Sony’s latest iteration of the PlayStation 5 (PS5) has found itself in the eye of the storm. While the price tag remains frozen, the internal usable storage has been slashed by over 180GB.

The new 'CFI-2100' revision of the PS5 Slim, which hit European shelves first, brings some noteworthy tweaks. Beyond the cosmetic shift from glossy to matte finish across the chassis, the hardware has seen some structural adjustments. It is lighter, weighing in at over 100g less than its predecessor—a notable 1.4kg drop compared to the original PS5 launch model.

On a brighter note, they have finally addressed the chronic 'liquid metal damage' issue. This tech, which debuted in the PS5 Pro, marks its first appearance in the standard console lineup.

However, the real sting is the shrinkage in SSD capacity. The 1TB offered in the previous Slim has reverted to the original 825GB. According to European hardware YouTuber Austin Evans, usable space has plummeted from 848.0GB to a measly 667.2GB—a drop of over 20%. Given that modern titles frequently demand over 100GB, digital-only gamers are going to feel this squeeze quite keenly.

Unsurprisingly, the mood in Europe is far from jolly. After months of Sony teasing price hikes across North America and Europe, finding the price fixed while the storage capacity is gutted has left a bitter taste. While currently limited to Europe, it is highly likely this model will roll out globally soon.

As for a domestic release, the schedule remains unconfirmed.