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dbrand Darkplates 2.0 (Quick Look) - Cutting Corners

Following legal troubles with the original run of Darkplates, dbrand is back with a redesigned approach that cuts some corners... literally.

Audio transcription

"Hello everyone and welcome to another Gamereactor Quick Look.
This is not the first time that we're taking a look at something from dbrand.
We love those guys over there and they do great stuff both from their marketing all the way down to just the sheer volume of products and the quality of each of those that's on display and has been on display here on the show for quite a while."

"But this is a little bit of an occasion because not only do we have a PS5 Slim currently on the market, which dbrand have yet to ship Darkplates for, we're also looking at perhaps seeing a PS5 Pro in not the near distant future.
So that leads us to a last hurrah for a truly staggering amount and amount of variations mind you of the original Darkplates 2.0, which came out originally as just the Darkplates before Sony sold them themselves."

"That led to a whole legal malarkey where Sony was clearly just being, if you don't want to call them dumb or stupid or anything like that, at least not really pro-consumer.
Not letting the manufacturers that was ready to ship functional, well-made accessories for their console do so because they wanted that entire pie for themselves."

"That led to the redesign called Darkplates 2.0, which not only reduced the original console in mass, removing this controversial popped jacket collar that the PS5 has been mocked for, but adding this little fan exhaust right here to basically improve cooling.
So not only was dbrand able to overcome Sony's legal attack, but was also able to refine the design and create something which was just functionally better for the PS5."

"Now those plates right here are called, I think, arachnophobia and was clearly meant to invoke the limited edition PS5 in conjunction with the launch of Spider-Man 2.
Now that is just one example of what they can do, which is the Darkplates 2.0, but with an added arachno flare, but there's just, there's tons of opportunities."

"There really is.
Now both, you can get them with light strips and you can get them with the skin for the centerpiece, basically this.
So there is a lot of ways in which you can customize your console with something from dbrand."

"Now I have four boxes of Darkplates right here that are all different, by the way, and then you can add to them.
So they come, they all come in this elaborate piece of packaging where there's this really thick little cardboard card which tells you, which sends you straight to an install guide."

"Now did they have to do this?
Obviously not, but they chose to and I think that's really admirable.
Now this is a really cool sort of OG PlayStation gray.
I love that."

"And there's also the standard matte black one right here.
We've taken a look at that before.
I actually bought Darkplates 2.0 before we started collaborating with dbrand, so that should tell you how much I'm a fan of their work in general."

"But that led me to these cool boxes here, which actually wasn't something that I had seen before.
Now these are a bit weirder.
They're semi-transparent, but in a little purplish tint hue here."

"It's so cool.
Now obviously it still has in Morse code, I believe, or no, in zeros and ones, it basically spells out part of the legal process.
I can't quite remember what exactly it is, but it is a cheeky jab at Sony, which is awesome."

"And then the final one, which I was just immediately floored by, which I might pick up for myself, is this transparent gray one.
Now I think this looks absolutely gorgeous to me and will give the PS5 not just more subtlety but more character at the same time next to just the regular old white plates that you might know."

"Now again, this is just the start of the actual customization process because you get this and you can choose to have them basically be in line with the plastic plates that you put on or have them be contrasty in some way.
Look at these, by the way."

"I mean, these are incredible.
And as it is with most dbrand skins, it's very easy to simply like, you don't even need the guide.
It's very clear."

"Because of the quality of the vinyl skin, it's very easy to get it on there and make it fit in a way that's beautiful.
Now obviously, you've probably seen most of this before, but I find this to be a good time to say goodbye to the original dark plates."

"They will, of course, keep selling them, so it's not really an official goodbye.
But I think that they were really brave here.
They have really cheeky marketing, but this was brave.
And I think they've come out on top and really have gained a lot of loyal customers by launching the Dark Plates 2.0 for the original PS5 disc and without disc drive versions."

"And they're all the better for it.
It's going to be very interesting over the course of the next couple of months, half a year or so, to both see how they introduce the design of the PS5 Slim Dark Plates, but also how they're going to handle the inevitable PS5 Pro that is waiting out in the wings."

"But for now, good on dbrand.
Go check out the deluge of different Dark Plates 2.0 variants that are on their website.
We'll take a closer look and we'll have more dbrand for you soon.
Thanks so much for watching."

"See you on the next one."

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