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[ArtHands]

PS5 Disc Drive Stock Still a Source of Intense Irritation for Many

Out of stock or overpriced

www.pushsquare.com

Basically confirmed what we know

The problem is, Sony doesn’t really want you to buy physical. It’s been less aggressive than its rivals at phasing out its retail presence, but make no mistake, it’d rather you shop on the PS Store. That’s one reason why the PS5 Pro comes without a disc drive.

The big problem is that the platform holder’s come completely unprepared. As we’ve reported previously, the optional PS5 Disc Drive accessory has been selling for an enormous mark-up on auction sites, and Sony’s done a terrible job replenishing stock.

At the time of writing, the add-on is stillunavailable at PlayStation Direct in the UK and USA, and we’ve heard from various readers that the situation is similar across Europe as well. British chain Currys has had some stock in today, although it’s pushed the price up from £99.99 to £109.99 due to its scarcity, knowing it can profit from the overall lack of availability. It’s since sold out, too.

On sites like eBay, resellers are charging anywhere up to £149.99 for one of these, which isn’t quite as high as it was a couple of weeks ago, but is still extraordinary for an accessory that shouldn’t be hard to find. All in all, it’s leading to significant frustration within the fanbase.

Now if stores like Currys are beginning to get stock, then it means Sony is shipping out units and this issue should be resolved in due course. But it should never have come to this, and the company deserves criticism for putting consumers in this position.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Intense irritation?

 

[ZehDon]

The problem is, Sony doesn’t really want you to buy physical. It’s been less aggressive than its rivals at phasing out its retail presence, but make no mistake, it’d rather you shop on the PS Store...

Well, Xbox is only partial responsible for it's diminished retail presence...

Anyway, I'd say Sony's approach here is very aggressive: they don't want to sell more of these drives because they make more money on digital sales. So, they just don't stock them. At least with the DE or even the Xbox Series S, you know what you're getting. I imagine it'll be about the same with the PS6.

 

[Radical_3d]

They seem to know their audience, tho. Anglo and Nordics are very domestic, so they are trying to convince them to be lazy asses and go digital. But here in Spain, where the culture is different, the biggest videogame retailer is bundling one with every PSPro, and at a discount (900€ vs 920€ if sold separately). And Spains direct’s web has had stock for days (not now, unfortunately).

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Planned strategy.

It's like why has COD been a giant 200gb game for years?

Easy. It's a super popular game. It eats up lots of your disk space. The longer it stays on your drive, the more you'll play it and the fewer competing games you can install. Crowd out strategy.

 

[FunkMiller]

This is why I'm glad I sold my Ps5. If I'm going to have to buy digital, it's going to be in an open system, rather than a walled off garden where the company has full control over pricing. Fuck that greedy, competition killing, anti-consumer shit.

 

[Rhazer Fusion]

I still feel this was planned. This supposed disc drive shortage for a brand new console with a lack of disc drives was done on purpose imo.

 

[Jinxed]

The day that physical is no longer available as an option for consoles is the day I'm out. There won't be any advantages left over PC gaming for me. I always buy a game, finish it and resell while it's hot or do a trade-in

 

[Topher]

Really is a bit absurd at this point.

 

[Moriarty1889]

The day that physical is no longer available as an option for consoles is the day I'm out. There won't be any advantages left over PC gaming for me. I always buy a game, finish it and resell while it's hot or do a trade-in

I will go full retro between my PS3’s and my Xbox360’s. I have so many games for them both that I could be quite content for many years enjoying them. No internet required and all games complete on the disc. The last great gen of gaming imho.

 

[CLW]

They seem to know their audience, tho. Anglo and Nordics are very domestic, so they are trying to convince them to be lazy asses and go digital. But here in Spain, where the culture is different, the biggest videogame retailer is bundling one with every PSPro, and at a discount (900€ vs 920€ if sold separately). And Spains direct’s web has had stock for days (not now, unfortunately).

 

[Sooner]

Guys. It's going to be all-digital. Discs make as much sense as newspapers and magazines. They only exist because we got used to them when they were necessary.

Quit building up your physical libraries that likely won't even work after this generation.

 

[Tiago Rodrigues]

So...i'm the only one who lives in a country where not only PS Direct but also multiple retailers had disc drives during most of the week?

It' still tough to get one though since it's already sold out.

Quit building up your physical libraries that likely won't even work after this generation.

This is actually something i've been thinking a lot lately...these PS4 and PS5 games i buy currently will probably never find a way to be usable in future generations.

I wish there was a way to have a digital working licence for each one of these discs. Tie them to my account...something like this. Just to prepare for the eventual demise of physical media.

 

[Topher]

Guys. It's going to be all-digital. Discs make as much sense as newspapers and magazines. They only exist because we got used to them when they were necessary.

Quit building up your physical libraries that likely won't even work after this generation.

Discs make complete sense for those who want to collect or resell. Either way, it doesn't matter. Pro was not advertised as an all-digital console and Sony needs to do a better job supplying the drive as there is obviously significant demand for it.

 

[reinking]

Guys. It's going to be all-digital. Discs make as much sense as newspapers and magazines. They only exist because we got used to them when they were necessary.

Quit building up your physical libraries that likely won't even work after this generation.

No thank you. I will continue to build up my physical library as long as it makes sense for me to do so.

As for the drive shortage, I have no expectation the issue will be resolved until after the holidays. Unfortunately.

 

[DaleinCalgary]

Yup it is dumb and they should have more out there.

But I ordered one the day the pro was revealed so I have one. It's pretty

 

[Radical_3d]

Spoiler

This insomnia, tho.

 

[Shake Your Rump]

I still feel this was planned.

There are likely enough optical drives to go around. They are just being scalped. People were hoarding these as soon as the Pro was announced.

 

[StereoVsn]

Yep, fully agree that Sony is doing this to drive digital adoption. I do think that disk will be optional on PS6 as well in same manner and that Sony will restrict supply in a similar fashion.

I don’t know if I am going to be buying anymore Sony consoles in the future, but definitely keeping my OG PS5 to play my quite large library of PS4 and PS4 games.

Next gen though it’s probably going to be just PC and Switch 2.

 

[Punished Miku]

Quit building up your physical libraries that likely won't even work after this generation.

Been saying that for a few years. People still don't get it.

 

[Loomy]

Planned strategy.

It's like why has COD been a giant 200gb game for years?

Easy. It's a super popular game. It eats up lots of your disk space. The longer it stays on your drive, the more you'll play it and the fewer competing games you can install. Crowd out strategy.

Let's not act like developer incompetence or simple refusal to prioritize this particular problem is some grand strategy. They simply don't give a fuck. Storage is cheap. You can buy a 2TB SSD for around $100 right now.

 

[Salty Pickle]

Guys. It's going to be all-digital. Discs make as much sense as newspapers and magazines. They only exist because we got used to them when they were necessary.

Quit building up your physical libraries that likely won't even work after this generation.

Physical is one way ti keep the prices lower as it increases competition.

If Sony goes full digital I expect Sony will be forced to open up their digital storefront to competition just like Apple had to or will have to here in the EU at least. For better or worse.

 

[Fess]

Irritation, yes. I ordered one same time as Pro, haven’t arrived yet.
But it’s not like I buy physical games anymore, I just want it for BC and Blu-rays.

 

[xrnzaaas]

Planned strategy.

It's like why has COD been a giant 200gb game for years?

Easy. It's a super popular game. It eats up lots of your disk space. The longer it stays on your drive, the more you'll play it and the fewer competing games you can install. Crowd out strategy.

I always though it was incompetence and a race to release another CoD without worrying about optimization, but that's a nice conspiracy theory there.

This can work both ways though. I didn't reinstall GT7 or Forza Motorsport for months now, because they're 100gig+ games.

 

[Spyxos]

This stupid console has been sitting here for over 3 weeks now. No drive, of course. I wanted to sell it, but the market doesn't seem to be there at all for used ps5s. The best offer was just 650 euros.... I regret spending money on it every day. All the hype about a new console has long gone. And I only used it once for 5 minutes.

I just want to finally play through the new Astro Bot and put this total disaster behind me.

 

[Bernardougf]

This is why I'm glad I sold my Ps5. If I'm going to have to buy digital, it's going to be in an open system, rather than a walled off garden where the company has full control over pricing. Fuck that greedy, competition killing, anti-consumer shit.

If I lived in the US I would go PC for sure after years of console only.. but in my country high end pc parts are trully absurd and only gets worse...so is an unsustainable high end hobby

 

[GHG]

The illusion of choice and flexibility is the real bullshit here.

At least with the OG models what you saw is what you got, either you opted for a disk drive or you didn't with the digital edition (the latter is what I got and I have no issue with it because I've largely moved away from physical media).

Now they are giving everyone the illusion that you can have a disk drive if you want one. But one huge catch, all they have to do is stop selling/producing the disk drives and everyone is stuck with a digital only console.

It's shady, it's bullshit and they should go back to the original SKU system.

 

[DenchDeckard]

The illusion of choice and flexibility is the real bullshit here.

At least with the OG models what you saw is what you got, either you opted for a disk drive or you didn't with the digital edition (the latter is what I got and I have no issue with it because I've largely moved away from physical media).

Now they are giving everyone the illusion that you can have a disk drive if you want one. But one huge catch, all they have to do is stop selling/producing the disk drives and everyone is stuck with a digital only console.

It's shady, it's bullshit and they should go back to the original SKU system.

Offering both would have sat much better with me. Just do a SKU with the stand and drive for 100 more. Its not hard, and we are being hoodwinked.

 

[ABnormal]

I still feel this was planned. This supposed disc drive shortage for a new console with no disc drive was done on purpose imo.

I don't think so. Pro is a niche and those interested on the blu ray drive (like myself) are just a percentage of that niche. Not the kind of demographic that could be used to force the market on a different direction.
To me it's just underestimating the demand and production. I don't know if they just used what they produced and was in stock, with idle production assembly lines, or if they are purposedly keeping production stopped for some reason.
But surely I will not buy Pro until I will be sure to have the disk drive.

 

[PeteBull]

Yups, quick search tells me cheapest and only ones avaiable here in poland are sold by skalpers at crazy price of 1100pln(270usd), disc drive has 0 avaiability here, its so scarce that big stores dont even do bundles of ps5pr0 with it, coz its much better deal to sell them at that huge mark up on the side to skalpers

https://allegro.pl/oferta/naped-optyczny-sony-do-playstation-5-slim-pro-naped-ps5-slim-naped-ps5-pro-16625005277?utm_feed=aa34192d-eee2-4419-9a9a-de66b9dfae24&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=_elktrk_komputery-top_pla_pmax&ev_campaign_id=18869915682&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA6aW6BhBqEiwA6KzDcxZjKkYnmP9gk3Igq4iMbjj4lnO9Ko70YJmGFivtwSG-aVuJpQ67HhoC1BYQAvD_BwE

There are even ones for 1200pln(295 bucks) since the 270usd ones keep selling

https://allegro.pl/oferta/naped-optyczny-sony-do-ps5-playstation-5-slim-digital-pro-16908055905?utm_feed=3dca5096-1f0f-4ca6-9f37-f55ca2fec4f7&utm_source=ceneo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=feed&ceneo_cid=61f92bd7-08bb-d56e-8a66-e05150f2d111

 

[Giallo Corsa]

You know what ? i'm gonna sell the few games that i've got and i will go fully digital, i suppose Sony won in this case, i just don't have the time nor the will anymore, time is a luxury nowadays for me and it's more important than money.

To hell with it all, nobody got the time for this idiotic shit

 

[saintjules]

I'm curious to see what PS6 will look like. I don't imagine that these disc drives can be transferable to it just because the potential design alone will be different.

I don't expect full digital for that either, but it will be interesting to see what they do in terms of physical media.

 

[DenchDeckard]

You know what ? i'm gonna sell the few games that i've got and i will go fully digital, i suppose Sony won in this case, i just don't have the time nor the will anymore, time is a luxury nowadays for me and it's more important than money.

To hell with it all, nobody got the time for this idiotic shit

This is exactly what they want and it absolutely sucks.

Sony wins.

 

[Coloress_Kafka]

With rumors of a new handheld it’s pretty clear that the roadmap for PlayStation works better if your library is mainly digital titles. I have the disc drive for my pro but I’ve stopped buying discs unless I just find an insane deal/price error.

 

[Bojji]

Terrorists wins.

Fixed. And MS is even more into digital than Sony. Next gen is gonna be bad.

 

[Kindjal]

They seem to know their audience, tho. Anglo and Nordics are very domestic, so they are trying to convince them to be lazy asses and go digital. But here in Spain, where the culture is different, the biggest videogame retailer is bundling one with every PSPro, and at a discount (900€ vs 920€ if sold separately). And Spains direct’s web has had stock for days (not now, unfortunately).

Who is bundling the drive with the Pro?
I haven't seen any stores here doing that, but I'd like to check it out.

 

[CobraAB]

You can buy a PS5 slim for $425 now and then take the drive off and put it on the PS5 Pro.

 

[Radical_3d]

Who is bundling the drive with the Pro?
I haven't seen any stores here doing that, but I'd like to check it out.

Game.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

This is why I'm glad I sold my Ps5. If I'm going to have to buy digital, it's going to be in an open system, rather than a walled off garden where the company has full control over pricing. Fuck that greedy, competition killing, anti-consumer shit.

Couldn't agree more and I'm a wanker who bought a drive.

 

[Mr Hyde]

Sony has become such a disgusting company this gen. Barely recognize them from previous gen. They are so far up their own ass it's not even funny. If PS6 comes without a disc drive or is even optional I'm not going to support them anymore. If I'm forced to go digital it will be on PC.

 

[JORMBO]

I've been checking all retailers sites for weeks a few times a day and haven't seen anything pop up for the disc drive. I have also stopped in Walmart and Target a few times when driving by and nothing. I am probably going to start moving over to full digital. I did buy a PC this year and have been picking up games I love when they are really cheap. Even if the disc drive was easy to get for my Pro, discs themselves are starting to get to be a pain to track down. I've had a few games I preordered right when preordered opened that have showed up days late for in store pickup at places. Amazon and big retailers often don't have release day delivery anymore. My other main concern with discs is that if PS6 doesn't offer a drive then my games won't have any way of carrying over if they are all on disc. It doesn't seem like Sony or most stores are interested in supporting physical media anymore.

 

[Dr.Morris79]

Sony has become such a disgusting company this gen. Barely recognize them from previous gen. They are so far up their own ass it's not even funny. If PS6 comes without a disc drive or is even optional I'm not going to support them anymore. If I'm forced to go digital it will be on PC.

That's where I'm at. I bought the Pro and drive just as a thing to boost a few games yet still use my discs and try and preserve my library a bit longer

If the PS6 goes digital from the off, I'll be done with Sony. To be honest I mostly have now as my main gaming rig is the PC

Even my Series X is just a headphone charger these days.

 

[Kindjal]

Game.

Thanks, I checked online and it seems that the bundle is sold out.
There's a GAME store near where i live, but there weren't any signs showing that particular bundle, just announcing the exchange rates for the different PS5 models for a Pro (no disc drive included).

 

[dreamstation]

I finally managed to get a disc drive yesterday. I put an order down at JB Hifi here in Australia a couple weeks ago as another online user was told they were getting in stock at the end of the month which turned out to be true. Reading online sounds like most people that had an order down there got theirs as well. They are still not widely available as you can't walk into any store and pick one up but seems like if you had an order down you would now have one. Happy days as now I can check out Stellar Blade!

 

[Tams]

Guys. It's going to be all-digital. Discs make as much sense as newspapers and magazines. They only exist because we got used to them when they were necessary.

Quit building up your physical libraries that likely won't even work after this generation.

 

[Sooner]

You can say that all you want.

When the next-gen consoles don't have disc drives (and, thus, no physical versions for those games), you'll have a shiny collection of coasters, while those with digital games can continue playing thier library on the new hardware.

 

[Klosshufvud]

Sony has become such a disgusting company this gen. Barely recognize them from previous gen. They are so far up their own ass it's not even funny. If PS6 comes without a disc drive or is even optional I'm not going to support them anymore. If I'm forced to go digital it will be on PC.

They are so shamelessly over-monetizing every component of gaming. The console of affordability has been malformed into a console of fake luxury. Everything is set at premium price, no matter how shoddy quality is. Sony has made an active declaration against physical as they want a huge cut of every game sold while simultaneously killing the used market. I think it's time for regulatory powers to act against these monopoly digital store fronts.

 

[ReBurn]

There are likely enough optical drives to go around. They are just being scalped. People were hoarding these as soon as the Pro was announced.

If there were enough to go around it would be possible to buy one from someone who is not a scalper because there would be no profit in scalping them.

 

[cireza]

Sony and Microsoft bros, we are fucked. It will be digital or nothing.

 

[Wastelander92]

Feel like Sony's intentionally doing this to drive digital sales.