The PS5 digital edition was released alongside the disc-based version, and yet it seems like people barely talk about it - just like how very few people talk about the similarly all-digital Xbox Series S. Some might find it weird that this version of the PlayStation 5 is more or less ignored compared to its bigger brother. So why is that?
ps5 digital edition
There are numerous reasons for this, and they are entirely within reason if you think about it. However, there are also several cases that go against ignoring the PS5 digital edition altogether if you're looking to get your hands on Sony's latest gaming hardware.
PS5 Digital Edition: The Overall User Experience
YouTuber SimplyPops posted a video detailing his one year usage experience of the all-digital PS5. In it, his reason for going the digital-only console was quite simple: he liked the more symmetrical design better. But using the console for a year definitely changed his perspective:
At the end of the video, he concluded that the main disadvantage of going for the PS5 digital edition was the fact that he can't go for physical, disc-based games whenever they go on sale. That's it. And that's true, considering how physical games almost always go on sale in retail stores. You can even just borrow a disc from a friend and never even have to spend money to get new games.
He concludes that it will still be far better to have the option to go digital or physical when it comes to games. But aside from not having the similar options for games, he did conclude that the advantages of going for the current-gen hardware remained a year on (fast loading times, better frame rates and visuals, everything that gamers already know).
What Other People Think
There is a post on the PlayStation subreddit asking people whether they regret buying the digital edition of the PS5. Their answers were more or less similar, with one user saying they eventually replaced their console with a disc version, which allows them to buy used games for much cheaper.
At the end of the day, it's really just about the fact that people can buy used games or trade them in. This was what basically helped the PS4 win Sony the last console generation, and they're not about to give that freedom up.
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Price Considerations
The launch price for the PS5 digital edition was a full $100 cheaper than its disc-based brother ($399 vs $499, via Push Square). That might have been the driving force for some people to choose the all-digital console over the disc-based one. And even if scalpers did jack up the prices of both systems, the digital edition remained cheaper compared to the disc edition.
A quick look through eBay is all the proof you need. You can get an all-digital PlayStation 5 for as low as under $500 if you look hard enough. It's still beyond its original MSRP of $399, but that's far better compared to the current prices of the disc-based console. You can expect to pay as much as $750-$800 for one system as of this writing - the math is pretty clear there.
Should You Go For An All-Digital PS5 Then?
At the end of the day, it's your preference. Tom's Guide recommends the all-digital console if you mainly buy your games online and don't have a stack of old PS4 discs lying around. That's pretty much it. Plus, the console itself is far easier to maintain because it has fewer moving parts. This means there's a smaller chance of something major breaking down, like the disc drive randomly spitting out discs.
When it comes to performance, there really isn't anything major. Both PlayStation 5 models have identical hardware, so there's no performance uplift by going for one or the other. The good thing is that the all-digital console will give you the same gaming experience as the disc-based console for less money. That's almost always a good deal, right?
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