A new PlayStation 5 model has been leaked online; rather than offering improvements, however, it appears to be a major downgrade from previous editions. According to reports, Sony’s new PS5 SKU will be coming to Europe and Japan, but has worse specs.

Sony to Release Downgraded PS5 Console

According to a September 3 report by billbil-kun, a new PS5 digital console will be launching soon in Europe and Japan. The catch? The new PlayStation 5 will have reduced storage space.

Yeah, you read that right. Not only will the new console launch with lower storage, but it will retain its original price of €499. Ouch.

The leaked hardware revision claims that the new PlayStation 5 digital will have 825 GB of storage space compared to the usual 1TB. So you are essentially paying more for less.

At the time of writing, the PS5 Slim Digital Chassis E edition only appears to be releasing in Europe and Japan, so it’s unclear if the reduced storage space will eventually come to North American retailers.

The new version is sure to sting for consumers for a couple of reasons. For starters, the PS5 Digital has seen a price increase of €100 since its original launch in 2020. And with most consumers now buying games digitally, less storage space is a major sticking point.

Many Sony fans reacted to the new console with criticism. Players accused Sony of “regressing backwards” with their consoles this generation.

Sony Continues to Raise PlayStation 5 Prices, and Consumers Are Feeling It

The new downgraded PS5 digital console comes off the back of Sony recently raising the prices of all PlayStation 5 consoles worldwide. In most territories, each SKU saw a price increase of $50. The PS5 Pro, for example, is now being sold for a staggering $750 in the US. It’s not all that surprising, then, that for many players, this latest PlayStation 5 digital console with reduced storage is the last straw.

Over on Reddit, many PS5 owners took to the forum to vent their frustrations. “Less storage is wild. How are we pretty much only regressing this console generation? There is just no justification for that, storage in general is still becoming cheaper,” one user wrote.

“The justification is quite simple: Sony has no competition in the premium console market, especially in Europe. That’s what a monopoly looks like,” another said. A third commenter simply wrote, “Wow. Sony’s just getting worse all the damn time.”

While the increased prices can be explained by recent tariffs and the global market, this latest PS5 digital console is a bit baffling. As many have pointed out, storage parts typically decrease in price over time. With PlayStation 5 launching almost five years ago, it does seem odd to see storage space being decreased while prices are going up.

With rumors that Resident Evil Requiem has gone back to being a cross-gen game because of Sony’s pricing of consoles, it seems like PS5 users are going to continue to feel the sting of PlayStation inflation for the years to come. And that’s a pretty big bummer.