PS5 is one of the best-rated and premium gaming consoles on the market right now. Every new PlayStation launch makes game lovers go crazy and impatience to try out the new features that it brings. Because of how much noise the launch of a new PS console can create, owning one can become a hunt. But before joining in the hunt for a PS5, knowing how to tell a fake PS5 from the original is important.
So, how can you tell a fake PS5 from an original? There are attributes you can use to tell a fake PS5 from the original. Some of the attributes include differences in size, gaming pad, connection cable, price, placement of the serial number, overall gaming experience, and even packaging carton.
Putting the original PS5 side-by-side with the fake will show off a vivid difference. Although, most fakes have become so good at mimicking the original PS5. But still, the difference will either be revealed in the gaming experience, game/control pads, or a slight difference in size or weight (if you are careful enough to spot it).
5 ways to tell a fake PS5 from the original
- Packaging
The first place most fake PS5 flop is in packaging. Fake PS5s are using packaged in generic boxes that have no inscription or brand design (Sony’s PlayStation design or something) on it. It is usually a pure white or brown box that is poorly sealed and easily unpackaged in seconds with barely enough layers of papers or cork to guard it.
On the other hand, the original PS5 packaging looks lavishly designed with printed images of the PS5 console that is found inside. And also Sony’s logo and all. Unboxing the original PS5 can be fun. Firstly, you will have to unseal the first box and you will be greeted by the second box which still encloses the PS5 console. Unseal the second box and you will have a layer of thick layers of papers guarding the PS5 console. After that, you are left with nylon which when unwrapped, will reveal the PS5 console.
Unfortunately, you don’t have to go through all that process when unboxing a fake PS5 console. Unboxing is fast and packaging mostly has only one layer of protection — which is the box itself.
- Size
When it comes to size, there is a distinct difference in how a fake PS5 console size up to the original PS5 console. When placed side-by-side, you will notice that most fake PS5 consoles are usually smaller in size. They would sometimes list their consoles as mini versions of the original PS5 console.
To know what’s original and what’s fake, here’s a little guide. The original PS5 console has the following box dimensions: the height is 17 inches (43cm), the width is 18.5 inches (47cm), the depth is 7 inches (18cm), and the weight is 14lb 8 ounces (6.7kg).
The original PS5 console is 15.4 inches in height, 3.6 inches in width, 10.2 inches in depth, and weighs 8.6 pounds. On the other hand, fake PS5 consoles usually have generic sizes — they can come in various sizes and weigh differently.
Console controller/gaming pad
Another place to spot a fake PS5 console is in its gaming pad. Although most fake PS5 consoles are coming with almost identical wireless gaming pads as the original PS5 console would. But there are still quacks here and there that sets the boundaries.
One major thing that can be absent in a fake PS5 gaming pad is haptic feedback. Haptic feedback makes the playing of games more pleasurable and gives off a good gaming experience. If the gaming pad your PS5 console ships with doesn’t have haptic feedback, there’s every possibility that it is fake.
Build quality is another feature to look out for. It could be hard to spot the difference by merely looking at a fake and original PS5 gaming pad sitting side-by-side. But when you feel and operate them, you would notice a difference between how cheap the build quality is on the fake PS5 gaming pads and how premium the original PS5 gaming pads feel.
- Price
The price for fake PS5 consoles is shockingly cheap. One fake mini PS5 console can be gotten online for about $15 – $30. A larger one might amount to $50 or a little more. Overall, this price stands to be a thousand times cheaper than the price of an original PS5.
The original PS5 console goes for $499.99 but you can get deals on e-commerce websites and/or stores that will offer you a discount. Even if you are offered a discount, the price of an original PS5 gaming console will always be higher than a fake’s.
- Connection cable
The connection cable shipped with most fake PS5 consoles is the traditional RGB connection cable. Meanwhile, the original PS5 ships with an HDMI 2.1 standard connection cable which is digital and has a 48Gbps data transfer speed compared to the analog RGB.
Conclusion
Knowing how to tell a fake PS5 from an original PS5 will save you the heartache and disappointment you might get when using it. Unless you just want to get it for a personal reason, a fake PS5 should not be recommended for anybody. Looking at how cheap their prices can be raises a flag that something isn’t right.
So, before delving into the PS5 hunt, it is ideal to have studied the specifications of the original PS5 so that you can have enough knowledge to screen a PS5 on the market.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I know if my PS5 is real?
You can know if your PS5 is real by checking for the serial number of the console (which is a number with the letters CFI followed by 100x and then A or B. It is found at the bottom of the console when placed vertically) and using it to check for its originality on Sony’s website.
- Can PS5 be faked?
With the launch of Sony’s PS5, we have started to see tons of fake PS5 consoles being sold on e-commerce websites for a very little amount of money. The other things you will notice on a fake PS5 console are its size, build quality, packaging, and gaming experience seems to be inferior when compared to the original PS5.
- How can I avoid getting scammed on PS5?
You can avoid getting scammed on PS5 by being careful about whom you are buying from. If you are buying online, you have to check for the seller’s review, read the product description carefully, compare pictures with the original, and pay on delivery after confirming the product. You can also avoid all that stress by walking in a store and shopping the PS5 physically.
- How can you tell if PS5 is digital?
You can tell if a PS5 is digital by looking at the design. The digital version has no disc drive and has a slimmer design compared to the PS5 which has a disc drive with a little swelling at the base where the disc drive is housed.
