The sight of a scribbled on PS5 has made me more thankful than ever that console covers exist

When perusing social media for GamesRadar+ reasons, I stumbled upon a post that sent shivers down my spine – a photo of a PS5 covered in hand-drawn scribbles.

The post by X (Twitter) user @lexi_trades1 appeared like Diana from Pragmata has got her cute little hands on the Sony console, as the little doodles, which include the PlayStation icons and what I imagine to be depictions of the little artist in residence’s family, are what you’d expect to find if a kid has got their hands on your pricey Sony tech. They’re cute, but the very sight of the customized console made me thankful that PS5 console covers not only exist, but there’s a far better range of the PS5 accessories than there used to be.

Back in the day, had I witnessed my PS2 or PS3 being covered in scribbles, I’d have been pretty mortified. However, the existence of PS5 console covers makes the issue pretty minimal, so long as you have the money to spare on a replacement. For those unaware, the white default covers of the launch PS5, PS5 Slim, and the PS5 Pro can be easily removed and swapped as you see fit, which is a feature I feel has been pretty overlooked in this generation.

Should your PS5 receive any damage or end up at the end of your kid’s felt-tip pens, you can replace the covers rather than the entire system. At a time when the PS5 is more expensive than ever, it’s a pretty neat inclusion, especially as there’s plenty of first and third-party options out there to choose from.

For a while now, Sony has had a series of brightly colored covers available starting from $59 at PS Direct, which include a snazzy Volcanic Red and Cobalt Blue designs. They perfectly match the colors of pre-existing PS5 DualSense controllers, which is a nice touch on Sony’s part and handy if you want your entire setup to feel more unified. In January earlier this year, the PS5 Hyperpop collection dropped with an even bigger selection, and includes a neon Remix Green, Techno Red, and Rhythm Blue available for $74 (PS Direct) each.

If you don’t want to fork out that much, there are many more third-party options where they came from. Amazon is bursting at the seams with cover replacements, including ones that match that of Sony’s own designs but include more ventilation with the inclusion of cut-out sections where the fans would be. These can all differ in quality depending on the brand, so you do have to be careful what and where you get them from. But they can be a great way to change up the PS5’s design without spending a fortune.

My launch model PS5 is currently sporting a third-party pair of covers from Dbrand. Its versions aren’t cheap as a pair of PS5 Slim covers can set you back as high as $94.85, but the brand is known to provide discounts that can drop as much as 50% off its range of covers. While the Spider-Man-inspired set I have my disposable is no longer available, the brand has a range of designs, and you can add middle skin decals and light strips to your order to make your console truly stand out.

If your PS5 has met an unfortunate fate at the hands of a pen or crayon, there’s one thing you need to know before adding any PS5 console covers to your online basket – PS5 Slim owners are going to have more variety on offer. With the PS5 approaching its sixth anniversary later this year, finding covers for the chonky launch model is a much more difficult task. So if you’re rocking the OG PS5 like me, I recommend sticking to third-party brands for the best options. Or, buy a blank white pair and go at it with your own pens and paints, I’m not going to stop you.