Now may mark the beginning of the end for game console disc drives. Sony finally announced the $699.99 PS5 Pro, and while it looks like an impressive machine, it’s the first PlayStation console to in need you buy a console and a separate disc drive if you want to play your physical games.
Sony offers disc-free variants before and inched in this direction with the PS5 “slim,” which you can buy with a separate disc drive already attached or add a disc drive later. But with the PS5 Pro, you’ll need to get a separate PS5 disc drive, whether that means buying it for $79.99 or swapping the disc drive from the slim PS5 to the PS5 Pro.
It’s like Apple did away with the disc drive again
It seems likely that Sony and Microsoft are testing the waters for going all-digital for the PlayStation 6 and the next-generation Xbox – or at least offering disc drives separately. It’s like Apple did away with the disc drive again.
I have mixed feelings about this potential move to a disk drive-free future. I’ve long since switched to a fully digital library for my games, because I like to switch games without having to change discs and because I don’t have a lot of space in my home to store physical cases. It’s convenient!
We’ll have to wait a few years, probably until the next full console generation, to see how far Sony and Microsoft are willing to go down the discless path. For the Xbox, at least, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer recently said that the company’s strategy “doesn’t depend on people moving to all-digital” and that “going away from the physical” is ” not a strategic thing for us.” On the other hand, Spencer noted that the “vast majority” of its customers buy games digitally, so it may be just a matter of time.
But for now, if you want to buy Sony’s best PlayStation, the PS5 Pro, and want to play on discs? Budget friendly. The disc drive sells for $79.99.
