PlayStation 5 Slim.

The Gavler Review.

PlayStation 5 Slim Review: The PS5 Sony Should Have Shipped First

The PlayStation 5 Slim ranks fourth on Gavler's Best Game Consoles list with an 8.8, and Tom's Guide's verdict captures why it's the default recommendation for most PlayStation buyers: "The PS5 Slim is the Sony console we should have gotten at the beginning of this generation." It's the same fast, exclusive-rich console the PS5 has been since 2020, repackaged into a smaller, more modular chassis with a detachable disc drive — no compromises on performance, just a smarter shape. The only real catch Tom's Guide flagged is a $30 add-on cost for the vertical stand that used to feel like it should be included. For anyone who isn't chasing the PS5 Pro's top-tier image quality, this is the sensible buy.

What it is

The PS5 Slim is Sony's redesigned standard PlayStation 5, first launched in late 2023 and still the mainstream PS5 SKU heading into 2026. Per Gavler's verified spec data, it carries a 10.3 TFLOPS RDNA 2 GPU, a 1TB SSD, and a detachable 4K Blu-ray disc drive that lets buyers choose between the disc and all-digital configurations after purchase. Tom's Guide's technical breakdown lists the same custom AMD Zen 2 8-core CPU and 16GB of GDDR6 memory as the original launch PS5 — this is a repackaging exercise, not a hardware refresh, and that's by design. Sony's own figures, cited by Tom's Guide, put the redesign at over 30% smaller by volume and roughly 18% lighter than the original disc model.

Pricing has moved since launch. Per Gavler's scoreNote, the disc edition rose to $649.99 in Sony's April 2026 revision — a meaningful jump from the original $499 launch price for the same configuration, reflecting broader industry cost pressure rather than a hardware change.

In use

The redesign's practical wins are mostly about living-room convenience rather than raw power. Tom's Guide's review walked through the modularity in detail: a single small faceplate now covers the SSD bay instead of the original's larger cover, making storage upgrades noticeably easier, and the disc drive itself "snaps off with a little bit of force" if you want to convert to an all-digital setup later. Two USB-C ports on the front replace the original's mixed port layout, which Tom's Guide appreciated even while wishing for at least one USB-A port up front for wired peripherals.

Performance is unchanged from the standard PS5 experience, which is exactly the point. Tom's Guide tested titles like Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and Street Fighter 6 and reported "the same blazing-fast performance and load times" as the original hardware, with performance modes favoring higher frame rates over resolution working exactly as expected. If you already own a launch-model PS5, there's genuinely no reason to upgrade — Tom's Guide is explicit that "current PS5 owners don't need to rush out to buy this system."

The one real design compromise Tom's Guide called out is the vertical stand situation. The console's new flatter base makes standing it upright safer than before without additional support, but Sony still sells the actual stand as a $30 separate purchase rather than including it — a detail that stands out given how routine vertical placement is for most living-room setups. It's a minor complaint in the scope of the whole review, but a real one, and it's the console's single listed con in Tom's Guide's pros-and-cons breakdown.

Engadget's assessment lands on similar ground from a different angle, framing the Slim as fundamentally "a smaller console with a bigger game library" than the console it replaces — a fair summary given that the PS5's exclusive lineup, from Ghost of Yōtei to Astro Bot to Marvel's Spider-Man 2, has only grown since the original hardware launched.

Strengths

• Genuinely smaller and lighter without any performance trade-off. Same 10.3 TFLOPS GPU, same fast load times, in a meaningfully more manageable chassis.
• True modularity. Swappable SSD, detachable disc drive, and snap-off faceplates make this console easier to service and reconfigure than its predecessor.
• A stacked, still-growing exclusive library. The reason to own any PS5 in 2026 hasn't changed — Sony's first-party lineup remains the platform's strongest asset.
• More storage out of the box. The 1TB SSD is a real upgrade over the original 825GB drive, mattering more now that game install sizes keep growing.

The trade-offs — who should skip it

The PS5 Slim's honest weaknesses are less about the hardware and more about the surrounding costs:

• The vertical stand isn't included. Tom's Guide's one specific complaint — expect to spend an extra $30 if you want to stand the console upright safely.
• 2026 pricing has crept upward. At $649.99 for the disc edition per Sony's April revision, the value proposition versus the launch-era $499 price is less dramatic than it once was.
• No generational leap in power. This is the same 10.3 TFLOPS RDNA 2 GPU from 2020 — if raw performance and image quality matter most to you, the PS5 Pro's PSSR upscaling is the real upgrade.
• Current PS5 owners have no reason to switch. Tom's Guide is unambiguous that this redesign targets new buyers, not existing ones.

How it compares

Within Gavler's Best Game Consoles list, the PlayStation 5 Pro sits at number one, and it's the direct upgrade path for buyers who specifically want better image quality — a bigger GPU and PSSR AI upscaling, at a real price premium. On the Xbox side, the Xbox Series X is the closest apples-to-apples rival in raw specs, running 12 teraflops against the PS5 Slim's 10.3, though the exclusive libraries — not the silicon — are what actually decides this comparison for most buyers.

The Gavler verdict

An 8.8 for a console that does exactly what a mainstream refresh should: same excellent performance, meaningfully better ergonomics and modularity, at a price that — despite 2026's upward creep — still undercuts the flagship Pro by a wide margin. Tom's Guide's framing holds up: this is the PS5 Sony arguably should have launched with in the first place. The missing in-box vertical stand is a minor, easily solved annoyance, not a real strike against it. For anyone buying their first current-gen PlayStation, this remains the default, sensible choice.

Common Questions

Is the PlayStation 5 Slim worth it in 2026?

Yes, for the large majority of buyers who want PlayStation exclusives without paying for the Pro's premium hardware. It ranks fourth on Gavler's Best Game Consoles list with an 8.8, and Tom's Guide called it 'the Sony console we should have gotten at the beginning of this generation.'

How much does the PS5 Slim cost in 2026?

The disc edition rose to $649.99 in Sony's April 2026 price revision, per Gavler's verified pricing data — up from its original $499 launch price. The Digital Edition originally launched at $449; check current retailer listings, since 2026 pricing has moved on both models.

Do I need the separate vertical stand?

If you want to stand the console upright safely, yes — and it's a real added cost. Tom's Guide flagged this directly in its review, listing 'vertical stand costs an extra $30' as the console's only notable con, since it doesn't ship in the box the way the horizontal feet do.

Should I buy the PS5 Slim or save for the PS5 Pro?

Buy the Slim unless you specifically want the Pro's PSSR AI upscaling and bigger GPU for the best possible image quality on a 4K TV. For the large majority of players, the Slim delivers the same core PS5 library and performance at a meaningfully lower price.