PS5 Digital Edition Vs Disc Version: Which Is Worth Buying In 2023?

The video game industry, like any other, is always moving forward. New hardware can be particularly pricey, which is why it's crucial to try and cover potential consumers' needs and preferences as much as possible. With this in mind, upon PlayStation 5's arrival in November 2020, fans were given the choice of two different models of the system. The standard version of the PS5 is fitted with a disc drive and the Digital Edition, unsurprisingly, is not. As such, gamers can only play digital titles downloaded from the PlayStation Store on the latter version.

Millions of gamers are used to something of a hybrid arrangement, whereby they can purchase some games as quick and convenient downloads and others as physical releases. Availability, pricing, and potential preorder bonuses will all typically be factors in such a decision. That's why choosing between the two PS5 models can be quite the thorny issue. With the system's third birthday arriving later in 2023, it's worth looking at the pros and cons of each, in hopes of helping potential buyers make an informed decision.

With additional delivery fees from takeout providers, consumers have become rather familiar with the concept of paying more for the sake of convenience. This isn't really a concern with a Digital Edition PS5. In fact, the reverse is true. The freedom to immediately download an available title from the digital storefront at any time is quite the boon. It comes at a decreased retail cost, too: The original RRP of the Digital Edition was $399.99, a full $100 cheaper than the disc version, and it's pretty much stuck to that price point.

For gamers on stricter budgets, the digital-only model has an obvious advantage immediately. You can pick up an extra game, DualSense controller, another fantastic PS5 accessory, or some combination of these for the price difference, thereby gaining more bang for your buck — if you're not concerned by the digital-only stipulation. Digital certainly seems to be the way the wind is blowing in the industry, too: In June 2020, prior to the PS5's release, market analyst Daniel Ahmad tweeted, "we entered the current console generation (2013) with digital downloads accounting for around 5-10% of unit sales. Now we're entering next gen with 50%+ as standard." Those numbers have only grown since then.

The considerable bulk of the base PlayStation 5 model is also a factor. After a design tweak in 2022, the disc version weighs approximately 3.9 kg, and the Digital Edition 3.4 kg. The "new" model was also deemed to have 12mm less width. That lack of a drive for physical games certainly makes a difference in form factor.

The standard version of the PS5, as discussed, is considerably more expensive, as well as a little bulkier and heavier. The advantage of having that optical disc drive, however, is more significant than just allowing for physical gaming: It's for physical media in a broader sense. Needless to say, a Blu-ray movie or show won't be any more compatible with the Digital Edition than a physical PS5 game will. Those who typically use their consoles for that purpose will find they need a secondary device for watching this kind of media, which essentially negates any aims of buying the Digital Edition just for its smaller size and price.

Another obvious concern for potential Digital Edition owners is hard drive space. Both models offer 825 GB of storage, and even less in total free space available for use. The Digital Edition doesn't compromise on the space it has available, but having to download full digital games means that an external hard drive is even more of a necessity. To put the issue into perspective, PlayStation Game Size reported on Twitter that "Final Fantasy XVI," a timed exclusive for PS5, is a 90.18 GB download.

This isn't to say that physical games don't require frequent patches, updates, and other downloads, as they certainly do. Overall, however, popping in a disc is much less taxing on that free space.

When it comes down to it, there's no right or wrong choice, as both of these are strong consoles for the price. For many users, simply having the choice of inserting a game or movie will win out, even if they tend to prefer digital titles. Others will recognize that they simply don't need that option and won't miss it at all. In terms of specs, the two systems are identical, meaning that the extra cost of the standard version doesn't buy better performance or any sort of technical advantage. 

But there is one last thing to consider: Removing potential disc play from the equation does reduce the chance of pricey games being damaged, especially if there are children in the house. If there are, or if there are other financial priorities on your mind, jumping on the PlayStation 5 bandwagon at a lower price point may be the best course of action. The same fantastic, burgeoning library of titles will be available to you either way, even if you have fewer options for other types of media.

A potential PS6 is sure to offer something new and exciting, but before getting ahead of ourselves, we should appreciate the PS5 model that suits us best.