The PlayStation 5’s curvy design is divisive. The Verge’s Andrew Webster called it a “robotic clam” in his 2020 review, which is actually kind of endearing. Personally, I kind of got over hating it sometime during the past almost-six years of its existence. Small form factor PC enthusiast Devyn Johnston is someone who did not get over it. He was so not over it that he made and is now selling BoxPlates, $89.99 snap-on console covers that fundamentally change how the PS5 looks.
With the BoxPlates on, the PS5’s design goes from curvy to flat. There’s an unmistakable infusion of the Xbox One S / X design language in the plates. About 60 percent of the surface area of the top and bottom plates is matte black (or gray, if you choose that color), while the rest is semi-transparent with slats, including over the fan section.
Crucially, the BoxPlates don’t obstruct any of the front or rear ports, nor do they totally hide the power indicator LED. In the right (or wrong?) light, the shiny middle part of the PlayStation 5 shines in a shade of blue. Did you know it was blue? I didn’t know it was blue.
There’s nothing difficult about installing the BoxPlates. The kit includes a reminder to watch a YouTube tutorial. If you’re someone who has installed an M.2 SSD in a PS5 before, you already know how annoying it can be to shuck this giant robotic clam. I had to fiddle a little bit to get all of the BoxPlate’s pins clamped, carefully applying force so as not to break anything in the set that took over one calendar year to be sent to me.
The BoxPlates are in production for the disc and disc drive-less editions of the PlayStation 5 slim and the PS5 Pro. Unfortunately, they weren’t created for the original PS5 model. If you bought a PS5 at launch, yours is just going to be ugly forever, unless you’re content with Sony’s or Dbrand’s plates.
Whether they’re worth $89.99 to you depends on your level of hatred for the PS5’s design. If the curvy plates on your console have been bothering you as much as the person who made them, then it’s probably worth it.
Photography by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge