5 Downsides Of Buying A PS5 In 2026

Choosing which new recreation console to purchase — or whether or not to purchase one in any respect — is not a small determination. They aren’t low-cost even in the event you handle to bag a superb deal, so you do not wish to make the fallacious alternative. Something that makes it much more tough is that every console available on the market additionally comes with its personal downsides, whether or not that is the Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch 2, or the PlayStation 5.

There are all types of explanation why you’d wish to purchase a PlayStation 5: it nonetheless typically performs properly, you may play all kinds of video games on it, and it might simply pull double obligation as a media participant or streaming gadget. But regardless of that, there are nonetheless a number of explanation why you may wish to take into account going for a unique console, upgrading to a PlayStation 5 Pro, and even constructing a gaming PC as an alternative. 

To discover out precisely which console it’s best to go for, and which mannequin works finest for you, it’s essential to know each their deserves and limitations. That method, you can also make an knowledgeable determination based mostly in your private desire, price range, and the place you are prepared to compromise. Like some other console, the PlayStation 5 positively has some limitations, like its restricted choices for backwards compatibility and first-party points with PS Plus, however the points turn into much more obvious in the event you’re looking for one in 2026. For instance, the console is far more costly than it was, and you’ll simply entry extra and higher options by upgrading to a PlayStation 5 Pro as an alternative.

The price of a PS5 has shot up twice since 2025: first in August 2025 because of tariffs, and once more in April 2026. A brand new commonplace PS5 in 2026 would set you again by $649.99, or $599.99 for a PS5 Digital Edition. For context, every console value $499.99 and $399.99 respectively after they launched again in 2020. Even whenever you account for inflation, that is nonetheless a fairly substantial value hike.

It could be affordable to imagine that the answer might lie in buying a used PlayStation 5 instead, and whereas that is a great way of saving some cash, it will not prevent as a lot as you may anticipate. If you head to GameStop, you may nonetheless anticipate to spend $559.99 on a pre-owned or refurbished PS5, or $531.99 in the event you’re a Pro member. Similarly, Back Market’s refurbished consoles value $558. So, even when bought secondhand from a good outlet, you continue to often have to spend extra on a PS5 in 2026 than you’d haven’t so way back.

Your finest wager for saving cash on a PS5 might be to attempt to discover a deal on eBay. According to PriceCharting, the common value of a unfastened PS5 — as in, one with no field and guide, or in unknown situation — has been round $419, whereas a whole in-box console averages at $435. However, understand that that does not account for delivery charges, and since your console is secondhand, it might not include a guaranty.

If you are someone who still prefers to buy physical copies of games, then the PlayStation roads may not be one you wish to dive into proper now. That’s as a result of Sony introduced that as of January 2028, no new titles can be launched on disc. Instead, they will solely be accessible in a digital-only format. That offers you lower than two years to purchase new releases on disc, which might simply be a dealbreaker for some.

Even in the event you aren’t somebody who collects bodily media, you may nonetheless profit from shopping for your video games bodily. Say you purchase a recreation on disc, play it slightly, and do not actually prefer it, or full a recreation and might’t see your self replaying it, then you may simply resell it to scrape again a number of the value. But in the event you personal it digitally, you may’t actually do something about it.

Plus, whenever you purchase a digital copy of a PlayStation 5 recreation, you are at present largely simply restricted to the PlayStation Store, which means you will not be capable of store round as a lot for aggressive pricing like you can on PC. Buying digital video games could be fast, straightforward, and space-efficient, however there is not a lot to achieve from being tied to a single market. As a end result, relating to saving cash, you is likely to be higher off both choosing a console that also provides bodily video games, like an Xbox Series X or the Nintendo Switch 2, or a PC the place you may entry digital codecs from a number of sellers, like Steam, Fanatical, or GOG.

Although the PlayStation 5 runs on some strong elements, it is not the top-performing console in Sony’s repertoire anymore. That’s truly the PlayStation 5 Pro, a mid-generation upgrade that provides a bigger GPU, quicker RAM, and twice as a lot inner storage. Admittedly, it is costlier — particularly when you add a disc drive — nevertheless it does provide you with a efficiency increase relating to chosen video games, alongside some new options. 

If your gaming preferences are likely to favor blockbuster triple-A titles, then you definately may wish to attain for a Pro as an alternative. There are at present over 200 video games which might be PS5 Pro Enhanced, with enhancements starting from larger body charges to ray tracing and efficiency optimizations. Some latest titles like “Starfield” have already confronted points whereas making an attempt to run on the usual PlayStation 5, so choosing up a console that may deal with heavier gaming is likely to be higher in some instances. However, there have been some experiences of issues with the sport on PlayStation 5 Pro, as properly. Admittedly, Bethesda would not have a popularity for good optimization — “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered” continues to face points on most programs since its launch in 2025 — so the problem might lie extra with the discharge than the console, nevertheless it’s nonetheless value allowing for.

On an identical notice, you may not want to attend lengthy for the PlayStation 6 announcement. The next-generation console would not have a set launch date but, partly due to the RAM disaster, however some suspect that it might come within the subsequent couple of years. Ampere Analysis suspects that the console might launch in late 2028, though in all probability not any sooner. So, in the event you aren’t in a rush, you may save your self an improve by ready.

For anybody contemplating shopping for a PS5, Sony’s subscription service PS Plus is more likely to be interesting. But whereas there are a ton of various video games accessible on PS Plus, there’s a catch. You should not anticipate to see any first-party releases arriving as quickly as they launch, no matter which tier you are subscribed to. Instead, you are going to have to attend not less than a yr, if no more, or purchase them on high of your subscription after they launch. So in the event you’re a fan of franchises like “God of War” or “Gran Turismo,” then the move may not all the time reduce it for you, and also you may end up paying greater than you anticipated to, or ready for a very long time.

That’s to not say that PS Plus would not embrace first-party video games as a part of its assortment. At the time of publishing, you may entry video games like “Ghost of Tsushima,” “Days Gone,” and the unique “Death Stranding” on PS Plus. It’s simply that they have been typically added some months or years after they first launched, fairly than after they have been new. On the flip aspect, issues are fairly good in the event you favor third-party gaming, or extra particularly, indie gaming. Besides the truth that there’s a big catalog of non-Sony video games accessible, the move additionally typically contains different new video games at launch. However, a variety of these titles aren’t unique to the PS5, so you can simply as simply entry them by means of one other subscription service or personal them on a platform like Steam as an alternative.

You is likely to be considering that choosing up a PS5 will plug you straight into many of the PlayStation ecosystem, together with releases for earlier consoles just like the PlayStation 1, 2, or 3. Unfortunately, that is not fairly the case. You can truly solely play some selected earlier PlayStation games on a PS5. And fashions with a disc drive solely supply disc help for PlayStation 4 and PS5 video games.

The solely choice for taking part in PS1 or PS2 video games on a PS5 is shopping for digital copies by means of the PS Store, or through PS Plus. That means you may’t take pleasure in any bodily copies of video games you already personal, and also you’re restricted to solely accessing whichever titles can be found within the retailer or as a part of the Classics Catalog on the time. That choice can change at any time, which means you can lose entry to older video games you may wish to play typically. Moreover, you may’t at present purchase PS3 video games by means of the shop, though you may dip into any titles from the Classics Catalog over cloud streaming. 

On the opposite hand, the PS5 provides good backwards compatibility with video games launched for the PS4. At the time of writing, there are solely six identified video games from the PS4 technology that may’t run in any respect on a PS5. You also can use most PS4 peripherals whereas enjoying appropriate video games, improve eligible titles to their PS5 equivalents, and switch digital copies and knowledge from the console both over Wi-Fi or utilizing an acceptable USB storage gadget.