It says a lot about the PS5’s design that concept artists are still trying to reimagine its aesthetic as something more traditional and less alien-like. The PS5 “Pro” comes from the mind of Anesthétique Projets, who also developed the PlayStation 5G, a handheld PS Vita-styled concept that made the most of the console/mobile gaming crossover. Now, the NY-based designer is back with an overhaul of the ‘polarizing’ PS5 design. Titled the PlayStation 5 Pro, the console borrows from the circular elements seen on the 1st gen PlayStation and its younger sibling, the curvier PS One. Its back-to-basics design even sports an updated version of the DualShock 4 controllers that pair well with the console’s flat cylindrical design.

It’s safe to say that Anesthétique Projet’s approach to designing the PS5 involved bringing a sense of ‘normalcy’ back into the console’s design language. The PS5 Pro’s design language takes on a very “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” vibe with its simple circular design that pays a hat-tip to the original PlayStation. It does, however, have the proportions of a Roomba, although with that glorious brushed metal finish, that’s a Roomba I would gladly own. The front is rather simple, with a CD slot and two USB-C ports (to charge your controllers), while the back is where all the magic is, with an 8K HDMI out, ethernet, USB-A, and even a digital audio output (there’s no 3.5mm jack in sight).

The controllers should really please PS purists, as they give the DualShock series an upgrade rather than adopting the DualSense style. The base of the controllers play around with a transparent-on-opaque finish, as do the trigger buttons on the back. Titled the DualShock 5 Pro, the controllers come with USB-C ports on the front and the back, and sport the signature Stormtrooper-style black-and-white color-way.

The PlayStation 5 Pro isn’t the first circular concept we’ve seen. In November last year, designer Riccardo Breccia designed a circular PS5 concept too.

Designer: Anesthétique Projets