Sony drops PlayStation 5 Slim price for the holidays, but only for the digital edition

Discount start date unknown, possibly late November

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TL;DR: A now-deleted YouTube ad from Sony has revealed early that the PlayStation 5 Slim will be selling at a discounted $380 until December 24 (down from the regular $449). Sony quickly replaced the video with a new ad containing no pricing information, and the company's website still lists all consoles at standard prices. The deal will likely be available by Black Friday, November 29.

Holiday tech deals are fast approaching, and the PlayStation 5 is set to receive one of this year's most notable hardware discounts. However, considering the console's price history, the savings may be less significant than they appear, as the PS5 remains close to its original launch price.

Shoppers interested in saving on a PS5 should note that this markdown applies only to the digital edition, which lacks a disc drive. Adding the $70 optical drive would bring the total to about $450, saving roughly $20 compared to the standard $500 PS5 Slim if you look around for a deal. Furthermore, the original price of the digital-only PS5 Slim was $399. Sony might want customers to see this as a $70 price cut, but it could also be interpreted as just $20.

This discount marks a rare, temporary drop in game console pricing, a market that has otherwise seen prices either rise or stagnate in recent years.

Unlike previous generations where console prices typically declined over time, the disc-enabled PS5 has held steady at $500 for nearly four years. In contrast to the PlayStation 4 Pro, which eventually matched the standard PS4's original price, Sony has launched the PlayStation 5 Pro at $700 without a disc drive.

There is, however, one unusual way to get a free PS5 this holiday: spending at least $1,799 on jewelry at a Helzberg Diamonds store. While the retailer hasn't provided further details, the company's website shows a PS5 console with a disc drive.

Sony isn't the only console manufacturer promoting holiday deals. Nintendo has announced multiple hardware and software discounts starting later this month. For instance, Switch owners can save $20 on popular titles like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Nintendo Switch Sports. Additionally, Nintendo Switch bundles featuring Mario Kart 8 are available at an $80 discount.

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More holiday deals on PC and console games are on the way. The Steam Autumn Sale will run from November 27 to December 4, followed by the Winter Sale from December 19 to January 2.