Why the PS5 Slim Disc Edition Deserves a Spot Under Every Tree This Year

Sony debuted the PlayStation 5 roughly five years ago, but the Slim Disc Edition, priced at $449 (was $499) continues to draw crowds whenever the holiday season rolls around. The original console’s size was reduced by more than 30% to make place for this slimmer successor. It conveniently fits on a narrower shelf or next to a TV without taking up too much space.

The ability to snap the disc drive on and off is really useful; you can play physical copies or remove it for a neater appearance. Either way, you can set it up vertically or horizontally, with no additional components required other than the stand that comes with it, resulting in a much cleaner living space.

Storage has also received an upgrade, with a full 1TB solid-state drive now installed. That’s enough space to hold hundreds of games without having to continuously delete them – new titles can be downloaded from the PlayStation hold or installed from physical discs, and everything loads up in seconds.

Performance-wise, it’s identical to the original PS5, so you can be confident that it will play all of the current games seamlessly. Games operate at 4K resolution on any compatible TV with the necessary hardware, resulting in super-sharp details in every scene. Ray tracing adds a great touch by making reflections on water or glass look extremely realistic and shadows fall naturally across environments. Furthermore, the frame rate is consistently high, frequently reaching 60 FPS or higher, so the action seems really snappy – and it just keeps going strong, even after hours of play.

The Slim comes with a DualSense controller, which completely transforms your gaming experience. The vibrations give you a true sense of what you’re doing, similar to rain on metal or shoes on gravel. It’s easy to figure out what you’re doing because the trigger resistance gives you a better sensation of the action, like pulling a bow or accelerating a car. These little details make you feel like you’re actually playing the game. When combined with a headset, 3D audio elevates the experience, allowing you to hear everything around you, from distant echoes to the person right next to you.

Backwards compatibility is also important, as it allows you to play all of your favorite PlayStation 4 titles. The best part is that they appear and run better than ever before, at a higher resolution and smoother performance. You can even play old physical discs right away without any issues. Even after five years, the PS5 Slim Disc Edition continues to deliver. The games look and sound great, the storage is enough, and the new design fits easily into any home