Microsoft expects Sony to release a slimmer PlayStation 5 model sometime this year

New documents from the FTC vs. Microsoft hearing claim that Sony plans to launch a playstation 5 slim later this year, according to the Xbox maker.

According to Microsoft, it believes that Sony will release the slimmer version of PS5 for $399.99, bringing the price in line with the PS5 Digital Edition (via IGN).

While some of the content is redacted, in the document, Microsoft is trying to convince the presiding federal judge that Xbox is third in the market behind Switch and PlayStation.

The FTC maintains that Xbox and PlayStation constitute a market of two because the consoles are offered at a similar price. Microsoft disputes this notion because the FTC’s analysis considers only high-end Xbox and PlayStation models, while ignoring differentiation within Xbox console lines.

The company notes in the document that the current Xbox and Switch entry-level versions are offered at the same price ($299.99), with Xbox Series S selling for $50 less than the Switch OLED model ($349.99). And, with Sony scheduled to release a PS5 Slim later this year, it will bring a newer model and a competitor at the same reduced price.

Microsoft also noted that Xbox and PlayStation differ in performance, as Xbox Series S has less GPU processing power, system memory, internal storage, and renders images at a lower resolution than Xbox Series X or PS5. Additionally, Sony currently offers two different versions of the standard PS5: one with a disc and one without.

The company also believes that Sony will release a Pro edition, further setting it apart from the Slim model of the Xbox offerings.

Additionally, the Xbox maker also anticipates that Sony will launch its portable version of the PlayStation 5, the Project Q dedicated streaming stick, later this year for less than $300.

Sony releasing a PS5 Slim wouldn’t be a surprise, considering it has released slim versions of its consoles in the past alongside Pro models. Microsoft, on the other hand, said it doesn’t see a need to release mid-cycle consoles like it did in the past with Xbox One S and Xbox One X, at least for now.