PS5 vs. PS5 Slim: What’s the difference?

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PS5 vs PS5 Slim is the side-by-side look we’re going into to help you decide which console is right for you.

With the upcoming release of the upgraded PS5 Pro console, this could be a good time to grow a little, but there is still plenty of PS5 power.

In the event that there are sweet deals or even permanent price drops going forward, it’s best to be armed with the knowledge of what you do (and don’t) get with the PS5 and PS5 Slim.

Let’s get into it.

PS5 vs. PS5 Slim: price

In context, i original, non-slim PS5 has two versions: digital (without disc drive) and one with disk drive. The same can be said for the PS5 Slim; has a digital and disc version.

For whatever reason, Sony decided to do so not reduced the prices of the new PS5 Slim models. The PS5 Slim with a disc drive is still $499, while the PS5 Slim outside disc drive is $449 — or $50 more than the original PS5 digital-only console.

• PS5 Slim (no disc drive) – $449

• PS5 Slim (with disc drive) – $499

• Original PS5 (no disc drive) – $399

• Original PS5 (disc drive) – $499

With that in mind, yes, a digital-only PS5 Slim can save money compared to one with a disc drive, but not compared to the digital-only model introduced in 2020.

The new price also means that buying a digital model before buying an additional disk drive will cost more More rather than simply grabbing a version with a built-in drive. I don’t really have a good explanation for that.

My only advice is this: If you want a PS5 that only costs $399, you better get it now. This is an important note: Once the existing stock of both original models is sold out, the new smaller models will replace them on store shelves.

PS5 vs PS5 Slim: size

Obviously, size is what most players are concerned about here, so let’s get right to it. If you look at Sony’s stated dimensions, you can see that the new PS5 is actually smaller than the original:

• Original PS5 (disc version): 104mm (height) x 390mm (width) x 260mm (depth)

• PS5 Slim (disc version): 96mm (height) x 358mm (width) x 216mm (depth)

• Original PS5 (digital version): 92mm x 390mm x 260mm

• PS5 Slim (digital version): 80mm x 358mm x 216mm

Credit: Sony

In other words, according to Sony’s announcement blog post, that’s about a 30 percent reduction in total volume. That’s certainly an improvement, but there’s some important context missing from those raw numbers. The Verge compared the digital size and found that both new models are still much larger than the Xbox Series X.

In other words, this “small” console is still very large.

For a visual comparison, check out this amazing PS5 Slim vs. Common Reddit post.

PS5 vs. PS5 Slim: operation and maintenance

Another important feature of the new PS5 models out of the way is that they have the same internal capabilities as the originals. This isn’t a PS4 vs. PS4 Pro situation. Games will run exactly the same on all PS5 consoles.

Credit: Sony

One small internal bonus that new PS5 owners get, however, comes in the form of expanded storage. For some reason, the original PS5 only had 825GB of internal storage, with the option to expand with external SSDs. The new ones have a full 1TB of built-in storage, so you can fit a few more games depending on how big they are.

PS5 vs. PS5 Slim: disc drive

As of the launch of the PS5 in late 2020, there are two models of the PS5 Slim. One of them has a built-in disc drive and the other is digital only.

Credit: Sony

Well, anyway. There is a removable disk drive that you can buy for $79.99. It looks ugly, but it should do what you think it does. For portable media collectors, a disk drive must be purchased.

It’s worth it, though, that the PS5 Slim, unlike the OG PS5, does not come with a stand in the box. However, seasoned gamers will tell you that you should keep your PS5 horizontal anyway.