PlayStation 5 Review: The Console to Beat, If You Can Stomach the Price
8.5/10 — Sony PlayStation 5
Pros
- Outstanding run of exclusive games
- DualSense haptics and adaptive triggers are a genuine leap
- Fast SSD with cheap, standard M.2 expansion
- Plays almost every PS4 game
Cons
- 2026 price rise makes it an expensive buy
- Still a large console, even in Slim form
- Usable storage fills up quickly
- Disc drive is an optional extra on the Digital Edition
The PlayStation 5 has been the best-selling console of this generation, and it’s easy to see why. It has the strongest line-up of exclusive games, a controller that still feels like the future, and a fast, simple interface. What has changed is the price. Sony’s April 2026 increase put the standard PS5 at £569.99 (US$649.99), the Digital Edition at £519.99 (US$599.99) and the PS5 Pro at £789.99 (US$899.99).
Design
The original PS5 was enormous, a white-and-black sweeping tower that dominated any TV stand. The current Slim model is a good deal smaller and lighter, and its disc drive can be detached. That means you can buy the Digital Edition now and add a drive later. It’s still a big console, though, and the removable white side panels pick up scuffs easily.
Performance
The PS5 targets 4K at 30–60fps, with many games offering a choice between a higher-resolution “quality” mode and a smoother “performance” mode. Ray tracing is supported, and a growing number of games run at 120fps on a compatible TV. The PS5 Pro adds more graphical power and better upscaling for 4K TV owners, but at its 2026 price it’s a luxury for enthusiasts, not the model most people need.
The custom SSD is exceptionally fast, and loading times are rarely more than a few seconds. Storage is the catch: the Slim’s 1TB drive leaves around 850GB for games, which fills up quickly. Thankfully, you can add a standard M.2 NVMe SSD, which is much cheaper than proprietary expansion cards.
DualSense
The DualSense controller is the PS5’s secret weapon. Its haptic feedback can simulate everything from rain to the feel of different surfaces underfoot, and the adaptive triggers can tighten up to mimic a bowstring or a jammed gun. When developers make full use of it, as in Astro Bot, it adds a real sense of touch to games that no other console matches. Battery life is only average, and stick drift has been a common complaint.
Games
This is where the PS5 pulls clear. Astro Bot, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Returnal and Demon’s Souls are among the best games of the generation, and a large share of the biggest third-party releases arrive here too. Backwards compatibility with almost every PS4 game means a huge library from day one. Sony does now bring many of its exclusives to PC, often a year or two later, so it’s not quite as exclusive as it once was.
Verdict
The PlayStation 5 is still the console to beat for most people. It has the best exclusives, the most innovative controller and a huge back catalogue. The 2026 price rise makes it a much bigger investment than it should be this far into its life, so keep an eye out for bundles and sales. But if you want one console for the next few years, this is the safest bet.
