PS5 may let you swap out its side plates for fresh designs

It looks like PS5 may have interchangeable plates, giving you the option to swap out that big white clamshell aesthetic for something else.

The potential new detail for the PS5 design was spotted in what appear to be leaked images from a PS5 production facility, as first posted on a Chinese forum then picked up by ResetEra. The images show what appear to be the inside for the white plates that are affixed to both sides of PS5. It looks like they snap into place with an array of slightly elevated mounts, rather than being secured with screws or adhesive. 

It's possible that the images have been faked, or that they don't reflect the final design for the console, so it's worth treating any inferences made from them with a critical eye. Assuming they're accurate to the final product, however, it looks like Sony may be setting PS5 up to be its most easily customized console ever.

Sony may not be discussing PS5 special editions and alternative colors yet because it's saving the swappable plates as a surprise: if you can just pop them off and attach new ones at will, it would be easier than ever for the company to sell matching designs for new games, controllers, and maybe even standalone collaborations with artists or fashion labels.

Microsoft took a similar approach for the swappable faceplates on the original Xbox 360, but this would change the look of almost the entire PS5 console (aside from the black core). We'll keep an eye out for more details on this potential new feature.

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