The PlayStation 4 “Slim” model offers players an affordable way to play the latest and greatest PS4 games. While it boasts a number of improvements over the original model, the system is equipped with a small 500GB hard drive. That will change this month, as the PlayStation 4 will now come standard with 1TB of storage — and it won’t cost you any extra.
PlayStation made the announcement Tuesday on its official Twitter page, saying that the upgraded slim console would be “arriving on store shelves this month,” and would come with 1TB of storage for $300 — the same price as the 500GB model.
The announcement also links to the PlayStation 4 slim product page, which now lists the new 1TB hard drive in place of the original 500GB. There is no mention of the smaller hard drive anywhere on the page, and PlayStation told Digital Trends that the 500GB version will no longer be produced for the United States and Canada, though retailers will continue to sell the supply they have on hand. The 500GB version will still be produced for Latin America.
The console will feature the same accessories as the original system, including one DualShock 4 controller, a USB cable for charging, and a terrible mono “headset” that you’ll use once and throw in the trash.
The sSlim console previously was available with a larger hard drive, but it was limited to special editions like the Final Fantasy XV bundle, which costs more than a PlayStation 4 Pro.
The PlayStation 4 is now competitively priced against Microsoft’s Xbox One S. For $300, the Xbox One S only comes with a 500GB hard drive, but it includes a free game such as Battlefield 1 or Gears of War 4. The console received an additional $50 discount during the holidays as well. Expect Sony to offer similar deals when the console’s heavy hitters are released later this year.
Updated on 4-18-2017 by Gabe Gurwin: Included clarification from Sony on 500GB version’s discontinuation in United States and Canada.