It feels as if we might just get to see the PS5 in the plastic flesh next week, so we asked our team to show us their designs for the next-generation console. When we got the images back, we remembered that none of them were hired for their art skills. Still, it'll be interesting to compare their ideas to the official design, which we should see an event to reveal a slew of upcoming PS5 games on June 4, 2020, at 9AM PDT, during a live stream called the Future of Gaming.
This is the latest in a series of big questions we'll be interrogating our writers with, so share your answers and suggestions for topics with us on Twitter.
A glowing, ethereal sphere of pure chaos energy
We've been asking PlayStation to "show us the box" for a little over a year now, but what if the PS5 isn't a box at all? What if Sony have, quite literally, thought outside of the box, and created a smooth, spherical gaming device? I'm sure you have questions with such a concept. How would it stay in place on your TV cabinet? Are circuit boards even capable of being contorted in such a way that wouldn't compromise the console's specs? Did you just sketch a circle because you're terrible at drawing and literally didn't know where to begin and/or end? The answer to all of these is yes. No further questions at this time, your honour. Alex Avard
Something that belongs on the set of a classic sci-fi movie or tv show
I can't draw, so I absolutely forgive you if you think my "drawing" looks like a block of cheese. To be honest, I think the PS5 will look like a sleek rectangle of some description, but I've kind of become quite attached to the devkit that's been floating around. Yes, it looks like it could quite easily be the bottom of vacuum, or some kind of futuristic pizza slice holder, but I just want a console that wouldn't look out of place in Star Trek or on the set of the classic Alien movie. I know no one will agree with me, because who wants a big clunky thing taking up their set up, right? Well, you can have what it'll likely be - a swish box-shaped thing worthy of Sony - and I'll take the under appreciated chunky devkit model. Heather Wald
I'm a big fan
This is purely wishful thinking, but my current PS4 Pro is the loudest machine ever to grace the earth. I have lost count of how many friends have commented on it when I've been playing with them online. I've been asked if I am hoovering, if my washing machine is broken, if my Playstation is about to take off. With that in mind, I'm hoping that the PS5 will prevent those issues by basically just overloading it with fans. Because let's be honest, games are only going to get bigger. Warzone alone is probably going to have tripled in size by the time the PS5 releases. So it needs fans. Fans on the side, fans on the front and a nice little one of those squirty fans on the top for when you're also getting overheated during a game of Warzone. Then gaming will be a breeze. Ellen Causey
Basically the playable Avengers Tower
You didn't know it, but the Avengers Tower has been secretly hiding the PS5 design this entire time. It's practically built to be transformed into a next-generation console, embracing the uniqueness that Sony is pushing with the DualSense controller design. Just take a look at my highly professional technical drawing. It's got space for everything you need - fans, a disc drive (which could also double as a spot to put down your controller when you're not using it), nods to PlayStation heritage, a prominent logo position, and enough internal space for all your hardware needs. It's basically perfect. And heck, I'm all for the next-gen consoles not just being a suped-up DVD player in terms of design. Make me something that will garner some attention rather than blending in. Sam Loveridge
A cyberpunk cylinder
What if consoles had some actual flavor? Some spice? Some - dare I say it - fashion? Frankly, I'm quite bored of the minimalist future-tech look where every single piece of hardware is in a shade of greyscale with low-profile buttons and clean lines. Yawn. Take me back to the candy-colored days of the Nintendo Gamecube, but make it 2020, ya know?
In my world the PS5 looks like something out of every futuristic early aughts music video with a heavy dose of Cyberpunk 2077 energy. Give me spikes, give me neon acid paint, give me H.R. Giger-inspired water cooling hoses that plug into the front. Go stupid and give me a top-mounted clear disc drive so I can see my game spinning at 500 rpm. I don't care what it does, I just want it to look like an art piece on my console table. Games are already working in tie-ins with fashion houses, why can't our consoles be like something out of the Met Gala? Maybe you can customize it before it ships, maybe you can add your own flair afterwards - whatever the method, just give a PS5 that pops! Anyway, stream Chromatica by Lady Gaga on Spotify, which this is most clearly inspired by. Alyssa Mercante
A PS4 but with actual buttons
I honestly don't care what the PS5 looks like. It could be a thin, flat rectangle like the PS4 or a tall, wide rectangle like the Xbox Series X. Either way, it's going to sit unnoticed on my media stand. So I say just stick with the running theme of thin, flat, Sony-brand rectangles - but for the PS5, make one that's more user-friendly. Building on the PS4, that means adding tactile buttons to the thing. If I had a dollar for every time I've accidentally reset or powered up my PS4, or randomly ejected a disc, because of its stupid touch controls, I could pre-order at least two PS5s right now. It's absurd! Just as there have never been good motion controls, there has never been a good touchscreen-only power or eject button. All I want is a PS5 with actual, raised buttons. Actually, you know what, better make those buttons enormous just to make up for the total lack of buttons on the PS4. Then I'll call it even, Sony. Austin Wood
A multipurpose shape
My concept for PS5 is a box. It is also so much more. I believe that PS5 will make us change our entire conception of what sort of thing can be created from a combination of shiny and matte black plastic. Specifically, the entire thing will be shiny, with the exception of the disc tray. This innovative use of materials will allow you to put a personal touch on your console every time you handle it, no matter how delicately. A cooling mat emblazoned with the face of former Sony chairman Kaz Hirai is not included in the package but is recommended for extended play sessions. Connor Sheridan
A giant number 5
Listen, whether that leaked dev kit was real or not, I like the energy it's bringing to the table. This is Sony's 5th console, baby, and it wants you to know about it. However, instead of a Roman numeral, I think it's going to be a giant number 5. The disc slot will be on the lower arch of the digit, while all the ports will be on the top line of the 5. I'm sure all that extra space in the middle of the console will just be giant fans to keep it cool. Is it practical? No. But it lets you know what it's about in a way that's a bit more exciting than just another black box. Ben Tyrer
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