Yesterday, a Sony patent for what appears to be a new game console turned up online. Many presumed this to be a PlayStation 5 devkit, and today a game developer seemingly confirmed this to be true on Twitter.

PlayStation 4 devkit image courtesy of Kaneda004.

Following a ResetEra thread which uncovered a European Sony patent for some kind of hardware device, there was speculation online that this was the design for the PlayStation 5. Or at the very least the PS5 devkit.The image on the patent was highly unusual as it eschewed industrial design standards in favor of bulk. There’s also the matter of the “V” design carved into the hardware. “V” is the roman numeral for five, which further fueled the speculation that this console was related to the PS5.After articles were published about the patent, game developer Matthew Stott seemingly confirmed the design to be a dev kit. “It’s a devkit we have some in the office,” Stott wrote in a Tweet We’ve reached out to Stott for this story to confirm his identity. However, if this LinkedIn page belongs to the same person, Stott is apparently a senior artist at Codemasters. So, it wouldn’t be unusual for their office to have a PS5 devkit, assuming Sony has already given them out to select developers.Commenters online were convinced that if the patent image was for the PS5, it would be for a devkit and not the actual retail console. Partly because the bulky, ventilated design, but also because that "V" is a weird design choice for a retail product.It should be noted the PlayStation 4 devkit is just as bulky and features similar design elements. Both have numerous vents, and even the button layout on the front is vaguely similar.We’ve reached out to Sony for comment on this story but have not heard back in time for publication. Luckily, final products rarely look like devkits. So if this is indeed the PS5 devkit, then expect the model that goes on sale next year to look different than this.The PlayStation 5 is Sony's next-gen console. While the name hasn't officially been confirmed, Sony did reveal technical details including faster loading times , 8K graphics support, and ray-tracing capabilities. Sony is also gearing up for next-gen by acquiring more studios , including just this week when Sony announced it has acquired Insomniac Games , who developed Spider-Man PS4.

Matt Kim is a reporter for IGN. Do you have one of these PS5 Devkits? Reach out to newstips@ign.com or Twitter