The PS5 was released around the same time that the Xbox Series X was released, but very few people managed to get their hands on the PlayStation due to stock issues.
You weren’t able to get a PS5 without paying ridiculous prices from scalpers. Today, the availability of the PS5 is a little better.
You may have even seen one in your local electronics store for retail price. In that case, you might be wondering if it is worth buying a PS5 now or if there’s a better alternative.
In this article, I’ll list reasons to buy a PS5 and reasons not to buy one. When you’re done, you’ll have a clear picture and it’ll be easier for you to make a decision.
Is It Worth Buying a PS5?
Buying a PS5 is worth it because it has the Dual Sense controller, supports 4K at 120 Hz, has a cheaper digital edition, exclusive PlayStation games, and you can easily expand the internal storage.
If you can find the PS5 at retail price, it’s definitely worth buying one. I recommend keeping an eye on Amazon’s official PlayStation store for deals.
Reasons to Buy a PS5
Dual Sense Controller
The PS5 comes with a DualSense controller, which features haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that provide a more immersive gaming experience.
The controller also has a built-in microphone and speaker, allowing you to communicate with other players without needing a headset.
Additionally, the PS5 supports various accessories, such as the Pulse 3D headset, which provides 3D audio for an even more immersive experience.
Besides the haptic feedback, the DualSense controller also has a rechargeable battery, adaptive triggers, and ambient lights, and it’s compatible with Steam.
You can also use the Dual Sense controller on a PC without Steam with an emulator.
Most of the PS5 exclusive games support all of the controller features, making the experience much more immersive.
I’m personally a big fan of the Dual Sense controller and I used it on my PC for about a year before switching to an Xbox controller.
The reason I switched is that not many games have native support for the Dual Sense controller.
I listed my reasons in this article: Should You Buy a PS5 or Xbox Controller for PC?
Supports 4K 120 Hz Gaming
If you’re looking to break into next-gen gaming – a PS5 will do the trick. The PS5 supports running games at 4K 120 Hz.
4K 120 Hz gaming refers to playing video games on a monitor or TV that supports a resolution of 3840×2160 pixels and a refresh rate of 120 Hz.
This means that the display can show 120 frames per second, resulting in smoother and more fluid gameplay compared to lower refresh rates.
The Xbox Series X has the same capabilities.
Has a Cheaper Digital Edition
For people on a budget, the PS5 Digital Edition is a good choice. It has the same hardware and capabilities as the original PS5 but without a disc drive.
The PS5 digital edition is about $100 cheaper, assuming you can find these at retail price. If you don’t have a collection of discs, the digital edition is the way to go.
It’s similar to the Xbox Series S, although the Xbox Series S is not as capable, but much cheaper.
Read my article about whether or not the Xbox Series S is worth it for more information.
PlayStation Exclusives
One of the biggest selling points of the PS5 is its exclusive games. Sony has a long history of developing fantastic first-party titles, and the PS5 is no exception.
Most of these games are story-rich single-player games such as The Last of Us series and others (although that is coming to PC later this year).
Games like Demon’s Souls, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart are only available on the PS5, making it a must-have for fans of these franchises. Not to mention the God of War series.
PlayStation Plus
PlayStation Plus functions as a membership service that allows you to access exclusive content, participate in multiplayer games with your Friends, and enjoy various other unique features.
Additionally, you can benefit from automatic online backup for your game’s saved data.
While there aren’t as many games on PlayStation Plus as Microsoft’s Gamepass (here’s a trick to save 70% on Xbox Gamepass!), it still provides you with a good selection and deals.
What’s interesting about Playstation Plus is there are lots of Game Trials available, so you can test a game before you commit to it.
Games are rotated in and out of the free category once a month.
For a list of the games available, take a look at the PlayStation Store.
M.2 Storage Expansion Slot
A really cool feature about the PS5 that not many people talk about is the free expansion slot for an M.2 storage drive.
It allows you to add another M.2 storage drive to your console and greatly expand your console’s storage. You can also remove the side panel without removing any screws!
Why would you do this? Well, certain PS5 games can only be run from an internal drive. And as you know, modern games like to eat up as much storage as possible.
The solution to this problem would be to use an external USB hard drive and simply copy games from the hard drive to the internal drive. Most people do that.
But if you don’t want to keep copying games over, you can install an M.2 drive into the PS5’s expansion slot. You can run PS5 games directly from the expansion drive with no issues.
Why is this a big deal? Because M.2 drives are much cheaper than Xbox’s expansion cards (the only way to play Xbox Series Optimized games on Xbox).
For example, a 1 TB M.2 NVMe drive for the PS5 costs under $100.
And then…
The Xbox 1 TB Seagate expansion card costs… over $200.
That’s a big difference.
If you’re the type of person that likes to have many games installed at once, the PS5’s expandable storage is a life changer.
Significant Upgrade Over the PS4
If you’re still holding onto the PS4, it might be time for an upgrade. The PS5 is a massive upgrade (almost 2 x the raw power) over the PS4 with more features.
Also, only the PS4 Pro was capable of outputting 4K, and at 30 frames a second. The PS5 can hit 4K at 60 Hz on most games, and even push it further to 120 Hz on certain games.
The User Interface
Most people agree that PlayStation nailed the user interface of the console.
It’s a lot cleaner than Xbox’s, with the focus on one row of tiles, instead of multiple rows that clutter the screen.
Reasons NOT to Buy a PS5
Not Many Exclusive Games
While there are lots of games to try on PlayStation Plus, there aren’t that many exclusive PS5 games at the moment.
The most popular titles are Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Spider-Man Miles: Morales, The Last of Us 1 & 2, God of War, and several others. New games are coming soon too.
Granted these are highly-rated games that can entertain you for many hours. But it might not be enough to justify buying the console. That’s up to you.
Also, some of these games are being ported over to PC. God of War is already on PC and the Last of Us is coming to PC soon.
Limited Availability
One downside of the PS5 is its availability. Since its release in November 2020, the console has been in high demand, and it can be challenging to find it in stock at retail stores.
However, if you’re patient and keep an eye on restocks, you should be able to eventually get your hands on a PS5 console.
I don’t recommend paying much over the market price for the console though.
If the PS5 is not available in your region for a reasonable price, the Xbox Series X or Series S can hold you over.
The Build Design
Yeah, yeah, the PS5’s build design is fancy and futuristic… but it’s not very practical.
Not everyone has the TV stand real estate for this chunky console. It also only works in one position.
Yes, it’s slimmer than the brick that is the Xbox Series X, but it stands out like a sore thumb.
I know the PS5 build design bothers many interior designers.
The Bottom Line:
The only main advantage that Xbox Series X has over the PS5 is its Game Pass service. I would go for the PS5 if you want to play exclusive games.
If you can find the PS5 at retail price, I say go ahead and buy it. It will definitely keep you entertained for a long time.
What do you think? Did you buy a PS5 and regret your decision? Drop a comment below.
