This PS5 Slim discount has made me want a PS5 Pro even less
Woops, the PS5 just got an early price cut for Prime Day
Did you ever rock up to school ready for a fancy dress day, only to realize that you'd gotten your dates muddled up? Who knows if that's what's happened to Sony today, or if the company actually wanted to get ahead of the competition. Either way, the PS5 Slim is already seeing a discount back to its cheapest-ever price at Amazon, and Prime Day isn't supposed to begin until tomorrow.
Down from its MSRP of $499.99, it's currently sitting pretty at $449, a whole $50 cheaper than it should be. I should add, of course, that this is the PS5 Slim with a Blu-Ray drive already fitted underneath its faceplates, so you won't even need to fork out extra cash if you want to play physical games on it. We've seen this edition of Sony's flagship console dip down to this price before, but not since the PS5 Pro was announced.
Prime Day PS5 deals have already brought us some sweet discounts in terms of accessories and games, but I didn't expect to see the PS5 on offer unless it was one of the official bundles, let alone a deal that arrived before Prime Day gaming deals officially begins. If you've already shopped around for PS5 pre-orders, I won't need to tell you that this discount increases the price disparity between the consoles even further. Thanks to Amazon's early bird offer, the PS5 Slim is now a whole $250 cheaper than a PS5 Pro - which is probably the best way I can possibly recommend this offer to you.
PS5 Slim | $499 $449 at Amazon
Save $50 - A $50 discount is never a bad thing when it comes to a new console, but seeing it a day earlier makes it even sweeter. If you don't want to miss out, grab one of these consoles before the busy swing tomorrow and Wednesday.
Buy it if:
✅ You want a PS5
✅ You want to be able to play physical games
✅ A PS5 Pro is of no interest
Don't buy it if:
❌ You don't need a disc drive
Price check: Walmart: $449 | Best Buy: $499.99
UK: £477 at Amazon
Should you buy a PS5 Slim this Prime Day?
Whatever your thoughts on the PS5 Pro, the PS5 Slim has never looked more appealing than it does right now. If you're yet to buy into Sony's latest generation of gaming hardware, you can get a very capable gaming platform for cheaper, and you won't even have to wait around for loads of games to come out for it. Better yet, the PS5 Pro most likely points to some big releases coming in the next few years, so you'll be able to play those if they arrive.
Not only that, but you'll be able to make use of the peripherals Sony has launched as siblings to this console. PSVR 2 and the PlayStation Portal are both ways for you to jazz up the platform, and use it in more versatile ways.
I'm sure to some, the idea of just paying the extra money for a PS5 Pro is more tempting, but as someone who has been playing their PS5 since launch day in 2020, I can tell you that this is not a console that feels old yet. I've never once thought "Oh boy, my PS5 sure is struggling to keep up with the technical demands of the latest games" - so I don't really have any interest in a larger GPU. 4K gaming even in the PC world is still not all that reliable unless you splash out a lot of money, so the PS5 doesn't feel like it needs a better processor for graphics.
If you do feel the need to upgrade a vanilla PS5, I've had so much fun kitting mine out with the latest PS5 controllers and SSDs for PS5. There are so many options for either, and they'll both make your console feel futureproofed and fittingly "pro" as it is.
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One of my earliest memories is playing SuperMario64 and wondering why the controller I held had three grips, but I only had two hands. Ever since I've been in love with video games and their technology. After graduating from Edinburgh Napier University with a degree in Journalism, I contributed to the Scottish Games Network and completed an Editorial Internship at Expert Reviews. Over the last decade, I’ve been managing my own YouTube channel about my love of games too. These days, I'm one of the resident hardware nerds at GamesRadar+, and I take the lead on our coverage of gaming PCs, VR, controllers, gaming chairs, and content creation gear. Now, I better stop myself here before I get talking about my favourite games like HUNT: Showdown, Dishonored, and Towerfall Ascension. Location: UK Remote