Sony PS5 "Slim" (CFI-2000) — Editorial Review & Teardown Findings
The CFI-2000 is the redesigned PlayStation 5 that Sony introduced for the 2023 holiday season — the model most shoppers now simply call the "PS5 Slim." Per Sony Interactive Entertainment's official announcement, it cuts console volume by more than 30% and weight by 18% (digital) to 24% (disc) versus the launch PS5, while raising internal storage to a 1TB SSD and moving the optical drive to an attachable Ultra HD Blu-ray unit. It is not a performance revision — games run identically — so the story here is form factor, modularity, and whether the "Slim" label holds up in person.
Featured Video Review
A smaller, lighter chassis — with an asterisk
Sony's stated figures are concrete: a four-panel cover design (glossy top, matte bottom), more than 30% less volume, and a 1TB SSD up from the launch model's 825GB, as Engadget documented at announcement. In practice the reduction reads as incremental rather than dramatic: in Push Square's coverage of the launch-day teardowns, the takeaway was that the new unit is "not that much smaller" than the original — still a large console next to a Series X or a Switch. Buyers expecting a true mini-console should calibrate expectations: this is a meaningful trim, not a reinvention.
The detachable disc drive changes the buying math
The headline structural change is that the disc drive is now a separate, snap-on Ultra HD Blu-ray module priced at $79.99, with the vertical stand also sold separately. That makes a single SKU flexible — buy the cheaper unit and add the drive later if your media library demands it — but it also means a disc-using, upright owner pays more than the sticker suggests. Sony's announcement and Engadget's reporting both confirm the drive and stand are à-la-carte, a point worth front-loading for anyone comparing the Slim's price against the original all-in-one PS5.
What the teardown shows
Independent teardowns corroborate Sony's slimming claims at the component level. GIGAZINE's disassembly walkthrough confirms the ~30%-smaller internal layout and the repackaged cooling and board arrangement that enable it. In Dave2D's hands-on teardown — the video featured above — Dave Lee reaches the same practical conclusion the written outlets did: the engineering work to shrink the chassis is real, but side by side the size difference is modest enough that most owners of the original PS5 have little reason to upgrade for footprint alone. The value is for new buyers, not for swapping a working launch console.
Honest cons
- "Not that much smaller" in person. Push Square's teardown coverage notes the real-world size drop is modest despite the 30%-volume headline — it is still a sizable console.
- Disc drive and vertical stand cost extra. The $79.99 attachable drive and separate stand mean a disc-using, upright setup lands above the base price.
- No performance gain. The CFI-2000 is a cosmetic/packaging revision; frame rates, load times, and game compatibility are identical to the launch PS5 — not a reason to upgrade an existing unit.
- Glossy top panel. The four-panel design keeps a glossy upper section that shows fingerprints and fine scratches more readily than the matte lower panels.
Where this console fits
- First-time PS5 buyers who want the current, smaller hardware revision with 1TB of storage out of the box.
- Digital-first players who can skip the disc drive entirely and add it later only if their needs change — the modular design rewards this buyer most.
- Disc-and-4K-Blu-ray households who should budget the extra $79.99 drive up front and treat it as part of the price.
- Shelf- and bag-constrained setups where the volume and weight reductions genuinely help, even if modest.
Sources & Citations
- Sony Interactive Entertainment, "New look for PS5 console this holiday season," PlayStation.Blog (accessed 2026-05-25)
- Engadget, "Sony's smaller PS5 with a detachable disc drive lands in November," engadget.com (accessed 2026-05-25)
- Push Square, "PS5 Slim 'Not That Much Smaller', According to This Teardown Video," pushsquare.com (accessed 2026-05-25)
- GIGAZINE, "A disassembly video of the new PS5, which is 30% smaller, has appeared," gigazine.net (accessed 2026-05-25)
Last verified: 2026-05-25
