- Sony now restricts purchases of the PS5 external disc drive to one per customer to fight scalping bots amidst high demand.
- The company announced that games released after January 2028 will be digital-only, though the drive will still play older physical discs.
- While 80% of Sony’s FY2025 sales were digital, 82% of US console buyers still chose models with disc drives.
Sony has introduced a new purchasing restriction on PlayStation regarding the external disc drive designed for the PlayStation 5. The accessory that allows the PS5 Digital Edition and PS5 Pro to play physical game discs is now limited to one unit per order due to high demand. This is understandable, as bots are used to buy large quantities of these units for reselling purposes.
The scenario is especially noteworthy because the external disk drive was originally introduced as an optional extra for the new PS5 Digital Edition and PS5 Pro. In other words, Sony pushed for a modular design in which the drive is no longer built into all consoles, but that same accessory has suddenly become an essential component for people who wish to continue playing physical PS5 and PS4 titles.
The product listing on PlayStation Direct already includes the essential notice about January 2028. Sony clarifies that any games produced after that date will be available only digitally, but disc-based games released before January 2028 will remain playable on the device.
The increase in demand for this type of product is entirely understandable, as it will enable PS5 owners to take advantage of the used game market in the future. This implies they may continue to build their game collection at considerably lower prices than on Sony’s official PlayStation Store.
Although Sony justifies the change to digital format by citing evolving consumer habits, the context is clear: many consumers regard external disc drives as a type of long-term insurance.
Anyone who has a PS5 Pro or PS5 Slim Digital Edition and wants to save their physical game collection will rely on this peripheral, especially if it becomes scarce or pricey in the future. As a result, many people have already purchased it, while others have bought an item they deemed superfluous. This is why the disk drive has already sold out in Spain.
The concern is also valid from a business perspective. Digital downloads accounted for around 80% of Sony’s total game sales in fiscal year 2025, which explains why the business wishes to pursue the digital model. However, in the United States alone, 82% of PS5s sold included a disc drive. The secondhand game market, physical sales, resale, and game preservation provide the most significant challenges for gamers.
However, Sony has yet to clarify whether this external disk drive will be compatible with the PS6. The attachment is currently only compatible with the PS5 Digital Edition, PS5 Pro, and Slim models, although there is no word on future generations. The announcement of the elimination of hard drives makes it apparent that the PS6 was planned to be an entirely digital device. This puts consumers in an unpleasant situation: the disc drive is more important than ever for protecting physical media on the PS5, but its future utility is unknown.
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Sajjad Hussain is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Tech4Gamers.com. Apart from the Tech and Gaming scene, Sajjad is a Seasonal banker who has delivered multi-million dollar projects as an IT Project Manager and works as a freelancer to provide professional services to corporate giants and emerging startups in the IT space.
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