PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition: which is the better buy?

It's not as simple as asking whether you plan to play physical games.

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Whether to get a console with a disc drive has been a debate among PlayStation fans for the entire lifespan of the PS5. And that lifespan is coming to an end eventually. The future of gaming looks increasingly uncertain, with the PS5 (and other systems) having jumped sharply in price as computer hardware remains wildly expensive. Even so, Sony will need to release a next-generation console sooner or later. We've seen projections as far as several years out, but Sony can't put the PS6 off forever.

Meanwhile, discs themselves have become a major gaming controversy. Sony will no longer make game discs starting in 2028, so although new games will presumably continue to launch for the PS5 after the PS6 comes out (just as they did for the PS4 during the PS5 era), you won't be able to get them on disc. Unless you've already got a massive collection of physical games or plan to build one, there's one compelling reason to get a disc drive on your console, and it's got nothing to do with gaming.

The choice is further complicated by the fact that Sony has released a number of different PS5 models, bifurcated between the Slim and Pro editions. The PS5 Slim Digital Edition has no disc drive, with a drive instead being available as an add-on for both it and the PS5 Pro. So which of the two flavors is a better choice for you? It depends on your budget, as well as your existing collection of disc-based media.

Sony's storage shrinkflation makes it easy to recommend one model

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The PS5 now comes in two tiers: Slim and Pro, with the former taking the place of the launch model and the latter offering a bit more horsepower for a lot more cash. The Slim offers both a digital-only model and one with an integrated disc drive, while the Pro's sole configuration is digital-only. If you buy one of those digital-only systems, an $80 disc drive add-on is available separately. If you're shopping for a used or refurb PS5, be aware that the Digital Edition of the original (non-Slim) model isn't compatible with the disc drive.

The PS5 Slim Digital Edition costs $600 and comes with 825GB of storage, while the disc version has an MSRP of $650 for the 1TB model. The digital Slim used to include 1TB, but in addition to increasing its price, Sony shrank its capacity. You may still be able to find 1TB slim disc models at certain retailers, but this is down to luck. Keep in mind when you put a disc into a PS5, the game still needs to be installed to internal storage. You won't save storage space by using discs compared to downloading digital games.

With all this in mind, the 1TB disc model wins on price. For $50 more, you get 175GB of extra storage and have 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 will pay for itself before long. Plus, more base storage means you delay needing an SSD for your PS5, which is welcome given current storage prices,

Meanwhile, the heavier-duty Pro console has a sticker price of $900. At the time of writing, it's largely sold out, likely from people buying in anticipation for GTA VI following its major trailer. With the current low stock, you'll see scalper prices on many sites. If you can't find one for the normal price now, it's worth looking again after the GTA VI hype dies down in a few months. A PS5 should have a long lifespan thanks to PS4 backward compatibility and likely several more years of games to come. But if you're thinking about the PlayStation 6 being over the horizon and have no immediate need for a console, it's worth waiting.

The death of game discs and the Blu-Ray factor

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Sony sent shockwaves through the gaming community with its announcement that it would stop selling games on disc. That makes it more difficult to recommend the disc version of the PS5 for anyone without a library of physical PS5 or PS4 titles. But there is a major exception.

With games on disc on their way out and the gaming industry itself increasingly on fire, one of the most consequential factors to consider isn't gaming, but 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 Blu-Ray playback functionality helped the format to triumph over alternative high-definition formats. The PS5 is no different  — if it has a disc drive, it can play Blu-Ray discs (including UHD Blu-Ray). 

Blu-Ray is 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 are still heavily compressed compared to 4K Blu-Ray. If you value high-fidelity media and have invested in a home theater setup, but still rely on streaming services to watch movies and TV, it's much easier to recommend a PS5 with a disc drive. Since you're buying the console regardless, adding a disc drive is the cheapest and most space-effective way to put a Blu-Ray player in your media setup. Similarly performant standalone Blu-Ray players cost several hundred dollars.

At current prices, the disc-based Slim console is the easy recommendation. For $50 more, you get extra storage, plus you'll have access to 14 years of PS5 or PS4 discs, along with a Blu-Ray player ready if you ever need it. The 2028 discontinuation of game discs is a factor to keep in mind, but it doesn't change the math. If you're buying the PS5 Pro, you can probably skip the disc drive unless you already have a physical game library.