The PS5 is finally on sale for Prime Big Deal Days. Now’s the right time to buy it

Despite the fact that we’re four years into this current console generation, PS5 discounts have been as slim as its recent redesign. You’ll hardly ever find Sony’s console for less than its launch day price. Even when the PS5 Pro was announced, Sony opted to keep the base model’s price the same. That’s finally changed. As part of Amazon’s Prime Big Deals Day, the PS5 Digital Edition just got a big price cut. Regularly $450, it’s on sale for $400 through most major retailers, but has been bouncing a bit lower (it’s currently $395 at the time of writing).

You may be wondering if this is the right moment to buy a PS5. After all, its $700 Pro model is slated to launch next month. I’d argue that this is the exact moment to buy a base model, though.

Buying a console at launch can be a needlessly expensive investment for little gain out the gate. In the first half of a new generation, most games tend to release cross-platform. If you didn’t upgrade to a PS5 in 2020, you could still get games like Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales or Assassin’s Creed Valhalla on PS4. Even years after that, heavy hitters like God of War Ragnarok and Horizon Forbidden West launched on PS4. They looked better on PS5, but not enough to warrant a big upgrade for anyone trying to save money.

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Four years into the PS5’s life and that’s now changed. Games like Astro Bot and Stellar Blade are exclusive to PS5 now, signaling that we’re at the end of the generation crossover era. If you upgrade — or get your first PlayStation — now, you’re getting a sizable backlog of exclusives that take advantage of the console’s power and justify the purchase. That includes first-party games like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, as well as third-party hits like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

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