Sony increases prices for refurbished PS5 slims by $100 — PS5 Fortnite bundle is out of stock, marking the end of new $399 consoles

Source: Tom’s Hardware

Image credit: Sony

Price Increase for Refurbished PS5 Slim

Sony has raised the price of refurbished PlayStation 5 Slim consoles by $100. The Digital Edition is now $499, while the model with a disc drive is $549. The original PS5 and the Fortnite bundle are also out of stock, meaning the brand‑new PS5 Digital Edition is no longer available for $399.

The price changes are visible on the Sony website, and the news was shared on Reddit by u/FernandoRocker in the r/PS5 subreddit.

Current Purchasing Options

• Cheapest available PS5: Refurbished original PS5 for $399.
• Brand‑new PS5 Digital Edition: $599.
• Ghost of Yotei Black Limited‑Edition Bundle (with optical drive): $599.

If budget constraints are a concern, the refurbished original model can be a viable entry point. You can later upgrade storage with one of the best PS5 SSDs when you have additional funds.

Original vs. Slim Specifications

The original PS5 and the PS5 Slim share almost identical hardware, with only a few minor differences:

• Storage: Slim has a 1 TB internal SSD, compared to the original’s 825 GB.
• Ports: Slim includes two USB‑C ports, whereas the original offers one USB‑C and one USB‑A port.

For most users, these differences are not significant, so opting for the cheaper refurbished original model is reasonable if you’re looking to save money upfront.

Context

Price hikes for brand‑new consoles are understandable given the ongoing memory and storage chip shortages. However, the increase in price for refurbished PS5 Slim units is puzzling, especially since the refurbished original PS5 remains at its previous price, suggesting the rise isn’t due to higher labor costs.