Earlier this yr, Dbrand began promoting matte black PS5 facet plates that it known as Darkplates, and when it did, it baited Sony proper on the product’s data web page to “Go forward, sue us.” We received our fingers on some, they usually look precisely such as you anticipate, making the perimeters of your PS5 black as a substitute of white. They even have their very own tongue-in-cheek tackle the PlayStation icon microtexture.
As of Saturday, although, you possibly can’t purchase Darkplates anymore, as Dbrand has eliminated them from sale after (maybe unsurprisingly) receiving a stop and desist letter from Sony. (When you go to the Darkplates web site proper now, it simply reveals a listing of reports articles, together with ones from The Verge).
Dbrand shared the letter with The Verge, which we’ve included on the backside of the article. Sony raises just a few grievances within the letter, together with taking problem with how the faceplates “replicate SIE’s [Sony Interactive Entertainment] protected product design” and with Dbrand’s variations of the PlayStation icons. Dbrand says the letter was issued earlier this yr however didn’t present a precise timeline as to when.
This isn’t the primary time Sony has threatened authorized motion over PS5 facet plates. One firm that began life as PlateStation5 modified its identify to CustomizeMyPlates after which canceled and refunded orders, allegedly after Sony threatened authorized motion, VGC reported in November. That firm returned in January and is promoting its customized plates once more.
A part of the rationale that there’s a marketplace for facet plates is probably going as a result of it’s not too exhausting to take them off a PS5. In reality, Sony reveals precisely how you are able to do it in its official teardown of the console.
The convenience with which you’ll take the PS5’s plates off not solely makes it straightforward to get to the internal workings of the console however may additionally trace that it plans to launch different variations of the facet plates sooner or later. Now you can purchase purple and black DualSense controllers and a black Pulse 3D Audio headset is on the best way, suggesting that Sony is at the very least experimenting with different colour mixtures for its equipment, so an official set of black facet plates doesn’t really feel out of the realm of chance.
When you don’t wish to look forward to Sony, although, you have got one much less possibility of third-party facet plates to choose from whereas Dbrand’s are off the market.
