Don’t Buy PS5 Slim
It happens with every generation of consoles: after the world has been familiar with the PlayStation for a few years, Sony decides to update it with something lower: a “slim” console, if you will.
Following the OG PlayStation, Sony released the PS One; PS2 with PS2 Slim; PS3 with PS3 Slim and PS3 Super Slim; and PS4 with PS4 with PS4 Slim (and later PS4 Pro). Therefore, it is not surprising that the company is releasing thin versions of the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition. However, this does not mean that you should buy it.
Introducing the “new” PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition
Sony officially announced a new, slimmer version of the PS5 and PS5 Digital on Tuesday, and the final product is much as expected: Sony stripped away some of the original PS5’s form factor to create a low-profile console without sacrificing power. In fact, there’s an improvement over the original here: these PS5s now come with 1TB of internal storage, which is an upgrade from the old 825GB standard.
The form factor changes should be quite noticeable, with Sony cutting the PS5’s bulk by over 30% and its weight by 18% and 24% (depending on which model you buy). A horizontal stand is included in the box, but unlike the PS5 stand, it’s not reversible—if you want to place the console on its side, you’ll have to buy a new vertical stand for $29.99. These consoles now also have four cover panels, double the number of previous models, and Sony will sell the panels in a variety of colors for $54.99.
The latest major change is the new Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc drive for the new PS5 Digital Edition. Previously, purchasing the PS5 Digital Edition meant you would never be able to use discs with your console. But if you have any regrets afterwards, you can spend $79.99 on this plug-in drive to effectively turn your digital edition into a standard PS5. (Note: This only applies to the new Digital Edition console.)
Sony plans to release these new models in November.
Long live Slim
You may have noticed that I’m not calling this new console the PS5 Slim. This is intentional, as Sony does not label its consoles this way; rather, these consoles are called PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition. “How could this be?” – you ask. “Will people get confused between these new, slimmer models and the originals?”
Sony doesn’t care because they don’t make the PS5 OG anymore. Once the current stock of PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition is sold out, that’s it. The original models will be officially discontinued, and their place as a full-fledged PlayStation 5 will be taken by thin models.
This is an interesting move on Sony’s part. While the company tends to phase out original consoles for its iterations, it usually labels new ones accordingly rather than replacing them with a new version with the same name.
Now may be the time to buy the OG PS5.
The new PS5s are almost the same as the originals, with the exception of a thinner form factor and increased storage space. But in my opinion, now is the best time to buy the OG PS5, especially before the slim models arrive.
First, Sony has confirmed that it will no longer produce such consoles. I think this is a future collector’s item. My suggestion? Once Sony sells out the originals, they will skyrocket in value on the used car market. If you can get your hands on an original right now at MSRP, now is the time to do so.
So, if you could get the PS5 features for less money by buying the slim variant, I could see that side of the argument. But these new PS5s aren’t any cheaper than the originals. In fact, the Digital Edition is more expensive : Sony prices the new Digital Edition at $449.99, which is $50 more than the suggested retail price for the current Digital Edition, while the new standard PS5 costs the same $499.99. It’s true that you get 125GB of storage when you buy a new PS5, which might justify the price increase (or make the same $499.99 price a little more attractive), so that’s something to keep in mind.
It’s also great that Sony allows new Digital Edition buyers to add disc-reading capabilities, but that makes the console $30 more expensive than the standard one if you buy a disc drive.
There’s nothing wrong with the new PS5. If you buy it, you’ll get the same overall experience we’ve had since the 5 launched three years ago. However, if you don’t prefer the slim form factor and don’t feel like the expanded 125GB will save you from buying an SSD for your console in the future , there are still plenty of reasons to buy the classic PS5 instead.