Top choice

This version of the PS5 has a disc drive so you can watch UHD Blu-ray movies as well as play new or used PS5 and PS4 game discs. The rest of the features and hardware are the same.

Second

The Digital Edition does not include a disc drive, so you cannot watch Blu-rays, use new or used games, or old PS4 discs. However, if you’re keen to go fully digital, it has the same graphics, CPU, memory and storage hardware as the standard PS5.

If you’re not sure which of these two PlayStations is right for you, our journalists have taken an in-depth look at the difference between the two PlayStation 5 models. Simply put, the PS5 Slim has a disc drive, but the Slim Digital Edition does not.

This means that the PS5 Slim is the better option for gamers who love physical media and own a selection of PS4 games, as the PS5 is compatible with most games in the PS4 library. And since the PS5 Slim can produce 4K UHD video, it’s also great for movie lovers with large Blu-ray collections. (We also noticed that there are a number of good PS5 games on sale right now – including Resident Evil 4, Gran Turismo 7And Final Fantasy XVI– if you prefer to collect physical media.)

The PS5 Slim Digital Edition lacks a disc drive, but is slightly cheaper. So going fully digital can save you even more money.

Since neither model is significantly different from the original PS5, there’s no reason to upgrade if you already own them, even though they’re both shorter and slimmer than the original version. (Our testers noted the impressive size of the original PS5 and the difficulty of finding space in the media console for it, so purchasing a slim version is a possible solution.)

However, if you’re starting your gaming setup from scratch and don’t rely on a CD drive, you can grab a discounted Sony PlayStation 5 Slim Digital Edition bundle that includes a second controller, making it an ideal starter pack .

The last time we saw the slim PS5 models on sale was Prime Day, when both versions were $50 off. So we’re not surprised to see these PlayStations back on sale – but we haven’t seen a drop in price. This means there’s no reason to wait for something better, so go ahead and beat the Black Friday rush. (And if you open the box and start playing before Thanksgiving, we won’t tell anyone.)

This article was edited by Maxine Builder.