Which PS5 should I buy?

For most people, the PS5 Digital Edition at $599.00, or the standard PS5 with a disc drive at $649.00 if you buy physical games. The PS5 Pro at $899.00 is worth it mainly for players with a 4K TV who want the best image quality, and it has been hard to find in stock since mid-September 2026.

Can you add a disc drive to a PS5 Digital Edition or PS5 Pro?

Yes. Sony sells a separate disc drive that attaches to the current PS5 Digital Edition and to the PS5 Pro, which ships without one.

Do you need PS Plus to play online on PS5?

For most online multiplayer, yes. PS Plus Essential is the minimum tier for online play in paid games. Free-to-play games such as Fortnite do not require it.

Is the PS5 Pro worth it?

If you play on a large 4K TV and care about image quality, it is the best PlayStation hardware available, but at $899.00 it costs $250 more than a standard PS5 and $100 more than an Xbox Series X, and it has been sold out at most US retailers since mid-September 2026. On a 1080p screen, or if you are budget conscious, the standard PS5 is the better buy.

Updated October 13, 2026 · Console Guide · Story by Jon (@jliquor), written with AI assistance

PlayStation 5: Which One to Buy, What to Play, and What to Add

Illustration of a white two-tone console tower on a stone pedestal with a gamepad

Illustration by GamECLicKs.com, made with AI-assisted design tools.

The PS5 is still the console we recommend most in 2026. Sony raised prices on April 2, but the standard PS5 remains $150 cheaper than an Xbox Series X with a disc drive, and Grand Theft Auto VI arrives on November 19. This page covers everything in one place: which model to buy, the games that justify owning one, and the accessories worth adding. We update it as prices change.

PS5 Models and Prices

Model	Price	Storage	Disc Drive	Best For
PS5 Digital Edition	$599.00	1TB	Add-on	Most players who buy games digitally
PS5 (disc)	$649.00	1TB	Built in	Physical game buyers, resellers, renters
PS5 Pro	$899.00	2TB	Add-on	4K TV owners who want the best image (often sold out)

US list prices as of October 4, 2026. For how these compare with Xbox and Switch 2 this week, see the Weekly Drop price board.

Which PS5 Is Right for You

The Digital Edition is the default pick. It is the same console as the disc model, with the same 1TB of storage and the same performance, minus the drive. If your games come from the PlayStation Store, there is no reason to pay for a drive you will not use.

Pay $50 more for the disc model if you buy physical. Discs can be lent, traded in, or resold, and physical games often get discounted at retail sooner than their digital versions. Someone who buys a few discs a year and resells them when finished will make the $50 back quickly. The drive is also available separately, so a Digital Edition can be upgraded later.

The PS5 Pro is for people with a big 4K TV. It has a stronger GPU, better ray tracing, Sony's PSSR upscaling, and double the storage at 2TB. Games labeled PS5 Pro Enhanced, including GTA VI, get specific improvements, although how much varies a lot from game to game. It does not include a disc drive. At $899.00 it costs $100 more than an Xbox Series X, and it has been sold out at most US retailers since mid-September. Our PS5 Pro shortage explainer covers why and how to find one without paying a reseller.

Correction, October 13, 2026: this page previously listed PS5 prices of $499.99, $549.99, and $749.99, based on a reported August price cut that did not happen. The prices above are correct. What we got wrong.

Buying used? The original 2020 PS5 is still a capable machine, but its 825GB drive leaves only about 667GB usable. Plan on adding storage almost right away.

The Games Worth Owning

These are the reasons to own a PlayStation specifically, rather than games you can play anywhere:

Astro Bot: The Game Awards' 2024 Game of the Year, and the best showcase for what the DualSense controller can do. It is the first game we would hand anyone who just unboxed a PS5.
Ghost of Yōtei: Sucker Punch's follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima, a gorgeous open world samurai story set in 1600s Japan.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2: Insomniac at its best, and the more acclaimed of its two recent Marvel games.
Marvel's Wolverine: launched September 15 to more mixed reviews, settling around 77 to 78 on Metacritic. Worth it for fans, and worth waiting for a sale for everyone else.
Grand Theft Auto VI: not exclusive, but it launches November 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series only, and PlayStation has the official GTA VI hardware. Our GTA 6 console guide covers what to buy for it.

PS5 also gets many former Xbox exclusives now, including Halo: Campaign Evolved, which came to PlayStation for the first time in July.

Accessories That Actually Matter

1. More storage. The most common PS5 problem is running out of space, and big releases now regularly pass 100GB each. The WD_BLACK SN850P for PS5 is the drive officially licensed for the console. Our PS5 SSD guide covers what fits and when a cheaper USB drive does the job.

2. A second controller. Every PS5 ships with one DualSense. A second one means couch co-op and always having a charged controller ready. Competitive players should look at the DualSense Edge, Sony's pro controller with remappable back buttons and swappable stick modules. Sony's limited edition GTA VI controllers arrive November 19 at $84.00.

3. A charging station. A DualSense charging station charges two controllers at once without tying up the console's USB ports. Small purchase, daily payoff.

4. A headset. The PS5's Tempest 3D Audio makes a real difference in headphones, and any wired headset works through the controller's headphone jack. Sony's own Pulse Elite is the wireless option built for the console, but plenty of third-party wireless headsets work well for less.

5. The disc drive, if you skipped it. Digital Edition and Pro owners who start buying physical games can add the PS5 disc drive at any time.

PS Plus, Briefly

PS Plus comes in three tiers. Essential is the one most people need, because it is required for online multiplayer in paid games, and it adds monthly games plus cloud saves. Extra adds a rotating catalog of hundreds of PS5 and PS4 games, which is excellent value if you play a lot of different things. Premium adds classic PlayStation games, game trials, and cloud streaming. Free-to-play games like Fortnite need no subscription at all. Check current pricing on PlayStation.com, and watch for the yearly discount Sony usually runs around the holidays.

To stretch your budget further, our guide to never paying full price for a game covers the sale calendar and price history tools.

Official PlayStation Links

PlayStation.com: hardware, support, and account settings
PlayStation Store deals: current digital sales
PlayStation Blog: official announcements and State of Play news
PlayStation Direct: Sony's own store, home of limited edition hardware

Our Latest PlayStation Coverage

→ Shopping for a PS5 owner? See our PS5 gift guide, sorted by budget.

→ Comparing systems? See our guides to Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC gaming.

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As an Amazon Associate, GamECLicKs.com earns from qualifying purchases. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, and it helps keep the site running and free. Prices are US list prices from Sony as of October 4, 2026. Always confirm the final price at checkout.

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