Despite the fact that we’re four years into this current console generation, PS5 discounts have been as slim as its recent redesign. You’ll hardly ever find Sony’s console for less than its launch day price. Even when the PS5 Pro was announced, Sony opted to keep the base model’s price the same. That’s finally changed. As part of Amazon’s Prime Big Deals Day, the PS5 Digital Edition just got a big price cut. Regularly $450, it’s on sale for $400 through most major retailers, but Amazon's price has been bouncing a bit lower (it’s currently $395 at the time of writing).
You may be wondering if this is the right moment to buy a PS5. After all, its $700 Pro model is slated to launch next month. I’d argue that this is the exact moment to buy a base model, though.
Buying a console at launch can be a needlessly expensive investment for little gain out the gate. In the first half of a new generation, most games tend to release cross-platform. If you didn’t upgrade to a PS5 in 2020, you could still get games like Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales or Assassin’s Creed Valhalla on PS4. Even years after that, heavy hitters like God of War Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West launched on PS4. They looked better on PS5, but not enough to warrant a big upgrade for anyone trying to save money.
Four years into the PS5’s life and that’s now changed. Games like Astro Bot and Stellar Blade are exclusive to PS5 now, signaling that we’re at the end of the generation crossover era. If you upgrade — or get your first PlayStation — now, you’re getting a sizable backlog of exclusives that take advantage of the console’s power and justify the purchase. That includes first-party games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, as well as third-party hits like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
This is the newer slim model of the PS5 too, which is worth upgrading to if you have the original 2020 console. It’s smaller and has more storage, solving the two biggest problems with the PS5. The only catch here is that it’s the Digital Edition that’s discounted, which means you’re not getting a disc drive. That’s not a deal breaker at under $400, though, as you can always buy an attachable disc drive later if you need one.
That’s all great, but why upgrade now instead of waiting a month and buying a PS5 Pro? That’s a good question, and the answer will differ from person to person. If you’re a major techie who wants to squeeze as much power as possible out of a console, it may be wise to wait — so long as you have $700 to spare. That’s the rub. The PS5 Pro is an incredibly expensive machine and there’s not much hope that it’ll get a quick price cut. If it took the PS5 four years to drop below $400, I don’t imagine that we’ll see a significant Pro sale until the PS6 is revealed.
If I’m being honest, though, the PS5 Pro isn’t an upgrade that most players will need. We were incredibly impressed when we saw it in action at Tokyo Game Show, but its changes might seem subtle to your average player. Smoother frame rates and improved ray tracing are the kind of features you can easily gloss over if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Most players will be none the wiser if they upgrade to a PS5, a system that’s still quite powerful even if there’s a better version of it looming. Ignorance is bliss when it comes to video game consoles.
Even if it hasn’t been a perfect console since its launch, I still believe that the PS5 is a perfectly powerful console for most players. If you don’t have one, I recommend starting with the base model and spending some time with it before deciding if you need a Pro. If you do, you can always trade in your old one down the line. And with the Digital Edition as low as it is today, this is the best way to maximize your money if that’s your plan.
