World enews: PS5: New patent suggest Sony could finally let people customise the colour of their PlayStation 5

Sony could finally be preparing to let people officially change the colour of their PlayStation 5.

The company has filed a patent for the faceplates on its PS5. It shows the “skin cover” for the console, leading to speculation that the company could be planning to sell new faceplates in different colours.

Other companies have already offered such services, but Sony has responded with legal action that has mostly kept them off the market. The new filings could be a part of that protection, rather than a hint at new products.

But the new patent has led many to hope that a black version of the console, for instance, could be created by Sony selling new versions of the plates that sit on the outside of the PS5. It was filed before the launch last year but was published last week, and first noticed by OP Attack.

A customisable console would align with a hint from before the release that the company could allow people to change the way it looks. Before the PlayStation 5’s release last year, Matt Maclaurin – who was then the head of user experience design – said that the console was “customisable in ways previous gens weren’t” and hinted that the company could offer a special edition black version.

There have been no hints of a black version of the console yet, however, and it has only been available in the mostly-white colour that arrived at launch. That is despite the company making special black versions of the PlayStation 5’s controller and headset.

That could at least partly be the result of supply problems. PlayStation 5s in any colour are incredibly difficult to buy, and reports suggest that Sony is continuing to have problems making the consoles to satisfy demand.