How to score an impressive deal on the PlayStation 5
Thankfully, the once-elusive Playstation 5 has become more widely available, meaning we're now on the lookout for the best possible deal.
If you are yet to buy a PS5 for yourself, or you're looking to gift one to that special gamer in your life, you'll want to read this first.
From the impressive specs to how to find the best price right now, we bring you everything you need to know...
Where to get a PlayStation 5 bargain
NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing.
Here are some of the best options to choose from when buying a PS5:
PlayStation 5 Console
The PS5 console is currently discounted by 15 per cent, which will save you $121.
PS5 God of War: Ragnarök Bundle
This bundle comes with a PlayStation 5 console, a DualSense wireless controller and the God of War: Ragnarök full game voucher.
PlayStation 5 Digital Edition Console
Best of all, Amazon Prime members can get their console within a day or two. Not a member? Secure your Amazon Prime Free Trial now to lock in special Prime member deals and free (and faster!) shipping.
Best games available
Alongside the back-end compatibility from PS4 games, some highly advanced and visually stunning games have been released on the PS5.
These are some of the most popular and successful games on offer:
What you need to know about the PS5:
The PlayStation 5 introduced a wide range of new features and additions to the gaming world. They kept some features from the PS4 including a built-in battery for the controller, integrated speakers and a motion sensor with an in-built accelerometer and gyroscope.
What makes this more desirable is everything new to make the gaming experience more intuitive and realistic.
Updated controllers
PlayStation has introduced a new type of controller known as DualSense. One of the main changes to the look of the controller is the Create Button. The PS4 controller introduced the Share Button, but it has evolved to now take screenshots and capture vision of the game to watch back, produce content, or live broadcast your gaming vision and share what you have captured on the PlayStation Network.
The company has described the new layout as "more intuitive" with the joysticks being "enhanced" and the light bar "reimagined". The majority of the new features for the console comes from these high-tech controllers.
Haptic feedback
Through vibrations in the controller, the PS5 has introduced a system where the environmental factors and physical influences surrounding the player's character in the game are emulated. This is to help the player experience what their character is experiencing in a physical sense.
This haptic feedback is a replacement to the rumble motors previously used in controllers to add a greater sense of realism for the player.
Adaptive triggers
This feature is to add physical tension to the actions of the character onto the player via the controller. If something the character is doing requires more strength or is harder to move or use, this tension will be felt in the controller by the player.
Ultra-high-speed SSD
The PS5 has a faster loading screen compared to its predecessor consoles, which not only makes the games less laggy, but allows the player to use custom integration to pull their game data as well as design games.
Ray tracing
Ray tracing is a 3D graphic rendering technique to simulate how lights and shadows work in games as they would in real life. These graphics have been a focus in guiding the visuals in the PS5. The impacts can be seen in scenarios where light is reflecting off of water, character's shadows depending on time of day, and light reflections off different materials, like metals.
Sound and audio
Audio has been developed greatly for the PS5. A focus on 3D immersive audio is seen through Tempest 3D AudioTech found in the PULSE 3D wireless headset (sold separately). If your console is connected to in-built TV speakers of analogue/USB stereo headphones, you can also experience 3D quality audio. The controller has a 3.5mm headset jack, built-in microphone and a mute button that is easily switched off and on.
Visual connectivity
The frame rate has improved for the PlayStation 5 to 120fps (frames per second). It should be known that this is a feature for the console itself, so if your television is not 4K or doesn't have 120Hz output, the graphics will only adapt to the highest compatibility to the television.
The PS5 not only connects to a gamer's TV set, but is able to connect with various Apple devices. If you have a compatible iPhone or iPad, you can now connect your games through the PS5 to them, and play using the controllers.
Backwards compatibility
If you are worried about losing all your data and progress in games played on the PS4, there is no need to panic. The PS5 offers backwards compatibility. This means players will be able to transfer their game data from the PlayStation 4 to the PlayStation 5 and pick up on their saves where they left off, rather than starting the games fresh.
Not only that, but because of the improved visuals and framerates, playing games originally from the PS4 will have improved speed and frame rates when played on the PS5.
What to buy:
There are two main options when choosing a PS5 – the original console or the digital edition.
PlayStation 5 Console
The original console is the base model for the PS5. It has a disc drive for the physical copies of games to be played, as well as the ability to download digital games from the PlayStation store. It's not just for games either, as the disc drive is compatible for Blu-ray discs, so you can watch TV shows or movies on the console as well. This console is currently on sale for 15 per cent off on Amazon.
PlayStation 5 Digital Edition Console
The Digital Edition has all the same features as the original, except it does not have a disc drive and relies solely on playing digital games accessed through the PlayStation store or through the player's account on the PlayStation Network. It is also not able to play Blu-ray discs. This model is generally cheaper than the original console.
On top of this, each console version of the PS5 supports virtual reality technology, and is the only PlayStation console that supports the PlayStation VR 2.