PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition: Disc Model Offers Better Value as Sony Ends Disc Production
Engadget's comparison says the $650 1TB PS5 Slim with a disc drive is a better buy than the $600 825GB digital model, while the $900 PS5 Pro remains sold out and the original Digital Edition cannot add a drive.
The PS5 now comes in two tiers: Slim and Pro. The Slim replaced the launch model and offers both a digital-only version and one with an integrated disc drive, while the Pro is sold only in a digital configuration. Buyers of any digital-only system can purchase an $80 disc drive add-on separately. Engadget notes that shoppers considering a used or refurbished PS5 should be aware that the Digital Edition of the original non-Slim model is not compatible with the disc drive.
On price and storage, the PS5 Slim Digital Edition costs $600 and includes 825GB, while the disc version has a suggested price of $650 for the 1TB model. The digital Slim previously included 1TB, but Sony raised its price and reduced its capacity. Engadget says some retailers may still have 1TB Slim disc models, but availability is a matter of luck. It also notes that when a disc is inserted into a PS5, the game still must be installed to internal storage, so discs do not save storage space compared with digital downloads.
Engadget concludes that the 1TB disc model wins on price. For $50 more, buyers get 175GB of additional storage and a disc drive that can play all games released through the end of 2027. Physical games go on sale regularly, so the extra upfront cost can pay for itself before long, and more base storage delays the need for an additional SSD at a time when storage prices are high.
The heavier-duty PS5 Pro has a sticker price of $900. Engadget says that at the time of writing it was largely sold out, likely because people bought it in anticipation of GTA VI following its major trailer. With low stock, scalper prices are appearing on many sites. Engadget advises that if buyers cannot find one at the normal price now, it is worth looking again after the GTA VI hype dies down in a few months. It adds that a PS5 should have a long lifespan thanks to PS4 backward compatibility and likely several more years of games, but that anyone thinking about the PlayStation 6 being on the horizon and with no immediate need for a console may want to wait.
On the death of game discs, Engadget says Sony's plan to stop selling games on disc makes it harder to recommend the disc version of the PS5 for anyone without a library of physical PS5 or PS4 titles. But it identifies a major exception: movie watching. Sony was one of the major forces behind the adoption of Blu-Ray during the format wars, and multiple generations of PlayStation consoles, including the PS5, have included Blu-Ray playback. A PS5 with a disc drive can play Blu-Ray discs, including UHD Blu-Ray.
Engadget describes Blu-Ray as the easiest way to experience uncompressed movies in the highest quality currently available for home theaters. Streaming services advertise 4K video playback with Dolby Atmos mixes, but the picture and audio remain heavily compressed compared with 4K Blu-Ray, according to Engadget. For buyers who value high-fidelity media and have invested in a home theater setup but still rely on streaming services to watch movies and TV, Engadget says it is much easier to recommend a PS5 with a disc drive.