Rent a PS5 or buy one
A PlayStation 5 Slim has cost €649.99 since April 2026. Rented at €2.68 an hour, the same console works out cheaper as long as you play less than about 240 hours. Beyond that, buying regains the advantage.
Updated on
The threshold, calculated
| Play volume | Buying, year 1 | Renting at €2.68 an hour |
|---|---|---|
| 20 h, one single-player game | 649,99 € | 53,60 € |
| 60 h, two big games | 649,99 € | 160,80 € |
| 120 h, a regular player | 649,99 € | 321,60 € |
| 240 h, five hours a week | 649,99 € | 643,20 € |
| 400 h, a dedicated player | 649,99 € | 1 072,00 € |
Swipe the table to see all the columns.
The tipping point falls around 240 hours in the first year, just under five hours a week. Below that, renting costs less. Above it, buying does.
The hourly rate drops as the volume bought increases, and an hour played between 2 am and 8 am only counts as half. So the real threshold shifts upward. The simulator gives the exact figure for your pace.
What the purchase price doesn't show
| Item | Console bought | Console rented |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | 649,99 € | 0 € |
| Electricity | Your cost | Included |
| Breakdown outside warranty | Your cost | The console is replaced |
| Resale at three years | Uncertain residual value | Not applicable |
| Space in the living room | A piece of furniture | None |
| A month without playing | The console sits idle, the money's spent | Nothing is deducted |
Swipe the table to see all the columns.
What renting doesn't replace
- You must own your games, the rental covers the machine, never a title
- You need a stable connection of at least 25 Mbit/s
- A competitive shooter player will always prefer a console sitting right in front of them
- Physical discs and lending between friends aren't possible
The honest way to think about it is volume. A player who games non-stop all year is better off buying. A player who wants to finish GTA 6, then Marvel's Wolverine, then stop, pays €649.99 for a console to use it two months a year.
Set the slider to your pace and compare, in euros.
Frequently asked questions
From how many hours does it become worth buying a PS5?
Around 240 hours in the first year, at the rate of €2.68 an hour and for a €649.99 console. The threshold rises if you play at night, where the hour only counts as half.
Is renting a PS5 legal?
Yes, renting a machine is legal. Renting a video game without its publisher's permission is not. Ploud rents console time and provides no games.
Do you need a subscription?
No. You buy hours credit that remains valid, and nothing renews automatically. You are never charged while a console is on standby.
What happens if the console breaks down?
It is replaced, and your data stays in the 200 GB of storage reserved for you. If a console you bought is out of warranty, you pay for the repair.
Read next
How much GTA 6 really costs
GTA 6 sells for €79.99 in the Standard edition and €99.99 in the Ultimate edition. The game is only half the bill: without a console, you must add €649.99 for a PlayStation 5 Slim, the official price since 2 April 2026.
ReadCloud gaming on PS5, in 2026
No service streams the PlayStation 5 catalogue as a whole. PlayStation Plus Premium offers a selection subject to publisher agreement, and PC services like GeForce Now only have access to games that exist on PC. For the rest, you need a console.
ReadCloud gaming services compared, 2026
Five services dominate cloud gaming in France, from €8.99 to €44.98 per month. None gives access to recent PlayStation 5 exclusives or to GTA 6, for a simple reason: they stream either PC games or a negotiated catalogue.
Read
Have a console ready before the releases
People on the list book before everyone else. No payment now, a single email when we open.