Introduction: The willingness of Sony to experiment with its established product was again underlined by the fact that the new PlayStation 5 will include a version with a detachable disc drive. That decision might seem inconsequential in the world where a majority of entertainment is in digital-only form, but the ongoing changes to the publishing industry might turn Sony’s removable disc drive into a very smart decision.
Article: After some speculation and many rumors flying about, Sony finally announced a new model of its PlayStation 5 console. The same PS5 variation will come with several changes, but the most interesting one is the fact that it will feature a detachable DVD and Blu-ray disc drive. The new model is supposed to replace both the PS5 Digital Edition and the regular PS5 variant. Instead, the new model, which many are calling PS5 Slim will come in new dimensions – it will be both shorter and slimmer than the present models. According to Sony, that should make its volume smaller by a third and its weight by one-fourth than the previous model, depending on the variant that the users choose. It will also come with a hard drive of 1TB for internal storage purposes. The new variants should cost $499 and $449 respectively, but the biggest buzz is coming from the option of having – or buying later on – the detachable Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive.
For this, the console will have a detachable side panel where the drive can be fitted, while Sony will sell it as any other accessory. Presently, the price for the drive itself should be $79 in the US. At first glance, the decision might sound more appropriate to the early 2010s than for modern times. After all, the vast majority of all forms of entertainment, especially movies and video games, are sold and consumed in a purely digital form. At the same time, for years, the sales of physical carriers of media have been falling down and losing the battle against streaming, digital subscriptions, and premium digital purchases. But, a recent development with another obsolete physical carrier of media – vinyl records – shows that things might not be as straightforward as they seem when it comes to DVDs. This, along with a range of changes in the policies of online entertainment libraries is clearly signaling to Sony that the age of physical media might not be all done. The new PS5 removable disc drive will be available to those who see things in a similar manner.
New PS5 Release
The new iteration of PlayStation 4 should take place in November of this year for the US market. The two models of the new PS5 will have a price difference of around $50 and the global rollout will take place in the months after that. If all goes according to Sony’s plans, the new PS5 variants will be available globally at the start of 2025. Additionally, when the current stock of PS5 models sells out, all retailers will begin receiving the new iterations of the game console. Interestingly enough, the new versions of PS5 will come with 1TB of storage, while the current version of PS5 has 825GB.
All of this means that the new PS5 is going to become the dominant version in less than a year. That includes not just the flagship market of North America and Europe, but all of the other regions as well. This, in turn, shows that Sony is by no means hesitant about their upcoming switch in console variants. Furthermore, the sales executives in the company also have full confidence that the supplies of the new consoles will be ready and able to keep up with the demand, including for the detachable disc drives. These add-ons will need to be in stock for all regions, along with the new console variants themselves.
Panel and Attachment System
Sony made the effort to explain how the system for the detachable disc drive will look and function. The new PS5 console comes with separate outer panels. Each of these has a bottom portion in a matter material, while the top comes with a glossy structure. The users can purchase the PS5 Digital Edition and then purchase the stand-alone Blu-ray disc drive. Once they get it, they will simply take off a side panel and lock the disk drive in place. The process will not use any cable connectors or wires. Instead, users will just need to attach extruding elements from the disc drive into the slots on the console and have them click into place.
With that done, they can place a new side panel, which will come with the disc drive and cover the same addition to their console. After the console plugs in, the system might require an installation of the new drivers for the disc, but once that is finished, the new variant of PS5 will be ready. Additionally, the system will also allow for a quick and easy replacement of the Blu-ray disc drive in case the older one breaks down or experiences another malfunction.
Case for Physical Media
Sony’s decision to focus on DVD support is not as odd as it might seem at first. Over the last 20 years or so, digital downloads began dominating physical media simply because they were cheaper and more elegant for the end user. Instead of purchasing and holding discs in their homes, users could simply store their entertainment on their computers, and later on, they virtual drives on gaming or streaming services. Yet, recently that model came under a bit of pressure with big names in the video game industry claiming that some previously purchased video games might stop working or receive their online support. That could include people who bought and paid for digital copies of video games losing access despite their initial purchase. Similar things have been happening for the film and TV streaming services.
Others are mindful of the resurgence of other physical media. For example, the sales of new vinyl releases of music albums have been growing steadily since dropping to their lowest in the mid-2000s. In the last couple of years, the sales have been increasing at an even steadier rate. This has happened in parallel with the dominance of music streaming services. The feeling is now that many publishers of video games, including Sony, will bank on this combination of digital library hesitance and trendiness of old-school media formats. But, in the case of PlayStation, that bet demanded very direct support for the DVD and Blu-ray format and the company delivered. What is more, it is delivered in a very user-friendly and affordable manner for the new PS5 generation. That makes it all a very savvy and long-term move from Sony.
Autor:
Ivica Milaric
Game designer and game design teacher at the Academy of Arts, Novi Sad, Republic of Serbia