the PS5 Digital edition and the Xbox s series both consoles are ditching the classic disc player you’ll find on traditional game consoles in favor of an all-digital approach. One of the main advantages of eliminating discs is that these consoles are less expensive than disc consoles.
That’s why many people are happy to pay less for a digital variant. But if you want to buy the PS5 Digital Edition or the Xbox Series S, how do you know which discless console is right for you? And have you given any thought to the pros and cons of giving up physical games altogether?
Now that both Microsoft and Sony are offering digital-only versions of their next-gen consoles – this is a first for Sony – you might think the only decision you need to make is pick a brand. But there are other important details to consider.
For starters, while the PS5 Digital Edition is essentially a PS5 without a disc drive, the Xbox Series S is an entirely different proposition when you compare it to the Xbox x series.
We don’t want you to have last minute shopping problems or make rushed decisions that you later regret. That’s why we’ve got all the details you need to know about both digital consoles below, so that you can make the right choice based on your gaming needs and the size of your budget.
Before you get excited about going out and buying your new console, we recommend that you check out our where to buy a PS5 and Xbox Series S Stock guides. We update them as soon as we find information on availability.
PS5 vs Xbox Series S Digital Edition price and release date
By phasing out the 4K Blu-Ray player, Sony has managed to reduce the price of the PS5 digital edition by $ 100 compared to the standard PS5. It’s available now depending on your territory and costs $ 399 / £ 359 / AU $ 599.95.
By comparison, Microsoft’s Xbox Series S is the cheapest current gen console on the market at just $ 299 / £ 249 / AU $ 499. It was released alongside Microsoft’s flagship console, the Xbox Series X, on November 10, 2020.
The Xbox Series S therefore has a $ 100 price advantage over the PS5 digital edition, but as we’ll explain, that doesn’t mean it’s a clear win for Microsoft’s smaller box – at unless price is your most important factor. .
PS5 Digital Edition vs Xbox Series S specifications
The PS5 Digital Edition is literally identical to the standard PS5, except for the fact that it does not include a 4K Blu-Ray player. Removing it helps give the console a more symmetrical shape, but other than looks, you won’t find any difference in technical specs between Sony’s two PS5 consoles. Check out the specs below:
- CPU: Eight cores up to 3.5 GHz (variable frequency) AMD Ryzen Zen 2 Custom
- GPU: 10.3 teraflops, variable frequency, up to 2.23 GHz
- RAM: 16 GB of GDDR6
- Frame rate: Up to 120fps
- Resolution: Up to 8K
- Optical: No disk drive
- Storage: 825 GB NVMe SSD
If you’re happy to forgo physical media and prefer to buy your games digitally, then the PS5 Digital Edition makes sense. There are, however, a few caveats to consider. Physical games tend to be cheaper than their digital counterparts and are more prone to price drops and big sales. You can also trade them in and get some of your investment back. There is also something quite heartwarming about owning a record as opposed to a digital copy, but that isn’t a problem for some.
With digital titles often costing full price, if not more, that means the $ 100 you initially saved could quickly disappear once you buy a few $ 70 / £ 69.99 PS5 games, and you won’t have any. no choice but to pay full price on PlayStation Store.
The Xbox Series S, on the other hand, is fundamentally different from the Xbox Series X and, in turn, the PS5 Digital Edition. Microsoft’s cheaper console targets 1440p instead of 4K and has a significantly less powerful GPU. However, thanks to advances in hardware over the past few years, the system is expected to perform extremely well, albeit less than the PS5 digital edition when it comes to raw specs. Check out the specifications for the Xbox Series S below:
- CPU: Eight cores 3.6 GHz (3.4 GHz with SMT) AMD 7 nm custom
- GPU: 4 teraflops at 1.550 GHz
- RAM: 10 GB of GDDR6 memory
- Frame rate: Up to 120 fps
- Resolution: 1440p with 4K upscaling
- Optical: No disk drive
- Storage: 512 GB NVMe SSD
Microsoft’s strategy of targeting both the high and low end of the market is interesting, and the company has already tilted the Xbox Series S to outperform its more expensive sibling.
While it’s easy to dismiss the Xbox Series S as the weakest and therefore inferior console of the bunch, it still promises to deliver a next-gen experience. It supports all of the key technological advancements of the PS5 and Xbox Series X: this includes ray tracing, super-fast load times, and 120 fps capabilities. But its more modest resolution goal means it can achieve those goals for a much lower price.
It also means that Microsoft has been able to create the smallest and arguably best looking console yet. The Xbox Series S is significantly smaller than the Xbox Series X and absolutely tiny compared to the gigantic PS5, so if you’re looking for something more discreet and able to fit into any space, the Xbox Series S could. to please.
One thing to note, however, is that the Xbox Series S only ships with a 512GB SSD. That means the space will fill up quickly, but Microsoft said game files should be 30% more. smaller than on Xbox Series X because they won’t use 4K textures, which can seriously inflate some titles. There’s also an expandable storage solution at launch in the form of Seagate’s 1TB expansion card, but it’s expensive.
PS5 Digital Edition vs Xbox Series S games
Games are subjective – and that’s why competition and variety are so important. Thankfully, there’s a deluge of great games on the way for both consoles, but Sony and Microsoft’s approach is once again different.
With its superb library of exclusive games on PS4, Sony is supporting its studios to once again come up with enticing titles to help sell its new console. The PS5 launch is bolstered by games such as Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Demon’s Souls and Sackboy: A Big Adventure, all of which can only be found on the Sony console, and more blockbusters are on the way with Horizon Forbidden West and Ratchet & Clank: Rift apart.
Microsoft, meanwhile, doesn’t have a new studio-owned game at launch after Halo Infinite was unexpectedly delayed. Instead, the allure of the Xbox Series S and X revolves around Microsoft’s phenomenal Xbox Game Pass service, which includes hundreds of games that can be downloaded and played pay-per-view. It also includes backward compatibility for four generations of Xbox games, which means gamers can go back to the original Xbox 360, Xbox and Xbox One games, all of which promise to be and play better than ever.
Both systems will be accompanied by various timed exclusives and third-party titles, of course, such as Yakuza: Like a Dragon on Xbox and Godfall on PS5. The choice then comes down to which games you find appealing or which ecosystem you’ve already invested in.
PS5 Digital Edition Verdict vs. Xbox Series S
The decision to buy a digital console will honestly depend on your personal preferences: both remove the disc drive, so physical media are off limits, and the Xbox Series S is squarely aimed at opening up the market for making next-gen games. more affordable. The saving of $ 100 on the PS5 digital edition is appealing at first glance, but you might end up spending more in the long run, so keep that in mind if you stick firmly with the machines from Sony.
Either way, both consoles promise to deliver a superior experience compared to their predecessors. As it stands, the Xbox Series S and PS5 pre-orders are extremely difficult to find, so it’s clear that there is a demand for both diskless systems.
