30th-anniversary limited-run PS5 and PS5 Pro bring back mid-’90s gray plastic

Sony launched the original PlayStation console in Japan on December 3, 1994, and Sony isn’t letting the 30th anniversary pass by quietly. Today the company has announced limited-edition versions of both the PS5 and PS5 Pro with gray plastic shells and multicolored PlayStation logos, inspired by the gray plastic shells of the original. The retro-inspired modern consoles will be released on November 21 and will be available for preorder starting September 26 from Sony’s direct.playstation.com site.

Sony is also releasing DualSense and DualSense Edge controllers with gray shells and colorful PS logo buttons and a gray version of the Switch-esque PlayStation Portal streaming console. Sony says that the limited-edition PS5 Pro will be limited to 12,300 units—a reference to the December 3 launch date—but didn’t mention any specific manufacturing numbers for the regular PS5, either DualSense controller design, or the PlayStation Portal.

Both console bundles also come with a handful of other accessories: a PS logo sticker, a PS logo paperclip, cable ties, and (my personal favorite) a regular USB-C cable with a giant, chunky PS1-style controller connector on one end.

Though they’re inspired by the original PlayStation, neither limited edition console comes with a built-in optical drive; however, they do include the gray plastic enclosure for anyone who chooses to add an $80 optical drive after the fact.

Sony has, notably, announced no pricing information for either console or any of the controllers or other accessories, though it almost doesn’t matter—the nature of limited-edition gaming-related collectibles is such that enthusiasts and scalpers will snap these consoles up shortly after launch, regardless of whether Sony sells them at the usual MSRP or not.

Sony released a similar PS1-inspired version of the PlayStation 4 for the PlayStation’s 20th anniversary back in 2014, and it still fetches a high price—upwards of $1,000 on eBay for used versions in good condition, and between $1,500 and $2,000 for mint-in-box consoles.

Listing image by Sony