Walk into any Best Buy or scroll through Amazon right now and you’ll notice something weird. The "standard" price for a console—the one we all got used to for years—is gone. Honestly, it's a bit of a mess. If you are asking is ps5 fat 549.99, the answer is yes, but also a very technical no. It depends entirely on whether you’re looking at a dusty box in a pawn shop or the shiny new models currently sitting on retail shelves.
Let's clear the air. Sony officially jacked up the prices for the entire PlayStation 5 lineup in the United States back on August 21, 2025. That was the big shift. Before that, the base disc model was $499.99. After that "economic environment" adjustment, the MSRP for a standard disc-drive PS5 hit that $549.99 mark. But here is the kicker: the "Fat" PS5—the original, heavy-as-a-brick launch model—hasn't been in production for ages.
The Price Hike Nobody Liked
Sony’s Isabelle Tomatis basically told the world that navigating the current economy is tough. So, they passed that toughness onto your wallet. The $50 increase across the board means that the current standard disc model—which is technically the "Slim"—is what people are actually buying for $549.99.
If you see a listing for the original launch is ps5 fat 549.99, you are likely looking at a reseller using the new MSRP to justify a high price for old stock. Or, more likely, a confused listing. The original model was replaced by the Slim (the CFI-2000 series) late in 2023. By now, in early 2026, finding a "Fat" model brand new in a box is like finding a four-leaf clover. Collectors are actually charging more than $549.99 for those original launch units because of the "liquid metal" cooling and the specific aesthetic that some people still prefer over the split-plate Slim design.
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Is PS5 Fat 549.99 Still the "New" Price?
Technically, no. The original PS5 (the "Fat") had a launch price of $499.99. It never officially lived to see the $549.99 price point in an official capacity because Sony swapped it out for the Slim before the major 2025 price hike.
However, since the Slim with a disc drive now costs $549.99, many retailers and second-hand sellers have simply anchored the price of any disc-based PS5 to that number. It’s a classic case of the new price lifting the old one. If you're paying $549.99 for a used, original "Fat" model, you're getting a bit of a raw deal. You can usually find those for significantly less on the secondary market—think closer to $350 or $400—because they lack the 1TB of storage that comes standard on the newer models.
Why Prices Are So Weird Right Now
It isn't just Sony being greedy, though that’s a popular take on Reddit. There’s a massive RAM shortage that hit the industry hard toward the end of 2025. Between Samsung and SK Hynix funneling their DRAM to AI data centers and companies like Micron backing away from consumer-grade parts, the cost to build these machines has gone up, not down.
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Usually, consoles get cheaper as they age. This generation is the "Benjamin Button" of gaming; it’s getting more expensive as it gets older.
- The Digital Edition went from $399 to $499.
- The Disc Version (Slim) went from $499 to $549.
- The PS5 Pro is sitting at a whopping $749.99.
So, when you see that is ps5 fat 549.99 tag, realize that you're looking at the ripple effect of a global supply chain nightmare. If you really want the original "Fat" model, you’re better off hunting on eBay for a refurbished unit rather than paying full retail price for tech that’s technically "last-gen" in terms of its revision status.
Real Talk: Fat vs. Slim
Is there a reason to specifically hunt for the Fat model at $549.99? Not really. Unless you’re a collector. The original model takes up way more space. It’s roughly 10 pounds of plastic and metal. The Slim is 30% smaller and comes with a 1TB SSD instead of the original's 825GB (of which only about 667GB was actually usable).
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The only "pro" for the old Fat model is that it came with a vertical stand in the box. Sony stopped doing that with the Slim. Now, if you want your console to stand up safely, they charge you an extra $29.99 for a piece of silver-rimmed plastic. It’s a bit stingy, yeah. But paying $549.99 for an old model just to get a $30 stand doesn't make the math work.
How to Get a Better Deal in 2026
If you’re seeing that $549.99 price and your stomach is turning, you’ve got options. Don't just settle for the first price you see on Google Discover.
- Check Refurbished Listings: Places like GameStop or even Sony’s own "PlayStation Direct" often have "Certified Refurbished" units. These are usually the Fat models and they go for way less than the current MSRP.
- Wait for Seasonal Drops: Even with the price hike, we still see "promotional" windows in February and early summer where prices dip by $50.
- The Marketplace Gamble: Facebook Marketplace is full of people upgrading to the PS5 Pro. You can easily snag an original Fat model for $300-$350 if you’re willing to meet someone at a Starbucks and check that the HDMI port isn't mangled.
Actionable Steps for Buyers
Stop looking for a "new" Fat model at retail stores; they don't exist. If a site claims to have a brand-new original PS5 for $549.99, check the seller's rating—it might be a third-party scammer.
Instead, look for the PS5 Slim Disc Bundle. These often retail for the same $549.99 but include a game like Spider-Man 2 or GTA VI (if you can find it in stock), which effectively lowers the console's price by $70. If you absolutely must have the original "Fat" aesthetic, go the refurbished route and save yourself $150 to spend on a second DualSense controller or a solid NVMe SSD expansion. The price of memory is only going up, so if you're going to buy, doing it sooner rather than later is probably the smartest move you can make this year.