This is just a fan render – the real thing is quite a bit different (Picture: Concept Creator/LetsGoDigital)

A leak from a Chinese factory appears to show exactly what the PS5 Slim looks like, and it matches descriptions from earlier in the week.

We might not have learnt anything new about Sony’s software plans this week but there has been a lot of talk about the PS5 Slim, which multiple sources claim is going to be released this year.

On Thursday, a description appeared online which suggested that it has a ‘weird curve in the middle with smaller vents.’ And now an image has appeared which matches that description very closely. We can’t show the image here for legal reasons but you can see it in this forum post.

That does mean it could be a fake, given how many fan renders are already floating about, but at first glance it does seem to be the real thing, and supposedly the result of a leak at a Chinese factory.

Assuming the image is real it’s hard to tell how much the shape and size has changed but it does definitely look smaller and thinner than the original rumour suggested – although that could just be the angle the photo was taken at.

The image first appeared on the Chinese A9VG forum (you have to register to see it) but no other information was offered as to its dimensions or when it might be released.

There continues to be confusion over whether the new model being released this year actually is a PS5 Slim or not, as previous rumours, from a usually reliable source, claimed the main difference was not its size but the fact that it has a removable disc drive – so it can be sold with or without one.

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It’s still unclear whether that and the PS5 Slim are one and the same, or whether something has become confused along the way.

It certainly seems unlikely that Sony would be releasing two new models of PlayStation 5 this year, especially as they also have the Project Q confirmed for sometime in 2023.

This is fan render is even further off the mark (Picture: Guided)

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A leak from a Chinese factory appears to show exactly what the PS5 Slim looks like, and it matches descriptions from earlier in the week.