The disc drive add-on that you can purchase separately for the PlayStation 5 Slim is currently selling out at online retailers soon after the announcement of the PS5 Pro. This may be because the new console will also require a separate purchase for the optical drive.
The PlayStation 5 Pro was revealed yesterday, and it only comes as a digital console unless you splurge for the $80 disc drive. Those with the PS5 Slim have opted for a disc drive for their console instead of upgrading to the new one, it seems.
At the time of writing, on the list of Amazon’s best sellers, the disc drive is currently in the 8th spot. Meanwhile, it is completely out of stock on the Best Buy website. It is still available on other retailers, but clearly, the demand has spiked after the announcement from yesterday.
When the original PS5 came out, buyers had the option to either get the digital edition or the disc edition, but that changed when the Slim models came out. Sony introduced this new option where people who want a disc can simply buy one and physically install it on their console. It seems that going forward, this is how physical media will work.
This is less than ideal because this isn’t good for game preservation purposes. When you install the disc drive, you need to download a software update from the internet for it to work. So if 10 years down the line Sony considers it an unnecessary expense, buyers might not be able to install disc drives on their consoles.
The PlayStation 5 Pro was announced for $700 for the sole digital version. Add to that the $80 disc drive and a $30 stand, and you’re looking at over $800 for a console. It seems that either the steep price tag has resulted in people opting to upgrade their slim consoles now, or people are stocking up so they can upgrade later once they buy the PS5 Pro. Hopefully, this doesn’t mark the return of scalpers like it did when Black Myth Wukong came out.
