PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition: Weigh the pros and cons

Oliver Cragg / Android Authority

The PlayStation 5 is here – well, if you are lucky enough to find it in stock somewhere. If you are considering picking up the PS5 next chance you get, there’s a choice to be made. Do you get the traditional disc version or the entirely digital version? In this post, we take a look at the differences between the two to help you figure out which console comes out on top in the PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition battle.

PS5 vs PS5 Digital: What are the major differences?

While the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X have some strong differences, the specs for the Standard PS5 and the PS5 Digital Edition are the same. No matter which PS5 console you choose, you’ll get the same fast SSD, the same quality graphics, and more. There are about three major differences between the two consoles.

Disc drive

The first and most significant difference between the Standard PS5 and the PS5 Digital Edition is that the former comes with a disc drive and the latter does not. If you’re into collecting physical movies or have a huge physical PS4 game collection, you definitely need the disc version of the PS5.

Also read: PS5 buyer’s guide: All you need to know about Sony’s PlayStation 5

The digital version of the PS5 is 100% digital, meaning it won’t be compatible at all with games that come on a disc. In order to play games on the PS5 Digital Edition, you’ll have to download the games online and store them directly on your console.

Design

The design of the two consoles differs, of course, because of the disc drive or lack thereof.

The disc version of the PS5 will have a slight bulge at the bottom where the hardware for the disc drive sits. Because the digital version lacks a disc drive, its design is a lot slimmer and more symmetrical.

Price

The standard PS5 price is $499, while the digital version is just $399. The specs between both versions are the same. Since the only thing the digital version lacks is the hardware components that are in the disc version, it costs less to make, and therefore costs less to consumers.

Check out: PS4 vs PS5 – Should I upgrade? Should I wait?

PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition: Which should I buy?

No matter how much you look at the debate between the Standard PS5 vs the PS5 Digital Edition, both options are fantastic if you can get your hands on one. Take a look at why each console would be a good option and then decide from there which one suits you best.

Should I buy the Standard PS5?

If you love to collect disc copies of your favorite games, you’re probably going to want the Standard PS5. Not to mention, if you mainly purchased disc versions of PS4 games and you’re not planning to keep your PS4 console, you’ll want the disc version of the PS5. Otherwise, you’ll lose out on all the money you spent on those games because the discs won’t be compatible with the PS5 Digital Edition.

If you also want the ability to watch Ultra HD Blu-ray discs without having to buy a separate Blu-ray disc player, the disc version of the PS5 has you covered. I have a huge collection of Blu-rays and DVDs; this, plus my obsession with getting physical copies of games, is why I’m going to buy the disc version of the PS5.

Oliver Cragg / Android Authority

Plus, if you don’t have the best internet connection, that’s another good reason to consider getting the Standard PS5. After all, downloading beefy games might be horribly long if you have a poor internet connection.

The Standard PS5 is going to cost a little bit more, but if you’re like me and you’re not ready to get rid of your physical collections just yet, the extra money is worth it.

Should I buy the PS5 Digital Edition?

You should probably buy the PS5 Digital Edition if you know you’re going to solely buy digital copies of games. It’s the cheaper of the two consoles, so if you plan on only buying digital copies of your games, why not go with the cheaper option?

If you own a PS4 and you bought digital copies of games on that console, Sony has confirmed that you will be able to transfer those digital copies to the PS5 Digital Edition.

Oliver Cragg / Android Authority

Depending on how much you game, or rather how many games you download, you might fill up that 667GB of usable SSD in no time. To add more internal storage for PS5 games, you’ll need to add an extra SSD that’s been certified by Sony. At this point, Sony has made the supported software publicly available, and you can follow instructions on its website to learn how to put a good SSD into your PS5 such as this one. Most high-quality high-speed m.2 SSDs will work with the PS5, but the general rule is, the higher the speed, the better.

If you have great internet speeds and you only purchase digital games, the PS5 Digital Edition is a great option for you. Plus, you’ll have the bonus of a more symmetrical and pleasing design to show off.

Want to know more about the PS5? Check out: 

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