Updated 4 Nov 2026
Is the Sony PlayStation 5 Digital Edition (825GB) worth it?
Only if you'll never buy a game on disc.
It plays every PS5 game exactly as fast as the PS5 with a disc drive. Since late 2025 it comes with 825GB of storage instead of 1TB, and since Sony's April 2026 price rise it costs only about £50 or $50 less than the disc model. Without a drive you can't buy cheaper second-hand games or sell yours on, and adding Sony's disc drive later costs more than the difference.
98%of 226 owners give it 4 or 5 stars
- Plays every PS5 game at full speed
- Slim and light
- Cheapest way into PS5
We earn a commission from these links.
What owners say
Owners love how easy it is to set up and use, and it's a hit with children. Almost nobody is unhappy; the few low ratings mention account setup and less free storage than expected.
Good to know
- No disc drive: Sony's add-on drive costs more than the price gap to the disc model.
- 825GB, of which only part is free for games, fills after a handful of big ones.
- The vertical stand is sold separately.
- Download-only games can't be resold or lent.
From 226 buyer ratings at Currys, Boulanger (France), Harvey Norman (NZ, Australia) and Takealot (South Africa), every complaint read by us, November 2026. How we do this
What they love
- Easy to set up and useMentioned a lot
- A hit with childrenMentioned a lot
- Great graphicsMentioned often
- A big step up from the PS4Mentioned often
- Slim and quietMentioned often
What they complain about
Hardly any: just 5 of 226 owners gave it 3 stars or fewer, and no complaint came up often enough to list.
Get it if…
- You buy every game as a download.
- You mostly play PlayStation Plus games.
- You want the cheapest PS5 and won't miss discs.
Skip it if…
- You buy games on disc or second-hand: the disc model costs only a little more.
- You play many big games: 825GB fills fast.
More on the PS5 Digital Edition
How we reached this verdict
TechRadar and Tom's Guide both reviewed the slim PS5 in its disc and digital versions and recommend it for the same performance in a smaller body, regretting only that the stand costs extra. Sony then cut the Digital Edition's storage from 1TB to 825GB at the same price (VGC), and Notebookcheck's look at the new model found no gain to make up for it. Sony's April 2026 price rise put it at £519.99 and $599.99, just £50 and $50 under the disc model. Owners at Currys, Harvey Norman and Takealot find it easy to set up and a hit with children; almost none rate it low.
We compared independent expert reviews with the manufacturer's specifications, then checked it's sold at a major retailer where you live. We don't test products ourselves.
Sources: TechRadar, Tom's Guide, VGC (825GB model), Notebookcheck (825GB model), PlayStation Blog (prices), TechRadar, Push Square (PS5 Pro reviews), Tom's Guide (Switch Lite), manufacturer specifications.
Updated 4 Nov 2026How we decide