PlayStation 5: Which One to Buy, What to Play, and What to Add
PlayStation 5 with DualSense controller. Credit: Osh33m, retouched by Soberian, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The PS5 is the easiest console recommendation of 2026. Sony reversed its spring price increase on August 21, which left PlayStation cheaper than Xbox at every comparable tier, 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 | $499.99 | 1TB | Add-on | Most players who buy games digitally |
| PS5 (disc) | $549.99 | 1TB | Built in | Physical game buyers, resellers, renters |
| PS5 Pro | $749.99 | 2TB | Add-on | 4K TV owners who want the best image |
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 $749.99 it now costs less than an Xbox Series X with a disc drive, which is a strange place for Sony's premium console to land, and a good one for buyers.
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 $84.99.
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
- Best Console for GTA 6: Which One to Buy Before November 19
- Best PS5 SSD in 2026: What Fits, What to Buy, and When a USB Drive Is Smarter
- PS5 Prices Just Rolled Back, and the Pro Now Costs Less Than a Series X
- Which Console Should You Buy in 2026? A Straight Answer
→ Comparing systems? See our guides to Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC gaming.
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