The popularity of the PlayStation 5 (PS5) on launch was obvious: empty shelves and endless waiting lists. Many people thought it was worth it to buy the PS5 from the first day it released. How this will be for you, depends on two things only: your budget and the games you’re excited about.
It’s definitely worth it to purchase a PS5 when you are planning on playing the PS5 exclusive games. Compared to a gaming PC, the value of a PS5 console is relatively high. Better graphics, higher framerates, accessible Virtual Reality, and 4K gaming are among the main benefits of buying a PS5.
Your available budget will determine if it’s worth it to purchase a PS5 for you. In the end, upgrading from a PS4 to PS5 will be a hefty investment.
Whatever you do, make sure to always pick the PS5 Disc version over the Digital PS5. Choosing between a PS5 and PS4 Pro is easier, here’s an overview of what you’re getting for your money (versus the PS4 Pro):
| PS5 Pricing | PS4 Pro Pricing | |
|---|---|---|
| Console | $500 USD ($400 USD Digital Ed.) | $400 USD |
| Controller | $70 USD | $60USD |
| Full-Priced Games | $70 USD | $60 USD |
| PlayStation Plus | $60 USD / Year | $60 USD / Year |
Why The PS5 Might Be Worth It For You
If you’re still on the fence about buying Sony’s newest console, you might need to review some of the arguments for getting one. There are many advantages to purchasing a PS5 over a PS4 Pro. I’ll break them down for you one by one below.
Play The Newest Games
All the latest games will be coming out on PS5, and not necessarily on the older PS4 Pro. So if you’re excited about the new generation, upgrading is not optional. Sony made sure to secure a lot of new PS5 exclusives:
- Astro’s Playroom
- Demon’s Souls
- Destruction AllStars
- God Of War: Ragnarok
- Gran Turismo 7
- Ratchet and Clank: A Rift Apart
- Returnal
- Resident Evil 8
- Stray
- Horizon: Forbidden West
- And many more!
You’re getting Astro’s Playroom with your purchase of the PS5 console for free, so that’s a nice bonus! It’s a really fun platformer that will introduce gamers to the many new features of the PS5 DualSense controller.
Much Faster Loading Screens
A seamless gaming experience with minutes-long loading screens is a thing of the past. This new generation of consoles will only use lightning-fast SSD hard drives. An SSD is about to turn minutes of loading screens into seconds.
The downside? Storage capacity on the PS5 is limited. Just 667 GB of actual storage capacity will not be enough for most avid gamers. There are some workarounds to this problem:
- You can store your PS4 game data on an external hard drive
- This will be possible for PS5 game data in the future as well (pending a system update)
- Limit the number of games you install at any given time
- Turn off auto-update and trophy videos to limit storage capacity usage
While not perfect, these are currently the best solutions available. It’s to be expected that Sony will tackle the storage capacity problems as soon as possible, since it’s one of the major things holding back PlayStation fans with their purchase.
PS5 Has Better Graphics
Another obvious selling point of the PlayStation 5 is the drastically improved graphic quality. Not only are 4K graphics possible on 120Hz and 120 FPS, but the whole experience will simply be much smoother. Processing power on the PS5 is noticeably improved, which gives users a much better gaming experience overall.
Don’t take it from me — but make sure to check it out for yourself.
The YouTube video below provides a nice visual comparison between the PS4 and PS5 graphics (for the game Assassin’s Creed Valhalla):
Revolutionary DualSense Controller
Most of you will be used to the trusty DualShock controller, which was first introduced way back with the original PlayStation 1. The whole DualShock concept has been thrown overboard with the PS5, paving the way for the DualSense controller.
While you can’t use the PS5 DualSense controller on a PS4 in any easy way (and making the DualSense work on PC is also quite limited), investing in the new generation of PlayStation controllers is still worth it.
While many arguments can be made (the haptic feedback is amazing!), a direct comparison overview will tell most of the story. Just check out the differences between the two controllers in the table below:
| PS5 Controller | PS4 Controller | |
|---|---|---|
| Name | DualSense | DualShock 4 |
| Release date | Nov 12, 2020 | Nov 15, 2013 |
| Price | $69.99 USD | $59.99 USD |
| Size | 6.3 x 2.6 x 4.2 " | 6.4 x 2.0 x 3.9 " |
| Weight | 280 g | 210 g |
| Connection | USB-C | Micro-USB |
| Trigger type | Adaptive | Standard |
| Textured grip | Yes | Yes |
| Touchpad | Yes | Yes |
| Haptic feedback | Yes | No |
| Share button | Yes | Yes |
| Audio jack | 3.5 mm | 3.5 mm |
| Microphone | Yes | No |
| Battery | Internal | Internal |
| Compatibility | PS5, PC | PS4, PC, Android, iOS |
Backward Compatibility (With PS4)
The first generation of the PS5 console allows users to play PS4 games on them. That’s great if you own PS4 games, or if you want to access the huge library of games that’s already available on the previous generation. If you’d like to use PS4 game discs, make sure to choose the Standard PS5 and not the (cheaper) Digital version.
The backward compatibility of the PS5 is limited, however, because it’s not possible to play PS3 games on a PS5. This includes digital downloads of original PlayStation or PS2 games.
This is a small step down from the backward compatibility on the PS4, which also allowed users to play PS3, PS2, and PS1 game discs. If you only own PS4 games, it shouldn’t make a difference. But if you’re a life-long PlayStation fan, this might be something to keep in mind.
PS5 Is More Future-Proof
Planning on playing games online, or using the PlayStation Store often? You might want to pick the newer PS5 console over the PS4 Pro. Support will usually be limited to newer generations.
It wasn’t that long ago that Sony announced to end its ongoing support for the PlayStation Store on PS3 and PS Vita by summer 2021. Luckily, it will still be possible to download already purchased games. Furthermore, PS3 online servers will remain active for the time being. But purchasing new digital games on PS3 won’t be possible anymore.
Steps like these show the intentions of Sony’s strategy clearly: they are looking to increase support for current-gen consoles, while slowly phasing out the older generations. The limited backward compatibility mentioned before is also part of that. So if you’d like to future-proof your purchase, you should definitely choose the PS5 over a PS4 Pro.
Is It Worth It To Buy A PS5 Now, Or Wait?
If you’re excited about the currently available PS5 games, you should absolutely buy the PS5 over a PS4 Pro. Because the PS5 console is backward compatible with PS4 games as well, it’s better to upgrade to the newest generation of Sony’s flagship console right away.
First and foremost, I’d recommend PlayStation fans to look at the currently available library of exclusive PS5 games.
If you’re on a limited budget, you can wait for most of the games to drop in price during a Christmas or Summer sale. PlayStation games are most expensive in their first year after release. After this, they tend to drop in price quite drastically.
It might still take a few years before Sony will release a newer generation of PS5 consoles (PS5 Slim), and these might not have the current backward compatibility. It took 3 years to go from a PS3 to a PS3 Slim, and it also took 3 years between the PS4 and PS4 Slim: are you willing to wait that long?
Don’t even attempt to look at console pricing, because it won’t go down anytime soon. You’re probably aware of the massive problems with very limited console availability. You can be sure that scalpers and second-hand sellers are going to make this problem even worse. It’s absolutely worth it to buy the PlayStation 5 now, as long as you have some games you really want to play. And — obviously — if you can find one for sale to begin with.
