Sony launched a new version of the PS5: disassembled after the internal design all changed

Previously, new PS5 models appeared at select retailers in Australia last month.

Today (September 7), Austin Evans, a well-known tech video producer on YouTube, dismantled one of them, and found that the new PS5 is not only lighter, but Sony has actually completely revamped the internal design of the machine.

The new PS5 model uses a smaller motherboard, different cooling methods, and even changes to the SSD enclosure.

All of these changes have helped lighten the console, but the PS5's appearance hasn't changed significantly. The real big change is the updated motherboard in the PS5. It's about two inches smaller, and the main unit cools slightly differently, thanks to additional heatpipes and a smaller radiator at the rear.

Sony introduced an improved model (1100) with a smaller cooler last year. According to Evans, the new motherboard and cooler on this 2022 PS5 (1200) now weighs about 2.5 pounds (about 1.13 kg), which is 1 pound (about 453 grams) lighter than the original design (1000).

Sony has also moved a lot of components around with this new motherboard design, which means the CMOS battery is now completely hidden under the heatsink. It had previously been exposed and therefore easy to replace, but Evans claims you now have to completely disassemble the PS5 to replace the CMOS battery.

The SSD housing has also changed for the new PS5 model. It no longer has a PCB that covers the entire length, with some of the metal exposed. It's unclear why Sony changed this particular part of the PS5's design, but Evans speculates that it may help improve heat dissipation.

All of these changes may bring some real enhancements to the new PS5. Evans claims this new PS5 model uses about 20-30 watts less power during gameplay, while still providing about the same level of noise and heat output.

"Sony shrunk almost everything, including the motherboard and internal packaging, to make it lighter and almost certainly cheaper (for them)," Evans tweeted.

The new PS5 model comes as Sony raised the price of the PS5 outside the U.S., including the U.K., Europe, Japan, China, Australia, Mexico and Canada.