Xbox One days of yore.

These concept designs further illustrate how the PlayStation 5 is an extension of the current generation, not an immediate replacement. We'll see this manifest in a number of ways including with extensive backward compatibility of games and accessories, as well as possible special hardware allocations like a next-gen Boost Mode tailor-made for last-gen games.

Sony is expected to reveal the PS5 in a special event in February 2020. The console will release in Holiday 2020, and it may cost $499.

Check below for more info:

PlayStation 5 specs and details:

• Custom SoC with second-gen Navi GPU, Zen 2 CPU
• 8-Core, 16-thread Zen 2 CPU at 3.2GHz
• Navi GPU at 2.0GHz with 36 Compute Units
• Navi, Zen SoC uses new AMD RDNA 2.0 architecture
• Ultra-fast SSD
• Support for 4K 120 Hz TVs
• Ray-tracing enabled
• 8K output support (for gaming)
• Plays all PS4 games
• Separate games that ship on BD-XL Blu-ray discs
• New controller with extensive haptic and tactile feedback

PlayStation 5 Coverage:

• PlayStation 5's biggest features have yet to be announced, Sony says
• PS4 has sold over 1 billion games and 106 million consoles
• PlayStation 5 backward compatibility should support every PS4 game
• Sony reveals the PlayStation 5...logo
• New trapezoidal PS5 render is an expensive accident waiting to happen
• A $399 PlayStation 5 will conquer next-gen
• PlayStation 5 to outsell Xbox Series X in 2020, analyst predicts
• PS5 may only enhance PS4 games, legacy PS1, PS2 and PS3 games unlikely
• PlayStation 5 prototype dev kit console gets V-shaped clean
• Sony: The future is coming at CES 2020
• PlayStation 5 GPU: 9.2 TFLOPs with 36 custom Navi compute units
• PlayStation 5 GPU emulates PS4, PS4 Pro with special modes
• PS5, Xbox Series X SSD may use software-defined flash to boost speeds
• PS5's SSD is 'exceptionally powerful,' may beat Xbox Series X speeds
• DualShock 5 renders show new trigger design, USB-C, ergonomic shell
• PlayStation 5 to support 8K gaming, Sony confirms
• New PlayStation 5 renders show off radical different design, again
• Leaked PlayStation 5 ad prices console at $1,000, is totally fake
• Sony seeks a new Head of Strategy for Worldwide Studios
• Leaked PlayStation 5 devkit photos show new DualShock controller
• PS5, Xbox Scarlett SSD may use Optane-like ReRAM to supercharge speeds
• NVIDIA G-Sync monitors to improve PlayStation 5 and Xbox Scarlett
• PlayStation 5: Everything We Know So Far
• PlayStation 5 confirmed to have 8C/16T Zen 2 CPU from AMD
• PS5, Project Scarlett may use Samsung's 6th gen V-NAND NVMe SSDs
• PS5 backward compatibility confirmed, will play PS4 games
• Sony's next-gen PlayStation 5 has 4K 120Hz output support
• PS5, Project Scarlett to hit over 10TFLOPs of power, sources say
• PS4 will be supported into 2022, to live alongside PS5
• Sony: ultra-high-speed SSD is 'the key' to next-gen PS5
• PS5 dev kit rumor: 'ultra-fast RAM', Navi GPU with 13 TFLOPs
• PlayStation 5 rumored to ship with 2TB of super-fast SSD for $499
• Insider: PlayStation 5 dev kit faster than Xbox Scarlett right now
• PS5 cartridges aren't real, patents are for Sony kids toys
• PS5's SSD may benefit PS4 games the most
• PS5 powered by Navi in 2020, AMD making Navi with Sony input
• Cloud-powered PlayStation controller may let you play free game demos
• Gran Turismo 7 is a PlayStation 5 launch title: launches Nov 20, 2020
• PS5 confirmed to support 8K video, ray tracing, all on Navi
• PlayStation 5 rumored to cost $499, launches November 20, 2020
• PlayStation game demos are coming back with Sony's ambitious new plan
• PS5 controller: Built-in mic, USB-C, no lightbar, ergonomic design
• PlayStation 5 concept video shows totally new design
• Sony solves PS5's biggest issue
• Sony: PS5 development going according to plan
• New Viking Assassin's Creed may be next-gen console launch game
• AMD working on 'secret sauce' for next-gen Xbox/PlayStation
• The first real photo of a PlayStation 5 dev kit appears
• Next-gen PS5/Xbox Scarlett open-world game: 'best real-time graphics'
• Sony restructures workforce to prepare for PS5
• PlayStation VR 2: built-in cameras, wireless, ready for PS5
• PS5 games will ship on 100GB Blu-ray BDXL discs
• PS5 and Xbox Scarlett will both handle ray tracing differently
• PlayStation 5 could feature AI-powered 'PlayStation Assist'
• Sony won't abandon singleplayer story-driven games on PS5
• PS5 rumor: GPU is nearly as powerful as RTX 2080, GPU clocked at 2GHz
• PlayStation 5 rumored to be unveiled on February 12, 2020
• Sony to raise PS5 cost thanks to U.S. tariffs