I'd think it would make sense to have a SNY certification, like the aftermarket NVMe drives for PS5. That way you know for certain the panels don't restrict airflow.

I agree that colors seem like a no brainer, but contours would be something cool to follow colors up with, years into the gen.

With stuff like this sony wouldn't have to or need to lift a finger. It would actually be unwise for them to do so. There would be Chinese knock off $10 faceplates in every imaginable color and even sites like colorware that you can go and have custom plates painted and sent to you.

All sony has to do is make sure the RGB lights on the console are also user-customizable(in the OS) and then only release official IP tied faceplates. Now rather than sell special edition consoles, they just sell the same with special edition faceplates.

Or preorder xyz game on the PS store and get the limited edition faceplate shipped to you for free!!!

I don't get the point of the side panels. Why not just have it without them.  Looks like one of those retro McDonald's buildings that they used to build in the 90s.  I guess they are for airflow but one can design a console that has good airflow without that crap.

Certainly sounds plausible. Here's hoping, for those interested in this, that that's what happens. I could see Sony going either way on the lights (especially if the lights are used to signal the PS5's operating status like on the PS4), but I'd definitely like to see some color settings.

I await the 3rd party ones on eBay for much cheaper. I did that for the PS4 HDD panel. I bought a blue one. Gimmie some of those translucent 90s colors!

Truth be told, if you have dimensions right now, and some sort of injection moulder/3D printer or access to one, you could very easily make like 1000 of these faceplates, put them up for sale on zone or amazon for $10-$20 and you would make a small fortune in the couple o months of release.

I'm pretty sure that if the plates are customizable, there will be some fine print somewhere that basically tells you "Use knock offs - lose your guarantee". Being an integral part of the cooling solution, Sony must make sure that they don't get in trouble here.

That would look cool, I'd be down for some of that.

You need to be a company to do that and that will need some investing ofcourse :p