PS5: First impressions of new Sony console focus on its size

The first impressions of the outside of the PlayStation 5 have arrived, and they all largely focus on one thing: its size.

The new console is very, very big, initial reviews indicate – so big that customers have been advised to start thinking about where it might live in their house, ahead of the release date next month.

Sony had previously revealed the dimensions of the consoles, which made clear that it was the biggest ever made.

It is 15.4 inches tall, 10.24 inches deep and 4.09 inches across, and it can also be laid on its side. Sony is selling a digital edition that does not have a disc drive and so is slightly smaller, but the footprint is still the same.

The Xbox Series X is also large, but not as big as the PlayStation 5. The release of the first hands-on impressions also came alongside the first comparisons of those consoles against each other.

Many accounts of the written accounts of the first impressions of the console confirmed that the huge size was not a trick of the eye – and was in fact far more significant when the console was seen in real life.

Vjeran Pavic, writing in The Verge, began his review noting simply that “the PlayStation 5 is big. This was never a secret, but I was still surprised by just how huge the console looks in person".

While he said that putting it next to a large TV did make it seem somewhat smaller, he said that he was still “shocked every single time I look at it”.

He warned that it is so large that players should ensure they “do some planning ahead of time” to work out where it might live, since there is a good chance it will not easily slot inside a normal TV unit. That means that the design – itself somewhat controversial even aside from the size – will probably be more visible than normal.

The Washington Post agreed the PS5 is “far more cumbersome device to situate than any console in recent memory” and its writers offered a variety of solutions for finding it a home inside your house.

Writing in The Next Web, Rachel Kaser noted that she had called the PS5 “gorgeous” when it was first revealed and that she had liked the fact the console’s curvy white design was different from many competitors. But using it “has made me change my mind”, she wrote, calling it “obscenely big”, “obnoxious”, and warning that “I really don’t think seeing promotional images can prepare you for just what a monster this thing is".

“I was all-in with the white router when I thought it’d be about the size of… you know, a router,” she wrote. “But now that’s it’s proven to be roughly the same height as an actual ivory tower, I have to admit I’m not in love.”

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Everything you need to know about the PS5