The End-of-Year Clearance Hunt: Is the PS5 Slim Fortnite Bundle Your Golden Ticket?

The End-of-Year Clearance Hunt: Is the PS5 Slim Fortnite Bundle Your Golden Ticket?

The weeks following the holiday season are a unique time for the tech-obsessed. While most people are returning unwanted sweaters, seasoned deal hunters are scouring the aisles of big-box retailers like Sam’s Club for the white whale of retail: the clearance tag. It is the period when holiday bundles that didn't quite sell out are suddenly transformed from premium gift items into inventory that stores desperately need to move.

As a product journalist who has navigated dozens of these post-holiday cycles, I usually tell people to keep their expectations low. Usually, a clearance bundle is just a way for a company to offload outdated accessories. However, a recent sighting of the Sony PlayStation 5 Console Slim Digital Edition — specifically the Fortnite Flowering Chaos Bundle — on clearance at Sam’s Club has changed the math.

If you have been waiting for the right moment to jump into the current generation of gaming, this might be it. But before you grab your keys and race to the nearest warehouse, there are some technical details and logistical hurdles you need to understand. This isn't just about a cheap console; it is about making sure you are getting the hardware you actually think you are buying.

THE HARDWARE MYSTERY: 825GB OR 1TB?

One of the most important things to look at when you find this bundle is the storage capacity listed on the box. There is a bit of a technical discrepancy in the original reports of this deal that every buyer needs to be aware of.

When Sony launched the original PlayStation 5, it came with a custom 825GB Solid State Drive (SSD). However, when they released the PS5 Slim in late 2023, they upgraded the internal storage to a full 1TB. This is a significant difference — about 175GB of extra space, which is enough to hold two or three additional major game titles.

The Fortnite Flowering Chaos Bundle was technically released as a Slim bundle. This means it should come with the 1TB drive. If you encounter a clearance tag that says 825GB, you are likely looking at one of two things: either the store labeled it incorrectly using old data, or you are looking at an older, bulkier launch-model Digital Edition that has been sitting in the back for a long time.

Before you head to the checkout, check the model number on the bottom of the box. The Slim models start with CFI-2000. If it is a 2000 series, you are getting that extra storage and the smaller, lighter chassis. If it is a 1000 or 1200 series, it is the older, larger model. Both are great machines, but on clearance, you want to make sure you are getting the most modern version for your money.