When it first launched its Darkplates collection, Dbrand did so in militant style, openly daring Sony to sue over it.

We don’t know whether Sony obliged, but after a change in design to a more restrained silhouette, it’s noteworthy that this version of the Darkplates is still on sale many months down the line.

Now, new versions offer transparent nostalgic options in a range of colours that will scratch the itch of any fans of the Nintendo 64.

Darkplates retro 3
dbrand Darkplates 2.0
Recommended
$59 $69 Save $10

dbrand offers the chance to completely change how your PS5 looks, and we're here for it. These excellent plates are well-made and make for a look that you can't get anywhere else, including Sony's own options.

Pros
  • Well-made
  • Fun colour options
  • Easy to install
Cons
  • Not a subtle change

Review update - retro plates

These colours don’t actually change anything about how Darkplates work - they’re the exact same size and shapes, and have precisely the same features, in the form of a fan grille and a smaller profile than the default PS5.

Now that Sony makes its own replacement plates, there’s a lot more competition for Dbrand out there, but shaving off those wingtips to make for a slightly smaller console has become a useful USP.

Darkplates retro 2

The new colours are really fun, meanwhile, and while they’re nowhere near as stealthy as that original black, they make up for it with a huge boost to the personality of your console.

The plates can be packaged with skins for the middle and underside of the console, and I’d recommend getting these - the shiny black plastic of the PS5’s middle has always been my least favourite feature, and hiding it is always a top priority.

Original review

The PS5's looks are divisive, and while we've come to appreciate its wingtips and the shocking white of the stock casing, being able to outfit it in black is a really tempting proposition given how easy it is to remove and replace Sony's own plates.

Dbrand's PS5 Darkplates in pictures: Black is the new white photo 2

You'll do that anyway if you ever want to install a larger SSD for your console, so popping off the default plates and replacing them really isn't too challenging by comparison. From what we can tell, Dbrand's are made just as sturdily as Sony's own.

They've got a very similar silhouette, too, apart from one major and obvious difference - the wingtips are gone, replaced by a smooth curve that makes the PS5 look a bit smaller in a welcome way. The other main additions are two vents where the console's main fans spin.

These purportedly allow more airflow, not that this was something the PS5 struggled with before, but are another differentiator in Dbrand's defensive arsenal. Inside the casings, you can remove dust-shields to clean them out when you like, ensuring that more air, but not more dust, makes it in.

Dbrand's PS5 Darkplates in pictures: Black is the new white photo 3

Let's be real, though, you're not buying this for a potentially microscopic boost in airflow - you want a black PS5. There are also grey and white versions available, in case it's just those wingtips that annoy you, but we suspect that the vast majority of buyers will go black.

Dbrand also bundles in vinyl stickers to mask the console's shiny middle strip in whatever finish you prefer, and our matte black choice further cemented the newfound stealthiness of the device. Finally, lightstrip stickers even let you cover up those LED strips letting you know the console's status, in case they've been distracting you too.

Dbrand's PS5 Darkplates in pictures: Black is the new white photo 6

These work nicely and are pretty easy to align and stick on, letting you further customise your PS5's look and feel, and once you're shelling out for the plates themselves, they feel like a nice optional extra.

One of the areas that Sony didn't like on the first Darkplates was its use of square, triangle, circle and cross symbols on the inside casing of the plates - these have been removed and replaced with a pattern of 1s and 0s which almost certainly spells out something in binary. We'll leave that one to other online sleuths, however.

Dbrand's PS5 Darkplates in pictures: Black is the new white photo 4

Either way, it's a nice little detail that underlines how much attention Dbrand has put into making the Darkplates feel equal to the love and attention Sony clearly took on the PS5's design. It feels on a level with that, which is no mean feat at all.

We'll definitely be keeping the Darkplates on our PS5, which is the clearest way we can demonstrate how much we like them - but we'd recommend you don't sit on your hands for too long. Sony might not want to look like too big a bad guy, but if it has grounds to strike down these plates again, it'll be unsurprising if it does just that.

Of course, you could also now pick up official custom plates from Sony, which are likely to be both more affordable and more easily found, but we're a fan of the smaller footprint that Darkplates boast compared to those, too.

Verdict

If you've got your hands on a PS5 but have been eyeing it up with a bit of judgement since it took its place in your home setup, wishing it could be just a little bit sleeker and possibly a little less white, Darkplates 2.0 are perfect for you.

The cheaper option right now, and the easier to get your hands on quickly, remains buying a skin that you can apply yourself, but it'll never look as good as a custom-made plate like this, with seams and holes all but impossible to avoid.