What are the different PS5 models?

The PlayStation 5 (PS5) is the latest console from Sony released in November 2020. The PS5 currently has two different models available, the disc edition and the digital edition. These models have several differences in specifications, price and design and in this article, we will outline these so you can decide which model is best for you. We will also consider what Sony may potentially have in store for the future of PS5 models. 

For those of you looking to purchase a PS5 console we've got some links that may be of interest for you.

• PS5 Price Comparison (all models)
• PS5 Disc Edition Price Comparison
• PS5 Digital Edition Price Comparison
• PS5 Finance Guide (information on how to purchase a PS5 with monthly payments and interest-free financing in the UK)

Tables of Contents

• PS5 Disc Edition
  • PS5 Disc Edition Gallery
  • PS5 Disc Edition Technical Specs
  • PS5 Disc Edition Model Revisions
  • PS5 Disc Edition Official Bundles
• PS5 Digital Edition
  • PS5 Digital Edition Gallery
  • PS5 Digital Edition Technical Specs
  • PS5 Digital Edition Model Revisions
  • PS5 Digital Edition Official Bundles
• Which PS5 model is best for you
• Will there be more PS5 models?

PS5 Disc Edition

The PS5 Disc Edition is the traditional console sporting a disc drive meaning that you can play physical games discs and still choose to go digital for your games if you wish. The presence of a disc drive also allows for the playing of Blu-rays which will not be available on the digital console. Both consoles pack a punch when it comes to power, boasting high frame rates at 4K providing a premier gaming experience. Painful loading times have also been left in the PS4 generation with 825GB SSDs in these PS5 consoles that 

The design of this console is two-tone with black and white accents; it's definitely a large console (4.5kg) coming in bigger than the digital counterpart due to the disc drive. Both consoles as standard will come with the DualSense wireless controller, a complete redesign from the DualShock boasting some great new features like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

The PS5 Disc editions RRP at release was £449.99 but Sony has actually increased the RRP to £479.99 as a result of increased manufacturing costs. It is the more expensive of the two consoles and you're effectively paying for the disc drive as than really is the major difference between the two PS5 models currently on offer from Sony. When it comes to availability it is also definitely easier to get your hands on a PS5 Disc Edition.

PS5 Disc Edition Technical Specs

PS5 Disc Edition Model Revisions

Due to the early stock issues that plagued there have been some model revisions for the PS5 Disc Edition making minor changes in order to improve manufacturing speed, and also just general tweaks to the structure of the console.

• CFI-1000A-1018A which was the base models released in November 2020
• CFI-1100-1118A which had slight heatsink and structural changes to reduce copper content. Not a hugely significant model change was released in August 2021.
• CFI-1200A-1208A is the largest revision and begun sale with the God of War Ragnarok bundle. The biggest change here is with the move to AMD's Oberon Plus architecture from the standard Oberon architecture. Isn't substantial in terms of performance increases but should lead to reduced power consumption from console use potentially cutting your energy usage and bills when gaming on this model of PS5. Released in Europe in October 2022 and was slightly earlier in North America in September 2022.

PS5 Disc Edition Official Bundles

Whilst there has been nothing in the way of limited edition PS5s (consoles that significantly change the console's visual design or aesthetic) we have had several official bundles released for certain games etc and we've collated them all below. Keep in mind some of these may no longer be available as a result of their age.

PS5 Digital Edition

The PS5 Digital Edition is the PS5 model that does not come with a disc drive, meaning it only supports digital downloads when it comes to playing games. You will not be able to play any physical games with the PS5 Digital Edition PS5. The lack of a disc drive also means that you will not be able to play Blu-Rays or DVDs. In terms of power and performance, the PS5 Digital Edition is identical to the PS5 Disc Edition.

The PS5 Digital Editions design is very similar to the disc edition with contrasting white and black accents but the Digital Edition is definitely slimmer and sleeker due to not having the disc drive. This also means it weighs less coming in at 3.9kg and potentially means that it could better fit your gaming set-up.

The PS5 Digital Editions RRP at release was £359.99 but has since been increased to £389.99 due to increased costs of manufacturing the console. This means it is around £90 cheaper than the PS5 Disc Edition which is a pretty significant saving. This saving comes at the cost of not being able to play physical games. The PS5 Digital Edition also tends to be more elusive when it comes to availability, it will often be out of stock but recently even the console on its own has been quite readily available.

PS5 Digital Edition Technical Specs

PS5 Digital Edition Model Revisions

The PS5 Digital Edition has also received several model revisions to help with manufacturing and alter the console's internal structure somewhat, these pretty much line up with the Disc Edition revisions. None of these models offer any sort of performance gains etc.

• CFI-1000B-1018B the first release model of the Digital Edition console from back in 2020
• CFI 1100B first major revision led to Digital Edition being 3.6kg (0.3kg lighter than the CFI-1000B model. This was caused by changes in heat-sink and reduction of copper content. No changes in performance etc, was released in August 2021.
• CFI-1200B 2nd major revision that came with the God of War Ragnarok PS5 Digital Edition bundle. This revision included the move to AMD's Oberon Plus from the standard Oberon architecture; the same as the CFI-1200A series for the PS5 Disc Edition console. Same case here where this should lead to reduced power consumption potentially leading to lower energy bills for consumers who are using this model variant.

PS5 Digital Edition Official Bundles

As with the PS5 Disc Edition there have been no PS5 Digital limited edition consoles but there have been several official bundles to push specific games etc. You can see those below however, some of these bundles may be currently out of stock so keep that in mind.

Which PS5 model is best for you?

With all this knowledge in hand, there are some pretty easy prompts to help you determine which PS5 model you should purchase.

I want to play physical games on my PS5 - this means you need to buy the PS5 Disc edition.

I like to sell my pre-owned games - once again, go for the PS5 Disc Edition, if you're someone who tends to trade in old games or sell them then you're not gonna have this option when going all-digital

I want to watch Blu-Rays on my PS5 - PS5 Disc Edition is the way to go, you're not going to be able to play any DVDs or Blu-Rays without the disc drive.

I only play games digitally - If this is you then you're best off saving yourself some money on the initial console purchase and going with the PS5 Digital Edition.

I am limited on space for my console - In this case, the PS5 Digital Edition is probably your best bet as it is the slightly slimmer console of the 2 models. However, the size difference is not massive so make sure you measure your space accordingly.

One thing to take note of is that although the PS5 Digital Edition is the cheaper console their is a lot of savings to be had when buying physical games. Retailers compete for the best price on physical PS5 games, meaning they often get price drops and solid sales, with the option to trade your games in as well that initial saving on going digital could easily be made up with some solid savings on physical PS5 games and trading in games you're finished with.

Meanwhile, if you can only purchase digital games with the PS5 Digital Edition you're at the whim of Sony's storefront and pricing which is typically far higher than physical, yes there are often great sales on the PlayStation store but you can still take advantage of these with the PS5 Disc Edition. In our opinion right now the PS5 Disc Edition would be the way to go generally but if you're happy buying all your games digitally from Sony then there's absolutely nothing wrong with the PS5 Digital Edition!

Will there be more PS5 models?

Yes without a shadow of a doubt, there will be more PS5 models in the future, we're still pretty early in the PlayStation 5's lifecycle currently approaching 3 years. We'd expect first some sort of slim model, it's no secret that the PS5 is a pretty large console and something with a small form factor would be very popular especially if there's a tantalising price drop. If we look at the PS4 the original console was released on November 29th 2013 and the slim model was released on September 15th 2016. This doesn't necessarily mean we will see a PS5 Slim in 2023 but we'd bet money on it being at the latest 2024.

Another consideration would be a PS5 pro, but with the great power of base model PS5s, it's hard to really see why this would be necessary for a while. If the games on the consoles start to demand more maybe it makes sense or push those high 4K framerates, but 8K TVs are still very niche and we'd suspect the priority would certainly be a PS5 slim.