What is the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition? the Best Video Game Console

What’s the difference between a PlayStation 5 Console and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition?

Ever since Sony released the PlayStation 5 (PS5), it’s become a best-selling video game console, and one of the most coveted and hard-to-get products. It can be a matter of luck and timing to locate one on sites like Walmart, GameStop, Amazon, and even the PlayStation store, as occasional restocks sell out within minutes .

If you are lucky enough to get a PS5 or a bundle, you’re likely going to pay above retail price. It is currently marked up around $700-750 at places like StockX .

The Playstation 5 comes in two versions: The PlayStation 5 Console and the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition.

What is the PlayStation 5?

The PlayStation 5 is Sony’s latest video game console. Compared to the model before it (the PlayStation 4), it’s bigger in size but it also has a faster and more powerful computer and ultra-high-speed SSD, which means, among other things, your games load faster. The PS5 also comes with a wireless DualSense controller, which has new features like adaptive triggers and haptic feedback and allows you to directly feel some of the action in your games.

The PS5 console has 4K resolution (you have to have a TV that’s 4K as well), with support for 8K for the future, and Tempest 3D audio, a form of spatial audio to truly immerse you in the gaming experience when wearing compatible headphones. The PS5 is also backwards compatible, so you can play PS4 games on it, but there are also an increasing number of PS5-exclusive games such as Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.

What is the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition?

While the specs are the same between the two products (same CPU, visuals, controllers, and audio), the PS5 Digital Edition is slightly thinner in size because it does not have an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive. You can only play digital games you’ve downloaded on a PS5 Digital Console.

Similarly, you can only stream or download digital movies and TV shows on the device as well. This also makes it harder to share or swap physical games or movies with others; with the Digital Edition, you have to have everything on your machine.

What’s the difference between a PlayStation 5 Console and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition?

There’s one key difference between the PS5 models: The PS5 Console has an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive built-in and the digital version doesn’t (which means the Digital Edition is slightly thinner in size). That means if you have a library of games or movies/TV shows on disc, you can play them on the Console but not the Digital Edition. The other main difference is the price point: The Digital Edition is $100 cheaper and has a list price of $399.99, while the console is priced at $499.99.

Because the two PS5 options are identical in terms of performance, it really comes down to how you consume your games and entertainment. If you’re a collector and like having physical copies of things, or you like having the option of either using discs or digital, then the standard Console is the better option for you.
On the other hand, if you’ve decluttered physical things and prefer to go all-digital, then the Digital Version is right for you. Plus with the $100 saved, you can use that towards new games or accessories.

Playstation year in review 2021

PlayStation 5 Review Update: One Year Later

Sony’s fastest-selling games console ever is still incredibly hard to find in stores, but here are our current thoughts after one year with the PlayStation 5.

What is the Best Video Game Consoles?

It’s a fantastic time to be a gamer. With so many new games coming out every month, it’s a perfect time to snag a new video game console if you need an upgrade or some new gear.

Should you buy a new PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X?

Or maybe gaming on the go is more your speed, and you’re looking to buy the new Nintendo Switch OLED.

We’ve spent a considerable amount of time with all these systems and can safely say that whichever one you pick is a solid choice. From impressive visuals to smooth performance and the ability to take your gaming experiences on the go, these devices have something for everyone.

Whatever console you’re planning on purchasing, our advice is to buy your console as soon as possible. Supply issues have made all of the top consoles very hard to get ahold of over the past year. While holiday restocks everywhere will make finding one a bit easier, these hot gaming machines won’t stay on the shelves for long.

we’ll help find the right video game console for you. These are the best video game consoles to buy.

The best gaming console: PlayStation 5

Why you should buy this: It’s the latest iteration of one of the most popular consoles of all time and has the best launch lineup of any console to date.

Why we picked the PlayStation 5:

With lightning-fast load speeds, a new controller, and a phenomenal lineup of launch titles (including fan favorites and new exclusives), the PS5 is the best plug-and-play gaming platform available.

First off, the PS5 currently has the upper hand when it comes to games. PlayStation gamers have been binging titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon’s Souls, and Godfall since the get-go, while Xbox fans have been stuck clamoring for Xbox exclusives like Halo Infinite and The Medium, both of which have been delayed until mid-2021. Sony also has finally brought backward compatibility into the fold, too, and the PS5 will be able to play most PS4 games, so you won’t miss out on late-gen titles like The Last of Us Part II and Ghosts of Tsushima. The PS5 simply has the best game library out there right now.

The PS5’s solid launch lineup is only part of the equation, however. Slightly larger than the DualShock 4, the new DualSense controller refines haptic feedback, incorporating a precise sense of touch into the gaming experience that force feedback never achieved. If you’re draining your stamina bar to pull back a bowstring or attempting to bust down a locked door, for example, the hand triggers can convey that tension. The new technology, combined with ongoing support for PSVR, makes for a more immersive gaming experience.

Speaking of peripherals and hardware, both iterations of the console use AMD chips across the board, including an eight-core CPU running on a modified version of the Ryzen line. The PS5’s GPU also is from AMD and provides 10.28 teraflops of power, while supporting resource-intensive processes like ray tracing, which allows for more advanced lighting in games. It also comes with a 4K Blu-ray player, putting it in line with the Xbox One S and Xbox One X. In layman’s terms, the PS5 is technically less powerful than the Xbox Series X, but still packs a punch and represents a massive upgrade from last-gen consoles.

If discs aren’t your thing — or you simply want to save some cash — look no further than the PS5 Digital Edition. It retails for $100 less than the standard PS5, but is identical in terms of specs. The only difference between the two is that the Digital Edition has no disc drive, meaning Ultra HD Blu-rays are out of the equation and you’ll need to rely on digital downloads. Everything else, including the launch lineup, remains the same.

The best Microsoft gaming console: Xbox Series X

Why you should buy this: It’s the most powerful Xbox available right now, and Game Pass is an attractive value.

Who it’s for: Players who want to play as many new games as possible with the best visual fidelity.

Why we picked the Xbox One X:

The Xbox Series X is a tech powerhouse. The console features 12 TFLOPS of power and up to eight times more graphical performance than Xbox One, not to mention twice as much as the Xbox One X.

The Xbox Series X also has 16GB of GDDR6 RAM and supports variable refresh rate, Variable Rate Shading technology, and a low-latency mode that allows for better responses out of your games. The power in this next-gen console is sure to wow gamers — that is when there are true next-gen games available for it.

There’s no discussing the Series X without acknowledging the delay of Halo Infinite.

Microsoft pinned the launch of the game to the Series X over a year ago, but the game missed its deadline and isn’t set to arrive until next year, leaving loyal fans feeling left in the dust. Sure, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and NBA 2K21 look phenomenal, but we need some exclusives! Luckily, there will likely be a slew of great games for Xbox Series X down the road, including the long-awaited Halo Infinite, State of Decay 3, a new installment of Fable, and plenty of other titles.

In the meantime, Xbox Series X owners have no shortage of games to play. Xbox Series X will support every previous generation of Xbox games, similar to how Xbox One did.

This means you’ll be able to play select Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X games all on the new machine — a huge win for game preservation.

The Xbox also is home to Game Pass, the best deal in gaming. With more than 100 heavy-hitting games on the roster and promises of Project xCloud integration, gamers can explore and test out new titles for a low monthly fee.

The library isn’t made up of last-gen throwaways, either; there are plenty of newer first-party titles that’d cost you a premium if you were to go out and buy them right now. Given Game Pass is available on PC as well, the Series X also allows for more cross-platform opportunities than Sony’s offerings.

While the Xbox Series X is a powerful machine, it’s also a surprisingly quiet one. The console’s cooling architecture is incredibly efficient, so much so you might wonder if the console is even on at times. The Xbox One, by comparison, is as loud as can be.

The best portable game console: Nintendo Switch

Why you should buy this: You want a console gaming experience — but on the go with unmatched first-party support.

Why we picked the Nintendo Switch:

Nintendo sidestepped the current console arms race by changing not how you use your console, but where.

The Switch is a hybrid device that plugs into a TV, like the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but also works as a handheld.

While it doesn’t quite have the oomph to play the latest 4K, 120 fps releases slated for next-gen consoles, the Switch can play Doom at a smooth 30 FPS anywhere you want, and that’s more than enough for a lot of gamers. In addition to contemporary titles like Control, the Switch is a fantastic venue for reviving modern classics, such as The Witcher 3, L.A. Noire, and Dark Souls Remastered.

More than just a clearance house for lightly-aged AAA titles, the Switch also offers an ever-growing catalog of fantastic first-party games like Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, as well as excellent indies such as Stardew Valley, Celeste, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Add in some old-school Nintendo nostalgia with a growing list of NES and SNES games through Nintendo Switch Online, and the Switch is a well-rounded console.

The Nintendo Switch is also a great companion console for anyone who already own a PlayStation or Xbox console. It can do things the competition can’t, and offers a host of great titles that will likely never appear on a Sony or Microsoft system.

The best console add-on: PlayStation VR

Why you should buy this: Sony’s PlayStation VR headset is the most affordable way to give virtual reality gaming a try.
Who it’s for: PS4 gamers (or anyone) who want to play virtual reality games.

Why we picked PlayStation VR: Okay — we know that PlayStation VR isn’t technically a standalone gaming console, but it might as well be with the way it completely transforms gaming on the PS4. A new PlayStation 4 and a headset bundle comes in a lot cheaper than a gaming PC and either an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive headset, making it the most affordable virtual reality gaming option by a long shot.

It should come as no surprise that the PlayStation VR headset does not have the technical capabilities of its full VR counterparts. The headset sports a pair of 960xRGBx1080 RGB displays — one for each eye — and runs off the PS4’s AMD Radeon GPU, which is far less powerful than the minimum required specs for a Vive- or Rift-compatible PC. It also has a 100-degree field of view, which is slightly smaller than the Rift and Vive. That being said, PlayStation VR achieves that feeling of complete immersion that comes from a “full VR” device, as opposed to mobile-powered options like Google Cardboard.

There are so many fantastic games available on the platform, ranging from action and shooter to platformer, puzzle, and a slew of others. Good luck trying to figure out which are the best to play (or which you can handle being fully immersed in.

If you haven’t used VR much, the PlayStation VR will blow you away. If you’ve tried more advanced VR tech, you might be a little let down — but this is the most consumer-friendly way to play VR games in the comfort of your own home.

4K, HDR, and buying game consoles

The PS5 and the Xbox Series X support high-resolution gaming that can take advantage of emerging display standards, 4K, and High Dynamic Range (HDR). Some people don’t have a 4K TV, and fewer still have quality HDR support, which is broken down into its own sub-categories.

While there was just a small selection of games for last-gen consoles that took full advantage of these features, the newest slate of consoles will better leverage these technologies moving forward, essentially standardizing them. Keep in mind, however, that no console requires you to own a 4K or HDR-compatible TV, meaning you can buy a new console and hold off on buying a more capable TV until you’ve done more research, found games you feel are worth upgrading for, or are otherwise ready to commit.