If you’re able to get yourself a shiny new PlayStation 5 these days, you have two choices: a model with a disc drive and another with a slightly lower price, sans disc drive. Much like deciding between a Nintendo Switch or Switch Lite, it’s an important choice to make. You can’t just add a disc drive to the digital PS5 after the fact — at least for the time being.
Insider Gaming reports that a new PS5 model with a detachable disc drive is in the works. According to the site’s sources, the console would have the same internal components and processing power as current models but housed within a different chassis. As such, a detachable USB-C powered disc drive would be included in the package. The current PS5 models already have a single USB-C port on the front, but the new one would include a second on the rear. The new model will reportedly go on sale in fiscal year 2023, which begins on April 1 for Sony.
This new package has two benefits. First, it could mean a slimmer PS5, which would be a good thing for such a sizable console. Second, the disc drive will reportedly also be sold separately, meaning all-digital PS5 owners could use discs with the console’s existing USB-C port. A disc is required for certain current-gen game upgrades if you don’t own the game digitally, and a drive would ensure that even those with the all-digital console could get such upgrades.
Sony has been updating the PS5 software recently too. The console now offers 1440p output and the ability to make folders to better organize your digital game collection. The next big game coming to the console is God of War: Ragnarok, which releases on Wednesday, November 9. It’s releasing on PlayStation 4 as well, and players can upgrade to the current-gen version for a fee. This reported detachable disc drive would give physical owners the same opportunity down the road.
