My PS5 is now matte black thanks to Dbrand’s Darkplates

Maybe you like the distinctive black and white look of the PlayStation 5. Maybe you don’t know. Perhaps you would settle for a brown and orange Zune model, as long as you can find it in stock. But wherever you discover the colors of the PS5, one thing is certain: there is a lot of demand for other options.

That’s what Dbrand was betting on when it recently put its black matte replacement “Darkplates” up for sale while urging Sony to sue. Successive waves of the product sold out quickly to the point that they were almost as hard to find as the PS5 itself; the next batch will not be shipped until May, although you can still place an order on hold.

Anyway, I don’t care what the PS5 looks like, but as Dbrand sent out a set of Darkplates, I was curious to see if they would change their mind. This afternoon I took the light plates off my PS5 (?) To see for myself.

The process is quite simple. Here is Dbrand’s video on how to replace PS5 cards:

I found it a little harder to remove the standard white plates than this video suggests, but I was reluctant to apply too much force for fear of damaging my console with rare teeth. Once you are able to detach the plates and slide them out, it is very easy to secure the black plates in place – they simply click into place. It doesn’t look like you’re doing anything the PS5 wasn’t designed to do out of the box, so I think Sony is missing out on not selling its own official exchangeable cards.

See how the PS5 looks on both sides with the stock cards removed:

And here are some pictures with the black plates attached:

Dark plates are robust and of high quality – they are not just fragile pieces of plastic. You would expect so much for $ 49 plus shipping, of course. But Dbrand has definitely taken a step further to make it look like a premium product, and this is perhaps best expressed by the company’s own approach to Sony’s PlayStation microtexture icon. As with PS5, it is difficult to see with the naked eye or photograph, but it is there:

Dbrand also sent a matte black cover to cover the shiny black medium parts of the PS5. They are also available in several colors. I found it easier to apply than I expected, but it was not 100 percent perfect – the skin was slightly bent around the USB-A port, although in no way that would obstruct use. But I’m not really convinced that I prefer this look to just making the middle section shine.

Here are some pictures with the skin fixed for a totally matte black effect:

Finally, I thought about comparing my new matte black PS5 with the equally matte black Xbox Series X. I have to admit, the black finish seems to have a slimming effect on the PS5:

As mentioned before, Darkplates costs $ 49 plus shipping, while the middle skin costs an extra $ 11.95. You can still order now, but they will not be shipped until May. Is it too expensive to change the color of your PS5? yea. But if you are determined to think about that idea, I think you will like Darkplate.