PS5 vs PS5 Slim: What are the key differences?
Choosing between the PS5 and PS5 Slim isn’t easy. There are many different factors to consider before putting any money down on one of Sony’s latest consoles.
We’re going over all the need-to-know differences between the standard PlayStation and the mid-generation console redesign, including the differences in the price, features, design, specs, value for money, and more so you can buy with confidence.
For more, you can check out the PS5 vs PS5 Pro and see our picks for the best PS5 games in 2024.
PS5 vs PS5 Slim priceOne of the biggest deciding factors between the PS5 and the PS5 Slim is the price you pay, and it’s not necessarily clear-cut. Starting with the former, the standard “fat” PS5 debuted at $499.99 for the disc version and $399.99 for the Digital Edition. This is similar to the newer PS5 Slim console, which also costs $499.99 for a disc-based version and $399.99 for an all-digital variant.
Where things will differ, however, is in the discounts you’ll expect to pay. The PS5 Slim effectively completely replaced the original PS5 model in late 2023, but the first variant can be spotted from time to time. Discounts around the festive period are common, especially with bundles, so you can find the PS5 Slim as cheap as $374.99 for digital and $424.99 for the disc-based system.
With that said, a major strength of the PS5 Slim is that you have the option of physical or digital after the fact, as you can buy a PS5 disc drive at a later date to slot in. This accessory costs $79.99 on its own. So, you could buy the digital system and then upgrade it to a disc drive later. It will depend on whether you buy at full price or not, as a discounted disc edition system may be cheaper.
The last facet to consider in terms of PS5 vs PS5 Slim price will be the games themselves. Traditionally speaking, physical PS5 games (boxed and on-disc) can be cheaper when bought through online retailers such as Amazon, GameStop, and Best Buy, compared to digital games for sale directly at the PlayStation Store. This isn’t always the case, as sales can happen, but it is a factor in building up a PS5 game library.
- Winner: PS5 Slim
Weighing up the PS5 vs PS5 Slim’s design comes down to how much space you have in your living room or on your desk. The original PS5 is taller, wider, and heavier than the PS5 Slim, which is what you would expect. It measures in at an unsubtle 15.4 x 4.1 x 10.2 inches (LxWxD) and is fairly hefty at 9.9 lbs for the disc edition and 8.6 lbs for the digital variant.
The PS5 Slim is notably smaller, thinner, and lighter. It measures 14 x 3.1 x 8.5 inches (LxWxD), which means it is 9% shorter, 24% thinner, and with a lower depth of 16%. It weighs in at 7 lbs even, which is 2.9 lbs lighter than the standard PS5 for a full 29% weight reduction. If you have limited space under your TV, then you may want to consider the PS5 Slim as the full-size PS5, which may be a bit of a beast.
Dimensions aside, the design philosophy between the PS5 vs PS5 Slim is similar. In what can be considered the most radical departure from the usual PlayStation stylings, the PlayStation 5 features two large plastic white fins on either side of a black middle and a curved look that can be displayed either vertically or horizontally.
Unfortunately, should you want to display your PS5 Slim vertically, you will need to splash out an additional $29.99 on top of the asking price for the vertical stand. This is not something you had to worry about with the original 2020 PS5 model, however, as Sony included a stand that could support both horizontal and vertical mounting straight out of the box.
A cosmetic difference between the PS5 vs PS5 Slim designs is how the side panels are handled. Both the original disc and digital models feature a solid left and right plastic side, which can be removed and replaced. That said, the PS5 Slim is similar, but there is a dividing section that splits the top and bottom of the left and right side plates for four total pieces.
Do you not fancy the standard white PS5 console? Well, Sony’s got you covered. You can purchase PS5 console covers for both the standard PS5, PS5 Digital Edition, and the PS5 Slim — the latter of which includes a bespoke disc drive cover, too. Colors include Sterling Silver, Volcanic Red, Cobalt Blue, Midnight Black, Chroma Teal, and Chroma Indigo. The PS5 Slim even recently received a PS1-inspired paint job with the 30th-anniversary collection too.
As touched upon in the previous section, the PS5 Slim has a major leg up over the original model, so you can slot it in a disc drive at a later date. This level of versatility means you aren’t beholden to just digital games as you would be with the first PS5 digital edition, owing to the new design. For this reason and others listed above, we are confident in awarding the redesign the win here.
- Winner: PS5 Slim
Fundamentally, the PS5 and PS5 Slim share many of the same technical specifications, but there are a few distinct differences to be aware of. The most pressing issue is the internal storage solution. The base PS5 featured an 825GB Gen 4.0 NVMe SSD (with around 667.2GB of usable space after the OS and pre-installed functionality), whereas the PS5 Slim bumps things up to 1TB.
With the newer model, you have around 850GB at your disposal (which is more than the total storage space of the base PS5 altogether). Depending on how many PS5 games you download, that could mean significantly fleshing out your collection and having room to play the selection of PlayStation Plus games available for download, too.
There’s also a slight difference in the front I/O between the PS5 and PS5 Slim as well. That’s because while the 2020 model only features a single USB-C port, the newer variant doubles up on this connection type for plugging in your DualSense controller and having room for a high-speed external hard drive, etc. The base PS5 featured a USB-A port instead. Aside from this, both PlayStation 5 consoles have two USB-A 3.0 ports on the back for further connectivity.
Thanks to its increased system storage and improved front I/O, the PS5 Slim has superior specs when compared to the original PS5. However, be aware that there are no performance differences between the two consoles, as you will see between the PS5 vs PS5 Pro.
- Winner: PS5 Slim
For the reasons we’ve outlined above, the PS5 Slim is the superior choice when compared against the standard PS5 console. This is for several different reasons: increased storage, the options of a digital and disc edition, a better front interface, and a smaller and sleeker package make it the better pick of the two.
What’s more, the PS5 Slim benefits from sales as well as bundles, meaning you can get the best value for money if you pick a smart time to shop. In comparison, the original PS5 has essentially disappeared from store shelves.
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