PS5 Slim sees Certified Refurbished prices increase by $100 as cheaper PlayStation 5 options erode

Sony has quietly increased the price of its officially “Certified Refurbished” PlayStation 5 Slim consoles by a solid $100. To put things into perspective, the refurbished PS5 Slim Digital Edition now costs $499.99, up from $399.99. Refurbished PS5 Slim disc-drive editions, at the other end of the spectrum, now sell for $549.99, up from $449.99.

Until recently, the only way to get your hands on a cheap PS5 was the PS5 Fortnite Flowering Chaos bundle, which included a new Digital Edition variant for $399. Unfortunately, the bundle is now sold out on Sony’s website and at major retailers, meaning gamers can’t find PS5s for under $400.

Budget-friendly PS5 options are even more limited now

Refurbished PS5 Slims are certified by Sony and include a full-year warranty, a DualSense controller, and all necessary cables. The only differences from units fresh out of the box are minor cosmetic scuffs, general wear and tear, and the fact that they were once returned or repaired.

The PS5 Slim variant offers a full 1 TB of storage compared to the previous “Fat” PS5, which shipped with 825 GB of storage, 185 GB short of the latest iteration of the console. Still, buyers can pick up a refurbished “Fat” PS5 for $399, meaning there’s still one cheap option left.

However, this particular variant does come with its fair share of caveats, which became apparent a few months after launch. The launch PS5 was bulkier than the newer Slim model. Dust accumulated quickly, clogging the PSU's tiny ventilation holes and causing it to fail in some cases.

Beyond general overheating issues, the launch PS5 came with 825 GB of storage out of the box, with only 667 GB of usable storage. Users and reviewers also raised alarms about the launch PS5’s liquid metal–to–heatsink interface, which reportedly leaked at times when the console was propped up vertically, raising the risk of board failures.

Before refurbished consoles surged in price, Sony announced that the entire PlayStation lineup would see price hikes from April 2 onward. On Sony’s PlayStation Direct website as well as most online retailers, a new PS5 Digital Edition costs $599.99, while the disc edition sets you back $649.99. The PS5 Pro at the top of the lineup currently costs a staggering $899.99.