PS5 Digital Vs Disc Edition [Choose the Right Console 2024]

Sony PlayStation 5’s Digital version is cheaper than the Disc edition but lacks the disc drive. This forces you to abandon your PS4 game discs and repurchase them digitally, which is quite inconvenient & costly in the long run.

On the other hand, the PS5 Disc edition allows you to play and enjoy both physical PS5 and PS4 games at an extra cost.

So, if you have to think twice about clicking Add to Cart button, don’t worry.

In this article, you will find all the differences & can decide which PlayStation 5 edition you should choose.

Let’s jump in.

What are the Major Differences Between PS5 Digital and PS5 Disc?

What makes the distinction between these PS5 Digital and Disc editions are their pricing, design, size, weight, and availability, but both PS5 versions can play games at up to 4K resolution and hit 120fps with a compatible TV, and support PS5 games with ray tracing.

Moreover, both PS5 models offer backward compatibility to indulge you in the PS4 games on the PS5 platform. The custom NVMe SSD ensures super-fast load times with the 8-core AMD Zen 2 CPU.

Here is a spec table of both PS5 Digital and Disc editions:

The affordable PS5 digital edition doesn’t include a disc drive and steers you to download the digital version of the PS5 games. On the other hand, the Disc or Standard PlayStation 5 allows you to play game discs and even movies.

In this modern era of high download speed, digital downloads may seem convenient. But the standard PS5 holds its weight as you can pre-owned physical discs for a discount, rent them from friends or family, and sell them after playing the games.

Below I’m giving a comprehensive comparison of the two PS5 models, and you can then decide whether the standard PS5 is genuinely worth the extra $100 compared to the digital edition.

Here are the differences between PS5 Digital vs PS5 Disc:

1. Pricing

The first difference you will find between PlayStation 5 Digital vs. Disc is the pricing.

While the standard PS5 will cost you $499.99, the digital one will initially save some bucks for you at only $399.99 in the US. At launch, the Disc version was priced at AUD 749.95 & CAD 629, and the Digital edition was AUD 599.95 & CAD 499.

But on 22 Aug 2022, Sony announced that the PS5 price would rise by up to 21% for the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Canada. But if you are in the US, you are lucky that the price is not affected yet.

But on paper, you can think you can save $100 by purchasing the Digital PS5 version. But there’s a whole other story.

You can rarely find a sale for the digital copy of a PS5 game, whereas the disc copy is more affordable. Moreover, with the digital PS5 game, you can’t do anything with it, but you can trade the disc copy, borrow the game from a friend, or share it with family.

At least you won’t have to worry when the PlayStation Store is offline. In addition, if you own physical PS4 games, they won’t be usable on the PS5 Digital Edition. Whereas you can also buy PS4 game discs at a cheaper rate than their counterparts and use them on standard PS5.

In this case, I would go for the PS5 Disc edition, which is a clear winner here.

2. Disc Drive

With the PS5 Disc edition, you can play games and enjoy Blu-ray movies & other media types. This version provides diverse options for playing games, playing DVDs on PS5, and other media content. If you have a Blu-ray DVD collection, you know the answer.

Meanwhile, you can play games on the disc-less PS5 Digital edition and enjoy streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus.

But for games, you have to download the games to play. This can take hours to download & install the game. Not to mention, the storage drive can fill much faster, and you may find your PS5 doesn’t have enough storage space for the new games.

3. Design and Size

Both PlayStation 5 versions have a more futuristic look than their predecessor. Both look the same design, except the PS5 disc version is slightly larger & heavier for the extra disc partition.

The Digital PS5 version has a dimension of 15.4 x 10.2 x 3.6 inches and looks more symmetrical. The PS5 Disc edition gets a little wider for the disc part, which is 15.4 x 10.2 x 4.1 inches in dimension.

4. Weight

The launch time’s PS5 consoles were a bit heavier than the recent versions, as PS5 modified some cooling sections to shave some weight.

The PS5 Disc version was initially 4.5kg & the PS5 Digital edition was 3.9kg. Both lost some weight and now their weight is 3.9kg and 3.4kg, respectively. However, the weight changes didn’t affect pricing.

5. PlayStation Plus

Sony provides its customer with a digital service called PlayStation Plus. This service supports both PS5 models, and you can play online multiplayer games with it, but PS5 Digital owners find the service more beneficial, as it doesn’t require a disc. This also saves you from the extra hassle when your PS5 is not reading discs.

You can also share PS Plus on PS5, and for a monthly $10, PS Plus Essential allows gamers a monthly selection of free games.

Why Should You Choose the PS5 Digital Edition?

Consider buying the PS5 Digital edition if you want to save some bucks during purchase, have no issues buying games from the PS store, have no plan to trade used games, have a stable internet connection, and also don’t mind deleting games to save storage.

Below are some reasons why you should buy the PlayStation 5 Digital edition:

• Cheap: If you are struggling to save more money and can’t wait to buy your first PS5 console, you can save $100 by purchasing the Digital version.
• Design: The PS5 Digital model is a symmetrically designed console that is more appealing. If you like the aesthetically cooling look, prefer to buy the PS5 Digital.
• Internet Connection: PS5 Digital contains digital in its name, so everything will happen online. If you have a high-speed & stable net connection to download the game quickly, PS5 Digital would be your ideal choice.
• Digital-minded: Physical DVD copies are becoming obsolete as the modern world is running more towards digital trends. If you don’t want to collect DVD copies & prefer an online digital gaming library, you should buy the PlayStation 5 Digital edition.

Why Should You Pick the Standard PlayStation 5?

You should go for PlayStation 5 Disc edition if your internet connectivity is poor & gets interrupted often, pre-owned physical PS4 discs, want to play DVD movies, have the intention to share discs with friends or families, and are willing to buy used PS5 gaming discs.

The PlayStation 5 Disc edition is slightly more expensive than the Digital model, but it is worth the value for some valid reasons.

Follow the reasons below why the Standard PlayStation 5 is the right choice for you:

• Inconsistent Network: The standard PS5 can save you from downloading a full 100GB game and save you time. Moreover, if the network connection is weak and unreliable, downloading one full game will be a nightmare for you.

Of course, the PS5 Disc version will require an internet connection to download the latest patches for a game, but that is a much lesser size than a full game.

• Blu-ray DVD option: By having a PS5 Disc model, you won’t require an external media player, as it supports Ultra HD Blu-ray DVDs to watch movies. So if you are fond of collecting DVDs of HD movies, you can turn your standard PlayStation 5 into a home theater.
• Cheaper in Long Run: Though this model’s initial purchase cost is higher, you can save money by purchasing cheaper used DVDs, renting or selling them, and sharing them with families. You can also use any PS4 physical copies as PS5 supports backward compatibility.

Is PS5 Digital Worth it?

For starters, it costs less than the standard model, and depending on variable situations, it can be a worthy buy. The decision depends on how you want to play the games, how often you will spend time on gaming, how much you will pay for games, etc.

The Digital model can be worthwhile if you are an occasional FIFA, COD, or Battlefield player. Because if you tend to buy/play games frequently, it would be wiser to opt for the standard one as the physical copies often get a sale.

In addition, you can also resell the physical copy or borrow it from your friends or family, which can save a lot of money in the long run.

So, should you buy the PS5 Digital Edition?

The ultimate deciding factor in buying the PS5 Digital depends on you. The gaming habits or how handy the PS Plus service will be vary from person to person. So, think about what you want before investing the money, which PS5 edition covers your needs, and then go for it.

FAQs

Do the PS5 Disc and PS5 digital editions give the same performance?

Both PlayStation 5 models have the same CPU, GPU, and RAM and perform the same in games. Except for the disc part, shape & weight, all internal configurations are the same for both editions. So, no one is more powerful than the other.

Does the PS5 Disc version have more storage than the PS5 digital edition?

Both PS5 models have Custom 825 GB SSD installed, and only 667GB is available to use for users. But the PS5 has two expansion slots. So, if you are short on storage space, consider adding an SSD between 250GB to 4TB capacity.

Can you play digital games on the PS5 disc version?

Whether it is the PS5 Digital edition or the Disc version, the PlayStation Store operates the same way for both models. So, you can download & play digital games on the PS5 Disc version like the Digital one.  The PSN account is also shareable between multiple PlayStation consoles, but multiple login at same time is not possible.

Verdict

In my opinion, the PS5 Disc edition offers more than the PS5 Digital model.

With the standard PS5, you won’t have to download a game, can get game’s copy cheaply or resell them to buy a new one, and can enjoy DVD movies. On the other hand, PS5 Digital is also a worthy buy for many who play occasionally or want to build an online game library.

In the end, the choice depends on you & your needs. In this article, I described the difference between the PS5 models, so that it can help you to get the best & suitable one.