Black PS5 With Red Lighting Supposedly Leaked in Promo Image, but it’s Just a Stolen Fan Edit

Ever since Sony first revealed the black and white PS5 console design, and even as far back as the DualSense controller reveal—creative fans have been eagerly photoshopping what alternate color schemes and special editions could look like. While most designers acknowledge that these are creative fakes, one ResetEra user posted a supposed “leaked promo ad” that their employer had supposedly received featuring an all-black PS5 with red lighting, instead of the black and white design with blue lighting. To complete the image, it also features an all-black DualSense controller with red lighting. It’s also fake.

First of all, the practicality of this alternate console design just isn’t there. Sony’s branding of the PS5 is centered on its bold new black and white design. All of the marketing and advertising around the console, controller, and even the newly revealed PS5 game case design has featured black, white, and blue. While it’s not out of the question to see alternate colors and special editions release at some point, it’s unlikely to be at launch, especially with supply already reported to be somewhat constrained. Sony is going to stick with a singular unified design branding for now.

As for the promo ad itself? Well, that could be real, but it could be through a third-party, not Sony itself. The original poster did clarify with additional information (and a full image of the advert) that this is for an in-store promo for sales reps to sell items. I’m rather familiar with these having previously worked for a major music gear retailer. Top sales are entered into drawings for prizes, and apparently here, one of those prizes is a PS5.

Sales promos like these are often handled through different departments or even third-party providers outsourced to handle this kind of thing. Which means this promotional flier likely never even went through Sony or PlayStation for approval. On an image featuring a bunch of black and red electronics, a white and blue one would stick out, so it seems like someone got a little creative with Photoshop to make everything look good together. Problem is, it’s not a real Sony product and is definitely just an edit.

Look at the obvious blue reflection still there, as well as how the red light ends abruptly instead of extending down and fading out like the blue one does. It’s also jaggedy and looks awkwardly drawn on. Also if the red lighting was a thing, wouldn’t the right side gap be glowing red too?

The DualSense Controller color and PS5 color also don’t match at all, which wouldn’t make sense if Sony was trying to keep the color schemes consistent. These two are from two different edits, not an official press pack of images.

Moreover, look a little bit closer at the DualSense controller in that image and how the person who edited it completely forget to color in the white on the back of the grips.

And the PS logo cutout on the back edge of the PS5 is just that, a cutout. So on the all-black PS4, it would not appear as a white/lighter logo. It would be a mere shadow.

All said, I don’t doubt that the original poster did actually receive the promo flier at their job, but I believe the all-black PS5 is a photoshopped image done by a third-party contractor with no knowledge of games and without any checks or approvals within Sony.

In fact, they didn’t even mock up the black PS5 console design themselves. You want to know where the all-black PS5 image was swiped from? A fan edit that appeared on Reddit four weeks ago.  The drawn on red line? Check. The white grips on the DualSense? Yup. The white still left in the PS logo cutout, some of the other more obvious edits on this mock-up, and using the controller to cover up the creator’s watermark? Yes, absolutely, and you hate to see it. It’s all there.

The black PS5 with red lighting is fake. Sorry if you were hoping for an all-black PS5 at launch this holiday season, but it just looks like like some underpaid and inattentive contract graphic designer didn’t source official photos or check with Sony before sending this one to the printer.

[Via: Game Revolution]