Make your PlayStation 5 look cooler
Dbrand's Darkplates 2.0 provides an attractive alternative to the black and white design of the PlayStation 5.
PlayStation 5 is an impressive gaming system, it is equipped with a powerful processor and solid-state hard drive storage (you can use your own SSD for expansion). Nevertheless, its design is polarized. The PS5 is a tall, awkwardly curved system. The glossy black center does not match the matte white side panels. The side panels have pointed top corners that look like a pop-up shirt collar. There is no way to make it less tall and more difficult to place in your home entertainment system, but Dbrand provides a system that can reduce those rough corners and replace the black and white look with something more pleasing to the eye. Darkplates 2.0 is a replacement panel for PS5. You can combine it with a vinyl case to turn the console into all black, all white, or even the classic PlayStation gray. The retail price of Darkplates is US$69.95, but the price rises to US$100.80 after the skin is added. It's a bit expensive, but if you want to improve the aesthetics of the console from $400 to $500 (assuming you didn't pay the dealer price), it's still worth it.
However, the dark board is not the only name used to exchange PS5 colors. Sony just announced that it will launch first-party spare side panels in black, cyan, pink, purple and red early next year. These panels look physically identical to the stock panels, so if you want to shave off that pointed, pop-up collar, Darkplates still have an edge.
Darkplates 2.0 is divided into two parts with additional options. Darkplates themselves are the aforementioned pair of plastic shells, used to replace the side panels of the PlayStation 5, and are available in matte black, gray, and white for the disc version and the pure digital version of the console. This is a color collection without many colors. Dbrand has been manufacturing Darkplates with limited availability, and the company may not have the bandwidth to produce a complete rainbow.
These panels are as strong and well-made as the original PS5 side panels. Most of their designs are the same as the PS5's default panel, but the top corners are rounded to better match the contours of the mainframe. They also lack the sharp, right-angled corners of the PS5. Darkplate has a built-in circular ventilation grille with a simple filter that can be removed and cleaned. In theory, they should improve the ventilation of the PS5, but we did not encounter any system heat dissipation issues from the beginning.
You can also add the middle skin for $19.95 and the left and right light strips for $6.95. They are vinyl shells and can be applied to the middle part of the PS5 or the light strips on the front and top edges of the system. The middle skin is available in black, gray, white, black and white camouflage and matte black patterns. The lights come in eight different colors, plus a matte black light strip, which can simply block the system lights. The skin is sold separately from Darkplates, so you can adjust the light strip or set the center of the PS5 to white to match the default side.
Dbrand sent us matte black and classic gray Darkplates 2.0, as well as matte black intermediate skin and blue light strips.
Installing Darkplates 2.0 is easy, thanks to the foam board included in the ingenious pop-up box, which serves as an ideal PS5 work pad. Clean up a flat work space, put down a foam board, and put your PS5 on it (of course, after shutting down the system properly and unplugging the power first).
Removing the installed side panel feels a bit awkward, but once you figure out the position of your right hand and the pressure used (and, if you have added an SSD to the PS5, you may already be familiar with this process). Lay the console flat and face to the side, supporting the thin curved edge of the system (top, if the PS5 is standing). Pull firmly on the right angle of the panel, the port closest to the back. Push the panel steadily towards the support arm until it bounces off. Don't try to push the panel upwards forcefully; you just need to lift it slightly and then push it to the side to remove it. Repeat this process on both sides.
After closing the panel, align the appropriate Darkplate panel with the side of the system facing upwards until it aligns with the holes in the console and is loosely secured. Support the base of the PS5 and push the opposite edge of the panel to it firmly until it clicks into place. Then turn the system over and do it again with another plate. If you just replace the side of the PS5, you are done!
The middle skin and light strip are easier to install, but you need to be careful. The middle skin is divided into two parts, a long strip for the front and top of the PS5, and a short strip for the base. For the front panel, align the holes of the power and eject buttons with the buttons on the PS5, and then gradually press the rest of the skin to the front position. Do the same with the short strips on the base, aligning the holes in the skin with the serial number of the console and the ventilation grille.
Striping the skin is equally simple and requires the same high precision. With the side panel of the PS5 still closed, apply the black end of a layer of skin to the end of the light strip on the upward side (the narrow translucent strip running over the top and front of the PS5), ensuring the curve ( And the protective paper still exists) align with the system curve. Keep the light strip flush with the PS5, and slowly spread along the light strip while gradually removing the protective paper.
The vinyl case is very thick and is one of the simplest cases I have ever applied to a device. The thickness means that when I roll the skin onto my PS5, I don’t see any bubbles, and the adhesive is strong enough to hold it when pressed, while still providing enough flexibility for me to adjust the position along a curve To prevent folding.
It took me about 15 minutes to install Darkplates 2.0 and all the skins, including checking Dbrand's instructional videos back and forth.
After installing everything, the PS5 with Darkplates looks great. It has a matte black appearance, which is more flattering than the original bright black and matte white. When the system is turned on, the light strip emits a pleasant dark blue. Of course, although the color scheme is better in my opinion, and the rounded top corners are an improvement, the new side panels actually do not change the overall shape of the clumsy tall bending system.
Dbrand's Darkplates 2.0 is a well-made, easy-to-install system for changing the appearance of PS5. If you have invested enough money to purchase the system, then spending another $70 to $100 to customize it will be a bit expensive, but it is reasonable. The console may still be very tall and difficult to place, but at least it will better suit your taste and decor.
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Will Greenwald (Will Greenwald) has been in the consumer technology field for ten years and has served as an editor for CNET.com, Sound & Vision, and Maximum PC. His work and analysis have been seen in GamePro, Tested.com, Geek.com and other publications. He is currently responsible for consumer electronics in the PC Lab as an in-house home entertainment expert, reviewing TVs, media hubs, speakers, headphones, and gaming accessories. Will is also a THX Class I home theater expert and an ISF Class III certified TV calibrator, ensuring the thoroughness and accuracy of all PCMag TV reviews.
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