Hardware revisions are extremely common throughout PlayStation's history, and while some are more substantial than others, they typically make for consoles that are cheaper to make, and thus cheaper to buy.
However, due to global conditions outside the company's control, Sony's latest version of the regular PS5 (the "slim" model) is one such revision that doesn't pass on the saving to customers.
YouTuber Austin Evans got his hands on one of the new models, currently only available in Europe, and pulled it apart to see exactly what has changed:
Essentially, the new PS5 model is a lighter console made using cheaper materials, but is still putting out the same performance and power as the older model.
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Some of the internals have changed a little, not least of which is a metal covering that has been reduced in weight by half, and the external of the machine is now made from matte plastics all over.
As Evans says, it's all smartly done in almost every respect, but the one chink in the armour is the reduced built-in SSD storage.
The original PS5 launched with an 825 GB SSD, and when the first Slim model launched, this was increased to 1 TB — but the new model reverts back to the smaller size.
This will have been done to save on manufacturing costs, but it's a cut of over 25 per cent to the amount of (usable) storage you'd have if you bought the previous PS5, which isn't ideal.
The real kicker is that this PS5 retains the price tag, meaning you're paying the exact same amount for a slightly worse console, which just feels kinda nasty.
Anyway, it remains to be seen if this model rolls out globally, and whether the PS5's price moves any more in future. However, it appears the days of consoles becoming cheaper as time goes on are a thing of the past.