Should you buy a PS5 on Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day is now entering its eighth annual year of sales, all but guaranteeing juicy deals and big price cuts across the video game industry. It's also set to be the first big sales event where PS5 stock will be readily available since the console launched in November 2020, making it an opportune time to pick up Sony's next-gen console.

While that might make it seem like the answer is straightforward, there are actually lots of factors to consider before deciding whether to buy a PS5 on Prime Day or not. Be that surrounding the price, what the current state of games for Sony is like, including what's expected over the rest of 2023, and if generally, the deals will be worth jumping on. Also for anyone picking up a console in general, there are a number of mistakes that will want to be avoided. 

One thing that will certainly be worth keeping an eye on is the best Prime Day gaming deals 2023 for the latest discounts across PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo, and PC. Alternatively, simply head to our Prime Day PS5 deals 2023 hub for Sony-specific offers, including the console, controllers, bundles, headsets, and games.

Price

Let's first discuss the price. As of the time of writing, a standard PlayStation 5 costs $499.99 in the US and £479.99 in the UK. If you are happy to commit to the digital ecosystem completely, then the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition might be better suited to your needs. For the sacrifice of a disc drive, this PS5 variation is priced at $399.99 in the US and £389.99 in the UK. This equates to a difference of $100 / £90 between the two consoles. 

It's also worth noting that Sony increased the cost of a PS5 in August 2022 across multiple regions. While those in the US were lucky enough to miss out on the price increase as a whole, UK residents saw the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition jump by £30. 

Taking this all into consideration, it's unlikely to see any significant drops in cost. The cheapest we've seen from Amazon in the US is $499.00 and that's not likely to drop any further for the foreseeable future. The same has to be said for the UK with the best we've seen since the price rise being £469.00 from BT. There is the off chance that it might be beaten and even provide a chance to drop the console back down to its original price of £449.99, however, add-ons like games and accessories seem more probable.

For instance, we've seen the God of War Ragnarok PS5 bundle drop by $50/£50 in recent months, essentially giving you the game for under $20/£20. We're hoping the Horizon Forbidden West, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, and Final Fantasy 16 bundles (although the latter might be too new) will all experience the very same discount. Regardless, bundles will be the key to big savings rather than the standalone console. 

Stock 

Over 38 million sales of PS5 have taken place so far, with Q1 2023 achieving the most PS5 console sales (via Forbes) in recorded history at 6.3 million for the three-month period. This shows not only the massive demand for the Sony games machine but how much it was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2022. 

That said, Prime Day will be one of the busiest times for sales with lots of consumers, naturally, looking to pick up a console at a cheaper rate. Amazon has had a steady supply of PS5 consoles ready for purchase since February so should hold out. If not, it's worth checking out some competitors like Best Buy and Walmart in the US as well as ShopTo and Argos in the UK. These retailers like to get in on the sales event too, even if they're not directly connected to Prime Day. 

Games  

There are a multitude of fantastic PS5 games available now. If you've skipped a generation or thinking about swapping sides from Xbox, you'll be amazed by the number of top titles available through backward compatibility or the PlayStation Plus collection. Sony's first-party titles – such as Marvel's Spider-Man, Demon's Souls, God of War Ragnarok, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Returnal, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, and Final Fantasy 16 – are pretty unrivaled. Nintendo is the only real competitor for quality first-party titles but skews to a different audience.

Looking ahead, we have Marvel's Spider-Man 2 coming out in October with lots of big third-party games heading to the console too. This includes Mortal Kombat 1, Assassin's Creed Mirage, Sonic Superstars, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Alan Wake 2, and Armored Core 6, to name a few. 

We've not even mentioned the plethora of incredible indie games, and VR games available with a PSVR2. Many are saying 2023 is looking like one of the best years in gaming history, and it's hard to not be inclined to agree at this rate. Either way you look at it though, the PS5 is leading the pack.

To buy or not to buy  

If you've been holding off on a PS5, Amazon Prime Day 2023 will be a great opportunity to walk away with a console without any hassle and the likelihood of picking up an extra game or two for less. While Black Friday takes place in November (and usually offers better discounts than Prime Day), we don't envisage any major price drops to the PS5 for the foreseeable future. 

PS5 stock at Amazon should hold out for the most part, though we'd recommended jumping on deals from day one as opposed to waiting until the tail end of day two to see if they can be bettered. Bundles will be the way to go for the best deals but if you still want to secure a console and then pick up lots of the latest video games for record-low prices, Prime Day will definitely want to be taken advantage of. 

Looking for more great gaming deals? Make sure to check out the best Amazon Prime Day Nintendo Switch deals 2023 as well as all the latest Prime Day gaming laptop deals for the sales event.