5 Downsides Of Buying A PS5 In 2026

Choosing which new game console to buy — or whether to buy one at all — isn’t a small decision. They aren’t cheap even if you manage to bag a good deal, so you don’t want to make the wrong choice. Something that makes it even more difficult is that each console on the market also comes with its own downsides, whether that’s the Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch 2, or the PlayStation 5.

There are all kinds of reasons why you would want to buy a PlayStation 5: it still generally performs well, you can play a wide variety of games on it, and it can easily pull double duty as a media player or streaming device. But despite that, there are still several reasons why you might want to consider going for a different console, upgrading to a PlayStation 5 Pro, or even building a gaming PC instead. 

To find out exactly which console you should go for, and which model works best for you, you need to know both their merits and limitations. That way, you can make an informed decision based on your personal preference, budget, and where you’re willing to compromise. Like any other console, the PlayStation 5 definitely has some limitations, like its limited options for backwards compatibility and first-party issues with PS Plus, but the issues become even more apparent if you’re shopping for one in 2026. For example, the console is much more expensive than it used to be, and you can easily access more and better features by upgrading to a PlayStation 5 Pro instead.

It costs more than ever to buy a new PS5

The price of a PS5 has shot up twice since 2025: first in August 2025 as a result of tariffs, and again in April 2026. A new standard PS5 in 2026 would set you back by $649.99, or $599.99 for a PS5 Digital Edition. For context, each console cost $499.99 and $399.99 respectively when they launched back in 2020. Even when you account for inflation, that’s still a pretty substantial price hike.

It would be reasonable to assume that the solution could lie in buying a used PlayStation 5 instead, and while that’s a good way of saving some money, it won’t save you as much as you might expect. If you head to GameStop, you can still expect to spend $559.99 on a pre-owned or refurbished PS5, or $531.99 if you’re a Pro member. Similarly, Back Market’s refurbished consoles cost $558. So, even when purchased secondhand from a reputable outlet, you still usually need to spend more on a PS5 in 2026 than you would have not so long ago.

Your best bet for saving money on a PS5 is probably to try and find a deal on eBay. According to PriceCharting, the average price of a loose PS5 — as in, one without a box and manual, or in unknown condition — has been around $419, while a complete in-box console averages at $435. However, keep in mind that that doesn’t account for shipping fees, and since your console is secondhand, it may not come with a warranty.

The end of new physical PS5 games is on the horizon

If you’re someone who still prefers to buy physical copies of games, then the PlayStation infrastructure might not be one you want to dive into right now. That’s because Sony announced that as of January 2028, no new titles will be released on disc. Instead, they’ll only be available in a digital-only format. That gives you less than two years to buy new releases on disc, which could easily be a dealbreaker for some.

Even if you aren’t someone who collects physical media, you can still benefit from buying your games physically. Say you buy a game on disc, play it a little, and don’t really like it, or complete a game and can’t see yourself replaying it, then you can easily resell it to scrape back some of the cost. But if you own it digitally, you can’t really do anything about it.

Plus, when you buy a digital copy of a PlayStation 5 game, you’re currently mostly just limited to the PlayStation Store, meaning you won’t be able to shop around as much for competitive pricing like you could on PC. Buying digital games can be quick, easy, and space-efficient, but there isn’t much to gain from being tied to a single marketplace. As a result, when it comes to saving money, you might be better off either opting for a console that still offers physical games, like an Xbox Series X or the Nintendo Switch 2, or a PC where you can access digital formats from multiple sellers, like Steam, Fanatical, or GOG.

The PS5’s tech specs could be outdated and outclassed soon

Although the PlayStation 5 runs on some solid components, it isn’t the top-performing console in Sony’s repertoire anymore. That’s actually the PlayStation 5 Pro, a mid-generation upgrade that offers a larger GPU, faster RAM, and twice as much internal storage. Admittedly, it’s more expensive — especially once you add a disc drive — but it does give you a performance boost when it comes to selected games, alongside some new features. 

If your gaming preferences tend to favor blockbuster triple-A titles, then you might want to reach for a Pro instead. There are currently over 200 games that are PS5 Pro Enhanced, with improvements ranging from higher frame rates to ray tracing and performance optimizations. Some recent titles like “Starfield” have already faced issues while trying to run on the standard PlayStation 5, so picking up a console that can handle heavier gaming might be better in some cases. However, there have been some reports of problems with the game on PlayStation 5 Pro, as well. Admittedly, Bethesda doesn’t have a reputation for good optimization — “The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered” continues to face issues on most systems since its launch in 2025 — so the issue could lie more with the release than the console, but it’s still worth bearing in mind.

On a similar note, you might not need to wait long for the PlayStation 6 announcement. The next-generation console doesn’t have a set launch date yet, in part because of the RAM crisis, but some suspect that it could come in the next couple of years. Ampere Analysis suspects that the console could launch in late 2028, although probably not any sooner. So, if you aren’t in a rush, you might save yourself an upgrade by waiting.

You can’t enjoy day one first-party releases with PS Plus

For anyone considering buying a PS5, Sony’s subscription service PS Plus is likely to be appealing. But while there are a ton of different games available on PS Plus, there is a catch. You shouldn’t expect to see any first-party releases arriving as soon as they launch, regardless of which tier you’re subscribed to. Instead, you’re going to have to wait at least a year, if not more, or buy them on top of your subscription when they launch. So if you’re a fan of franchises like “God of War” or “Gran Turismo,” then the pass might not always cut it for you, and you might find yourself paying more than you expected to, or waiting for a long time.

That’s not to say that PS Plus doesn’t include first-party games as part of its collection. At the time of publishing, you can access games like “Ghost of Tsushima,” “Days Gone,” and the original “Death Stranding” on PS Plus. It’s just that they were generally added some months or years after they first launched, rather than when they were new. On the flip side, things are pretty good if you prefer third-party gaming, or more specifically, indie gaming. Besides the fact that there’s a large catalog of non-Sony games available, the pass also often includes other new games at launch. However, a lot of those titles aren’t exclusive to the PS5, so you could just as easily access them through another subscription service or own them on a platform like Steam instead.

Your options are severely limited when it comes to backwards compatibility

You might be thinking that picking up a PS5 will plug you straight into most of the PlayStation ecosystem, including releases for earlier consoles like the PlayStation 1, 2, or 3. Unfortunately, that isn’t quite the case. You can actually only play some selected earlier PlayStation games on a PS5. And models with a disc drive only offer disc support for PlayStation 4 and PS5 games.

The only option for playing PS1 or PS2 games on a PS5 is buying digital copies through the PS Store, or via PS Plus. That means you can’t enjoy any physical copies of games you already own, and you’re limited to only accessing whichever titles are available in the store or as part of the Classics Catalog at the time. That selection can change at any time, meaning you could lose access to older games you might want to play often. Moreover, you can’t currently buy PS3 games through the store, although you can dip into any titles from the Classics Catalog over cloud streaming. 

On the other hand, the PS5 offers good backwards compatibility with games released for the PS4. At the time of writing, there are only six known games from the PS4 generation that can’t run at all on a PS5. You can also use most PS4 peripherals while playing compatible games, upgrade eligible titles to their PS5 equivalents, and transfer digital copies and data from the console either over Wi-Fi or using an appropriate USB storage device.