Thanks to Xbox's price hike, the Series S is now more expensive than the PS5

It’s not every day you’ll find us highlighting PlayStation deals — after all, we’re a Windows and Xbox-focused news site. But with this week’s bombshell announcement that Microsoft is hiking prices across its consoles, accessories, and games, it’s hard not to acknowledge that PlayStation has the better value right now.

Sony is currently offering Astro Bot bundles of the PS5 Slim Digital for $399.99. This is a full $50 less than the standard PS5 Slim without the included Game of the Year 2024, Astro Bot.

Perhaps more striking, and embarrassing really, is how this stacks up against Xbox's recent pricing changes. The PS5 Slim Digital 1TB is now $30 cheaper than the equivalent Xbox Series S with 1TB of storage, which recently saw its price jump from $349.99 to $429.99. For those looking for the best bang for their buck, the value equation has shifted dramatically in favor of PlayStation.

PlayStation 5 1TB Slim Astro Bot Bundle (Slim): $399.99 at PlayStation Direct US

PS5 Digital Edition is an all-digital version of the PS5 console with no disc drive. This slim model, bundled with Astro Bot is $50 cheaper than the standard Digital edition. If you were to buy the normal PS5 Digital plus the $60 you'd pay $509.98.

Also from: Walmart $402.99 | Best Buy $399.99 but low stock

Xbox Series S vs PS5 Digital

Before this week, I’d wholeheartedly recommend the Xbox Series S as the best value entry point into current-generation gaming. I still love mine. It’s perfect for portability, but with the recent price hike, it’s much harder to recommend to most people. Ironically, I stumbled upon this PlayStation deal while updating my Xbox Series S review to reflect the loss of its once-great $299.99 price point.

As of this month, Microsoft has raised the price of the standard 512GB Xbox Series S from $299.99 to $379.99, with the 1TB model now priced at $429.99, up from $349.99.

The price gap between the Series S and PlayStation’s offerings has narrowed uncomfortably. The PS5 Slim Digital, which lacks the technical compromises of the Series S, is priced at $449.99. Even more embarrassing, Astro Bot PS5 Slim Digital bundles are currently available for less than that, making Sony’s console an even better deal.

To be clear, Xbox remains the best value platform for me personally, thanks to the Xbox Game Pass library and the sheer number of games I play on it. It's still offering other very consumer-friendly services such as cross-platform purchasing on some games, Play Anywhere and free cloud saving. These are all the things I love about the eco-system and keep me loyal to it.

But for those who aren’t invested in Xbox Game Pass and want access to PlayStation exclusives, or even former Xbox exclusives like Forza, Sea of Thieves, and Indiana Jones — the PS5 Slim Digital is the more tempting option right now.

It’s also worth noting the differences in design philosophy. The Xbox Series S sacrifices performance and graphical fidelity for its compact and portable design, serving as a lighter version of the Series X. Meanwhile, the PS5 Slim Digital offers identical performance to the disc-drive model and allows you to add a drive later if you choose.

Right now, for the price, PlayStation simply offers more.