PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition: which PlayStation 5 console should you choose?

Photo of author
Written By William Shakespeare

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur pulvinar ligula augue quis venenatis. 

PS5 vs PS5 Digital Edition

PS5

The groundbreaking controller, lightning-fast load times, and exclusive titles on the PS5 continue to wow users. You get home-cinema bonuses from the 4K Blu-ray drive that comes with it, and you can also save money by swapping disc-based videogames with your pals and at exchange stores.

For

  • also functions as a 4K Blu-ray player

 

Against

  • more expense

 

Digital PS5 Edition

With terms of internal specifications and performance, the less expensive PS5 Digital Version is the same as the regular PS5. However, it is entirely disc-less; you can only get games for it digitally, so you can’t enjoy 4K Blu-ray watching. Even so, it’s a wise choice for gamers who can’t afford the top-tier PS5.

 

For

  • Usually less expensive
  • Similar to that of a PS5

 

 

Against

  • only allows digital game play
  • Blu-ray player absent

 

Sony PlayStation 5 is Sony’s newest video game console, but which model—PS5 or PS5 Digital Edition—is right for you?

There are two versions of PlayStation 5 available, which might make deciding which is best challenging. Both the normal PS5 as well as the PS5 Digital Editions are available. Which one do you need depends on if you intend to play Sony’s newest system? Start by reading the entirety of our PS5 review.

The PS5 appears to be the logical choice for the majority of folks. This model is a significant improvement over any console you already own and comes with the a 4K Blu-ray drive.

Don’t discount the Play station 5 Digital Edition though. This PS5 Digital Edition could be preferred if you wish to save some money. This model differs from PS5 in that, just like Xbox Series S, this is entirely disc-less and only supports digital game purchases. This also lowers the price.

As always, the answer to the issue about which is best for you will depend on your spending limit, game-playing tastes, and attitude toward purchasing physical copies of games as opposed to downloading them. This article was developed to assist you in selecting the best PlayStation 5.

Is indeed the Play station 5 Digital Edition the correct choice for you? In today’s digital age, was another 4K Blu-Ray drive actually necessary? Or will investing more money on a disc drive always be the wiser course of action?

Everything that is required for you to make the best choice has been discussed. In this comparison, we looked at every important factor—from features to price—between the PS5 and the PS5 Digital Edition.

 

Price and availability details for the PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition

The regular PS5, which devours Blu-ray discs like they’re dessert, will set you back $499.99, £449.99, or AU$749.95. With similar specifications other than the deletion of the disc drive, this PlayStation 5 Digital Version costs $399.99, £359.99, or AU$599.95.

The PS5 was released on December 12, in some regions and on November 19 in other regions. All console versions are readily accessible everywhere. The decision to go completely digital would thus result in a huge savings of $100 or £90. However, there are a few more things to take into account.

The machine can’t also play 4K Blu-ray discs, which is a great extra for enthusiasts of home theater. That’s not a bad deal, given that separate 4K Blu-ray players may cost several hundred bucks or pounds.

The ability to swap, lend, borrow, and trade actual disc-based games with your friends and trade shops is another benefit available to those having a disc drive. That might result in significant second-hand savings throughout the life of a console.

As a result, because you’ll be spending whatever pricing Sony and the gaming industry chooses to set on PSN, the initial savings you save by buying the digital console might end up costing you in the long run. That’s before accounting for the delight that comes from actually possessing physical things.

 

Specs of the PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition

Here are all of the PS5’s official specifications, from Sony, with changes for both models highlighted where applicable. Performance-wise, the two PS5 versions are equivalent, which is a considerable improvement first from Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S, whose prices are vastly different.

They both employ the very same custom processor and have an 825GB SSD; the biggest distinction is that the more costly PS5 console will contain a High Definition Blu-ray disc drive.

  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 2 (x86-64), 8 cores and 16 threads, running at up to 3.5 GHz.
  • GPU: Ray Tracing Acceleration, AMD Radeon RDNA 2-based graphic engine, configurable frequency, up at 2.23 GHz (10.3 TFLOPS)
  • GDDR6 16GB/448GB/s Bandwidth System Memory
  • Optical drive: High Definition Blu-ray (66G/100G) (only for base unit) (25G/50G) 10xCAVBD-ROM (25G/50G) 8xCAVBD-R/RE ~8xCAVDVD ~3.2xCLV
  • SSD: 5.5GB/s Read Bandwidth, 825GB (Raw)
  • PS5 Game Disc: 100GB/disc Ultra HD Blu-ray
  • HDMI OUT port with compatibility for 8K, 4K, and 120Hz TVs
  • Audio: Audio Tech Tempest 3D
  • PS5’s dimensions are around 390mm by 104mm by 260mm (width, height, and depth)
  • Dimensions of the PS5 Digital Edition: 390mm x 92mm x 260mm roughly
  • 9kg for the PS5 Digital Edition and 4.5kg for the PS5.
  • PS5 uses 350W of power, whereas PS5 Digital uses 340W.
  • USB Type-A port for input and output (Hi-Speed USB)
  • USB Type-C port, USB Type-A port, and two Super-Speed USB 10Gbps ports (Super-Speed USB 10Gbps)
  • Ethernet (10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T), IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1, and wireless networking

As previously established, both consoles come with the same solid state drive, which offers consumers 825 GB of storage besides a raw throughput of 5.5GB/s (and up to 9GB/s of compressed data). Space is limited because you only receive 667.2GB of useful storage, though. The PS5 or its Digital Edition is similar in all other respects except for a little change in weight and size.

The PS5 is powered by a third-generation AMD Ryzen processor with eight cores, the company’s latest Zen 2 architecture, and Navi graphics. The PS5 has 16GB as GDDR6 RAM with the bandwidth = 448GB/s and the GPU has 36 compute units with a clock speed of 2.23GHz and 10.28TFLOPs.

Ray tracing,  or sophisticated lighting, which was previously only possible with the greatest graphics cards for PCs, is now possible on consoles. As a consequence, you may anticipate elaborate reflections as in games you enjoy.

No matter which PS5 version you purchase, 3D audio is a significant feature as well. Immersion 3D audio is supported either by Tempest Engine, which multiplies sound sources by hundreds to provide realistic audio. Although a software upgrade does make 3D audio available through TV speakers as well, a headset would provide greater sound quality for this.

Many gamers won’t require 8K resolution on their 1080p TVs, but the PS5 can handle it (with a firmware upgrade). More of a mystery seems to be whether all games would run natively at 8K, since we presume that the least graphically demanding games will.

The finest PS4 games may also be played on both platforms, and you can purchase an external HDD to add more storage for such older games. Naturally, any physical versions you may already possess will not play mostly on PS5 Digital Edition.

 

Games for PS5 vs. PS5 Digital Edition

This is the simple part. The PS5 & PS5 Digital Edition execute the identical PS5 games in precisely the same way, with the exception of the truth that one is able play games from disc and the other only from the console’s internal storage system.

There are no game play differences between the PS5 or its digital-only version due to their similar internal specifications that enable 4K gaming at high refresh rates.

Sony has some fantastic exclusive games planned for both consoles. You may presently play popular games like Gran Turismo 7, Demon’s Souls, and Horizon: Forbidden West. That’s before factoring in games from third parties like Resident Evil 8: Village, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, and Cyberpunk 2077. Games including God of War: Ragnarok as well as Final Fantasy 16 are also on the horizon.

You’ll need to buy them digitally once again. However, Sony is softening the blow a little by offering PS Plus customers access to the PlayStation Plus Collection. Owners of the PS5 console now get free access to 19 outstanding PS4 titles, namely God of War, Uncharted 4, & Bloodborne.

However, it doesn’t do much to help PS5 Digital Edition users who already possess hundreds of PS4 games on discs. For consumers who subscribe to PS Plus Extra and Premium levels, the redesigned PS Plus service currently offers a collection of digital games, saving them money over time.

 

PS5 Digital Edition vs. PS5: Verdict

We can’t really decide on your behalf regarding financial problems, in all honesty. However, if you’re a serious player who lacks the funds to upgrade to the highest PS5, from all means, get the digital console. On that entry-level device, though, new-generation gaming will continue to be a treat, and it’s fantastic that speed is consistent between the two.

However, our hunch is still that, if you can finance it, you should get the conventional, disc-based PS5 system. In addition to the possible money saved well over years by swapping disc-based games alongside your friends or at exchange shops, this gives access to the pleasures of 4K Blu-ray watching.

One further thing to think about is the murky world of digital ownership, whether it be for games, movies, or music. In the case of digital media, a title is not genuinely yours forever. Where would you go to re-download your games if Sony decided to shut down the PS5’s digital storefront distribution in the year 2035 or at some other distant time? Just keep in mind that Sony first intended to shutter the PS3, Vita, & PSP shops before changing its mind.

Yes, the internet components of current games necessitate periodic fixes, which, regrettably, are occasionally necessary before a game can even function. However, having an entirely digital games library as versus a physical one is less comforting If Sony’s services are ever shut down for unforeseeable reasons.

And in the extremely unlikely event that you’re CDs ever cease working: then, at least you have a pretty case featuring box art to look back on…

 

 

Leave a Comment