How to Choose Between the Digital Version of the PS5 or the Disc Version
If you are looking for a gaming console, the Sony PlayStation 5 (PS5) is a great choice. The PS5 has a solid library of games, helped in no small part by the ability to play PS4 games, and is one of the best gaming consoles available right now . If you’ve narrowed your choice down to the PS5, you’ll be faced with a new conundrum – digital or disc-based. The PS5 is available in two variants, and only one of them has a disc drive.
How much does PS5 cost?
The disc variant of the PS5 currently costs $499, while the PS5 Digital Edition costs $449 . You can save $50 by ditching the disc drive, but it takes away your opportunity to buy used game discs at a bargain price. Remember that the PS5 has several hidden costs that inflate its actual price .
PS5 Games: Digital or Disc
Some people hate the hassle of storing physical discs and generally prefer to download games digitally. If this sounds like you, then the PS5 Digital Edition is the right choice. However, you should know that you will then be limited to purchasing games from the PS Store, which is not known to generate much sales.
On the other hand, you might initially consider spending more to get the disc variant of the PS5 and end up saving a lot more in the long run. You can order the latest games at full price, finish them, and sell them to someone else. If you finish the game in a week, you can still get most of your money back. If you are not the type to buy the latest games, you can get the games you want at very low prices. Used PS4 discs are often available for around $10, and used PS5 games can be found for $20 or so. You’ll also still be able to buy games from the digital PS Store whenever you want.
In my opinion, the extra money is worth it unless you plan to subscribe to PlayStation Plus for the entire year and only play games available for free through that service.
Do games installed from disk take up less space?
Storage is a big part of the debate between digital and disc versions of the PS5, but honestly, there’s nothing to worry about here. When you buy disks, you don’t really save that much space; Once installed, games take up about the same amount of memory on your PS5. Even if you install the game from a disc, it will still receive updates periodically and will increase in size over time.
Both the Digital Edition and the disk variant of the PS5 come with 1TB of storage, and you can buy an M2 SSD to expand it .
Desk space is worth thinking about.
One thing to keep in mind is that the disc variant of the PS5 takes up a little more desk space than the Digital Edition. The PS5 Digital Edition is 3.1 inches wide, while the disc version is 3.7 inches wide. The difference is pretty small, but if you have limited desktop space, it could make a difference.
Arguments for buying the PS5 disc edition
My colleague Brendan is a big proponent of physical media because it’s the only way to truly own what you buy . Digital purchases, including games, can be removed from the store for various reasons, and sometimes this means you won’t be able to access the game even if you paid full price for it. I’ve applied this philosophy to video games, and because of it, I have a small collection of physical games that I enjoy playing on my PS5.
This means that I don’t have to be online to play my games; I have games that I bought; and if I decided to give up some of my games, I could sell them and get back some of the original cost.
Arguments for buying the PS5 Digital Edition
As much as I love my disc option, it’s worth admitting that with the arrival of the Netflix-like PlayStation Plus subscription for PS5 , the PS5 Digital Edition may be the right choice for some people. It allows you to play as many games as you want for a single monthly subscription fee, but the catch is that the game catalog is constantly changing. Subscriptions also rely on you having a good internet connection, and you’ve had quite a few issues where people were unintentionally locked out of purchased games .
For those who buy games, the PS5 Digital Edition removes the ability to buy physical media, but installing games online is much more convenient. For some people, this convenience and lower price are good enough reasons to go all-digital.