PlayStation Designer Addresses PS5’s Humongous, Widely-Ridiculed Appearance

While the PlayStation 5 has been a long time coming, gamers certainly hadn’t known what to expect before Sony announced the console and its mammoth design. What were they going to do with this strange new information? As it turns out, make memes.

The jokes brought comfort to those who missed the old all-black look, but no concrete answer as to why the curvy black-and-white PS5 towers over most other gaming consoles. At long last, a PlayStation design executive has addressed its size—which fans will soon discover truly matters for this instance.

Matt MacLaurin, vice president of UX design at PlayStation, took to LinkedIn to respond to a question by a customer about why the gadget is “bigger and bulkier” when gamers are currently coveting “portability and convenience.” MacLaurin explained in a comment, spotted by VG247, that the immense horsepower in the PS5 forces it to upsize in order to retain cool temperatures. “Thermals,” he clarified. “This gen is little supercomputers.”

MacLaurin elaborated, “While the 7nm process delivers amazing heat performance for the power, the power is very extreme.” He responded in another comment that the still-“fresh” tech installed in the PS5 “throws a lot of heat,” and therefore requires extra “room to dissipate.”

As for the inspiration behind the console, MacLaurin said it’s a nod to “thermal data [and] data of the soul.”

PlayStation’s UX design VP seemed unfazed by the widespread ridicule over the revamped model. “As we say in the industry, ‘this design has a strong opinion,’ so it’s okay if not everyone he loves it,” he detailed.

However, he pointed out that customization for this model “will be beyond anything seen before,” so keep an eye out for upcoming special editions that could leave you just as surprised as the product’s reveal had.

No no wait wait I got a better one

WONDER AT THE COLOSSUS!!! pic.twitter.com/4JJ9jtJgTD

— Michael French (@Michael_French) June 12, 2020