Two years ago, Sony unveiled not one, but two editions of the PlayStation 5 at the June 11 Future of Gaming virtual event. Awesome! But for some, the double reveal has caused mind-warping indecision. As such, I will help you make an informed, knowledge-based decision. After all, no one likes buyer’s remorse. Without further ado, let’s delve into the pros and cons of the Digital Edition and the disc console so you can make a PS5 purchase that’ll leave you satisfied. If you are in the market for any gaming deals you can check out our Black Friday gaming deals to save yourself hundreds on the latest gaming gear. Without further ado, let the PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition battle begin!

Where to buy PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition

Where to buy PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition

Where to buy PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition

PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition: What’s the difference?

PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition: What’s the difference?

PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition: What’s the difference?

The PS5 Digital Edition and the disc model are almost “identical,” according to an interview with Sony’s Playstation CEO Jim Ryan. However, there are some important differences between the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition that are worth noting, especially when it comes to design and whether or not a disc drive exists. Both systems — PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition — sport an eight-core AMD Zen 2-based CPU clocked at 3.5GHz, a custom AMD RDNA 2 GPU with 10.28 teraflops and 36 compute units clocked at 2.23GHz, 16GB of RAM, and a custom 825GB SSD.  The PS5 duo also boasts exciting next-gen features including instantaneous load speeds, 8K graphical capabilities and advanced 3D audio.  While these console twins have many similarities, there are some crucial differences worth mentioning.

Who should buy the Digital Edition PS5?

Who should buy the Digital Edition PS5?

Who should buy the Digital Edition PS5?

If our breakdown of design, price and more still has your head spinning about which PS5 system you should purchase, we’ve rounded up an illuminating list of who would best benefit from the PS5 Digital Edition console.

Who should buy the PS5 disc console?

Who should buy the PS5 disc console?

Who should buy the PS5 disc console?

The advantage of the disc-equipped PS5 is that you’re not stuck with one way of downloading your games — you can choose between snagging a physical copy or downloading it digitally. Here are the folks who’d get the most out of a standard PS5:

PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition availability

PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition availability

PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition availability

Now that both the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition have launched, they’re selling out at a shocking speed. At the moment, your best chance to get a PS5 probably lies with Walmart (opens in new tab), as the company is holding three sales today at 12pm PT (3pm ET), 3pm PT (6pm ET), and 6pm PST (9pm ET). However, this beckons the ultimate question: which console is easiest to order at the moment? As far as demand goes, the standard PS5 is most highly sought after, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the PS5 Digital Edition is easier to purchase, Ars Technica reports that a number of retailers across the United States are only carrying one PS5 Digital Edition for every three or four standard PS5’s out there. This essentially means that the chances of the PS5 Digital Edition selling out are far greater, so if you’re desperate for a shiny new PS5, you’ll have the best luck purchasing the standard edition. If you’re willing to wait a month or two, the PS5 Digital Edition will likely be in higher stock, allowing you to order one comfortably.

Bottom line

Bottom line

Bottom line

To wrap up this PS5 vs. PS5 Digital face-off, the PS5 Digital Edition is for audacious gamers who are ready to dive in — head first —  into our imminent, digital-only future of gaming.  The standard PS5 model, on the other hand, is best for folks who aren’t quite ready to commit to an optical drive-absent system. And on the plus side, gamers with the disc-equipped console can download games through two channels: digitally and physically.  Both the standard model and the Digital Edition are flying off the shelves. If you need help in securing a disc-equipped PS5 or Digital Edition PS5, check out our PS5 availability tracking page.