-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Pushsquare “PS5 Disc Drive Stock Still a Source of Intense Irritation for Many”
- Thread starter ArtHands
- Start date
Magister
Member
What if you get banned? At least when I have physical I know my games won't disappear. And I know Sony can ban me for stupid reasons like using the wrong region because my country is unsupported or for that one time I was too stupid and bought 10 Euro PSN gift card from the grey market (This shit is giving me OCD as I did it 10 months ago because gift cards at video game stores were out of stock and my credit card was rejected from PSN until I found out that there was a change and they finally accept my country's credit cards).
CloudShiner
Member
Discs?
How quaint.
How quaint.
Bojji
Member
Emulation. Life finds a way
Or just never get rid of PS5 with disc drive.
Dr.Morris79
Member
existensmaximum
Member
Oh, can you sell your digital library? Can you borrow digital games from your friends?
Buying games on disc make all the sense in the world.
Last edited:
Dr.Morris79
Member
Selling my ps5, after getting a Pro, I meant..Which is exactly the reason I'm not after getting a Pro
I don't trust these bastards
Tams
Member
Partially responsible by releasing a digital only console with no optional disc drive option at all. Stocking mostly that digital only console when there was xbox shortages. Releasing titles like hellblade 2 as digital only and more digital only to come. Laying off departments for physical releases. All that = "partially responsible".
Sony stocks mostly disc drive PS5s in PS5 shortages, then gives all new PS5 owners the option for a disc drive unlike there being no option on Series S or launch PS5 Digital. makes physical releases even on low selling titles. Works fine for months and months then has stock issues due to scalpers on Pro launch, = "aggressive digital push" that's worse?
Come on man, this narrative projection is bad even in an Arthands thread.
Look if it were actual PS5 Pro/Slim owners frustrated at the stock situation making claims like this I understand and have sympathy for. Anger is normal. Not for the people making these bizarre claims while unaffected by it. Others in the situation are trying to get their drive despite the scalpers though and they're being stocked and selling out:
Yeah I'd imagine that is where the highest demand is, just wait it out until stock comes back and avoid the scalpers. Maybe sign up for a tracker. Don't believe the bullshit here that they have not been replenishing supply for six months either, that's total nonsense. it's difficult to get but keep checking for incoming stock. Here in the UK places had stock just this Friday. You can see that they restocked too within a week:
They sell out fast though.
Available on PS Direct right now, just bought one.
Last edited:
A.Romero
Member
I don't think I'm getting a Pro. I'm reluctant to buy on PSN because the account I created the night PS3 came out is a Canadian account (I was living back there then). I'm now back to my country and I can't use my CC to buy games from that store nor I can switch the region of my account. I have to chose from losing my existing library, including trophies and all of that, or not buying digital. Obviously I'm not buying digital with very specific exceptions such as next gen updates (like Uncharted and Last of Us II) which required I buy a code online at a mark up and then spend them on PSN.
If they do retire the disc drive next gen I'd probably drop from their ecosystem and stay on PC only. There is a limit to what I'm willing to do to be allowed to play on their ecosystem.
I have no problem with digital (although I do prefer physical) but they have to make it stupid easy like Steam for me to fully jump in.
If they do retire the disc drive next gen I'd probably drop from their ecosystem and stay on PC only. There is a limit to what I'm willing to do to be allowed to play on their ecosystem.
I have no problem with digital (although I do prefer physical) but they have to make it stupid easy like Steam for me to fully jump in.
Rocco Schiavone
Member
Let's see If Sony keeps the promised delivery date for my retailer this time arround.
Giallo Corsa
Member
Rocco, which one if i may ask ?
PS: I was about to send you a message today about the availability on PS direct in our country but... They sold out in 5 minutes or so
ZehDon
Member
Xbox's retail performance was well in decline before this generation. Xbox is partially responsible for their retail decline by embracing the trend and pivoting - the customers are responsible for the rest. People simple weren't and aren't buying enough physical Xbox games, accessories, and hardware from retail to justify dedicating the same amount of physical space they do to PlayStation, which routinely sells multiples of what Xbox sells. The market decided Xbox needed less retail presence, not Xbox.
Last edited:
Because more than half of them were sold cheap xboxs with no disc drives and no option for a disc drive ever, which would have been easy enough to do. Because xbox pushed subs that mostly killed physical ownership too. They just released a digital only XSX aswell, again with no option for them to go physical. If the market is deciding why do they not have an optional drive so the market can make a choice much like they can on PS? Why release hellblade 2 digital only? The trend was pushed to digital far more on that side yet it's partial there but forced where there is more choice?
I feel this is narrative projection for what's happened at xbox. Much like how "consoles are dead".
Sooner
Member
You're going to emulate your PS5 disc games on your PS6?Emulation. Life finds a way
Sooner
Member
It makes as much sense as building up your 8-track collection.
You can borrow mine and I can borrow yours and neither of us can use them because they are a no-longer supported form of physical media. Hurray!
Last edited:
ZehDon
Member
You seem to be contradicting your own thinking here. If they just released a digital only XSX version four years later, then Microsoft is offering the market the choice they see it asking for. The XSS was a digital only console upfront and made no reservations about physical media on it, and so people made their choice in buying it or not buying it. Microsoft didn't offer up a false choice of "buy an XSS now and get a disc drive later" and then simply not stocked the drive. That's all Sony.
... the narrative projection being the objective and demonstrable fact of our physical reality that Xbox has sold less for two generations in a row? What? The only point of conjecture is whether or not they pivoted hard into digital following the market trends or in an attempt to force market trends. Given the extremely well documented shift in the market to digital sales, I believe it's more likely Microsoft over-lent into the trend with the Xbone, and continued that shift when they saw it as a way of making more money despite lagging hardware sales with the XSX.
ArtHands
Thinks buying more servers can fix a bad patch
Do you lose access to your games if you got banned on Playstation? Honest question
Shadowstar39
Member
Funny I haven't touched cod even after it got many of them newer ones for free with psplus, just due to that size thing alone. I'd rather save my space for more games of legit sizes.
Magister
Member
Yes, you lose all your digital games.
GymWolf
Member
I hope people are not gonna defend sony if they try to pull what ghg think they are trying to pull...
Stop making the disc drive so people are stuck with a digital console? This would be pure evil and greedy like we rarely saw in videogame history, i hope you people are wrong because if i'm stuck with a digital console i'm gonna be super fucking furious.
Stop making the disc drive so people are stuck with a digital console? This would be pure evil and greedy like we rarely saw in videogame history, i hope you people are wrong because if i'm stuck with a digital console i'm gonna be super fucking furious.
Last edited:
You seem to think selling the cheaper console with no disc drive altogether and having no option for a disc drive at all then stocking mainly Series S and not X during that period was "a choice" and the market choosing. You think now stocking a white XSX without a drive with only a $599 galaxy edition with a drive is also "a choice". Yet you think an even more recent stock issue (and scalpers) is not.
On xbox it was a pivot that forced market trends, that is the reality. Much like how removing the headphone port from phones pushed a lot of people to buy wireless bluetooth headphones even though they had existed for years.
It's not about how many xbox were sold for disc distribution so stop trying to make it about that. There are limited run games who get physical releases doing far less volume than MS published games. Don't give me poor excuses about why MS do not give you the option of a disc drive and trying to blame it on "the market" on one side.
The narrative projection is the idea that there is no physical choice anymore when it's mostly just poor on xbox now.
Last edited:
Not going to happen. If they wanted to force people into digital they would simply release digital only titles like Remedy and Alan Wake, MS and hellblade 2 or stagger like larian and BG3. If they wanted to force digital they wouldn't turn a PS5 digital edition with no addon option into a PS5 digital edition that can be upgraded to a physical edition with disc drives readily available until the Pro demand.
They're stocking disc drives almost fortnightly but they sell out quickly with scalpers about. Scalpers know that there are Pro owners who are desperate to get one. Soon that demand would be met, scalpers will stop, and we'll be back to a disc drive option for every PS5 owner (bar launch PS5 digital edition). Nobody will come back to this thread and say that's great to have these options on PS5 though, especially the likes of the OP Arthands. It will just be forgotten about and normal business will resume.
Last edited:
GymWolf
Member
I hope your optimism is well placed dude.
Thankfully i don't have interest in using my pro before the next big sony first party or gta6 came out so i can probably wait more than most but still...
Last edited:
Try subscribing to a tracker or keep checking and you can probably get one like Emivita did last week.
They sell out pretty quickly with scalpers/bots about so it's not easy. probably not worth the hassle if you don't plan to get anything till GTA6, DS2 or whatever. I suspect that by late February, at the latest, you will have scalpers giving up and the supply/demand to reach near equilibrium.
GymWolf
Member
I have mine preordered from gamestop, it should have arrived with the console, but alas...
panda-zebra
Member
For the couple of games I have on ps5 physically that I want to return to I'd have preferred the pro to come with a drive installed, but could re-buy those digitally for less and far easier than tracking down, installing and pairing a drive. Plus I'm not taking the plates off my 30th Pro ever, for any reason, lol.
Great benefits to owning games physically, but it's not the be all and end all. Having more than 1 ps5 in the home, buying games digitally means we can all play the same game at the same time, which was never possible with discs where the only option was to buy multiple copies... double-dipping just to get a 2nd license to play the same game we already paid for did not feel good, and we're obviously talking day one or early while games at sold at a premium.
There's different benefits and disadvantages for different situations, it's not a black and white scenario where one is objectively better for everyone for fixed reasons.
Personally the rise of digital and needing multiple copies helped push me away from a love of physical media and, as I stood back and looked at literally dozens of crates of games form over 6 generations of consoles I came to the realisation that I just did not want that clutter in my life. Doing something about it has a little more friction than the decision itself, though... it's going to be a headache shifting it all, but better to do this now than leave it to someone else to haul into a skip when I'm gone
This is only really a problem with add-on content like in-game account-bound mtx that is tied to the account that purchases it. Everything like regular purchases can be bought on one store and played on an account on the same machine with another or other accounts. It's the basis for account sharing and works beyond regions.
Great benefits to owning games physically, but it's not the be all and end all. Having more than 1 ps5 in the home, buying games digitally means we can all play the same game at the same time, which was never possible with discs where the only option was to buy multiple copies... double-dipping just to get a 2nd license to play the same game we already paid for did not feel good, and we're obviously talking day one or early while games at sold at a premium.
There's different benefits and disadvantages for different situations, it's not a black and white scenario where one is objectively better for everyone for fixed reasons.
Personally the rise of digital and needing multiple copies helped push me away from a love of physical media and, as I stood back and looked at literally dozens of crates of games form over 6 generations of consoles I came to the realisation that I just did not want that clutter in my life. Doing something about it has a little more friction than the decision itself, though... it's going to be a headache shifting it all, but better to do this now than leave it to someone else to haul into a skip when I'm gone
This is only really a problem with add-on content like in-game account-bound mtx that is tied to the account that purchases it. Everything like regular purchases can be bought on one store and played on an account on the same machine with another or other accounts. It's the basis for account sharing and works beyond regions.
I think there is something up with Gamestop orders, some f***up or bad relation between them and Sony. Maybe Sony is pushing PS Direct stock more than some retailers who sold stock they didn't have and that's causing some tension. I had a user that appears to be a gamestop affiliate triggered by all my posts in another thread.
GrayDock
Member
You can play, on the same console, games bought in another region within your 'primary' account. My usual account is US, but since I live in Brasil, the few games that I buy digitally (mostly fighting games and the one's that don't have physical) I buy with my BR account, switch to my US account, and play normally. The only caveat is that dlcs and add-ons doesn't work that way, you have to buy the dlc/add-on with the account you'll be playing... For that I use US psn cards.
For example I bought the Horizon and Last of Us2 remasters upgrades with my BR account and play them with my Us account using my disc versions as 'verifiers'.
Giallo Corsa
Member
You might be onto something there.
I've noticed that A) 99% of the scalpers mention that it has been bought from PS direct (regarding the warranty) and B) all these months, I've only seen it available on PS Direct (for the few minutes that the whole circus lasts) but never on GameStop where it has been "unavailable" for 3 months straight on their site (I check daily).
There's definitely something going on there...
Last edited:
AngelMuffin
Member
As soon as the Pro was announced in Sep, I saw many listings for the drive on eBay for 2x the price. Scalpers are a big part of the equation here. I had no issue finding one on PS Direct in Oct & just saw like 5-6 of them at my local Walmart last week so who knows.
A.Romero
Member
It does work, I have multiple accounts but it's bullshit. Why do I have to split my licenses?For the couple of games I have on ps5 physically that I want to return to I'd have preferred the pro to come with a drive installed, but could re-buy those digitally for less and far easier than tracking down, installing and pairing a drive. Plus I'm not taking the plates off my 30th Pro ever, for any reason, lol.
Great benefits to owning games physically, but it's not the be all and end all. Having more than 1 ps5 in the home, buying games digitally means we can all play the same game at the same time, which was never possible with discs where the only option was to buy multiple copies... double-dipping just to get a 2nd license to play the same game we already paid for did not feel good, and we're obviously talking day one or early while games at sold at a premium.
There's different benefits and disadvantages for different situations, it's not a black and white scenario where one is objectively better for everyone for fixed reasons.
Personally the rise of digital and needing multiple copies helped push me away from a love of physical media and, as I stood back and looked at literally dozens of crates of games form over 6 generations of consoles I came to the realisation that I just did not want that clutter in my life. Doing something about it has a little more friction than the decision itself, though... it's going to be a headache shifting it all, but better to do this now than leave it to someone else to haul into a skip when I'm gone
This is only really a problem with add-on content like in-game account-bound mtx that is tied to the account that purchases it. Everything like regular purchases can be bought on one store and played on an account on the same machine with another or other accounts. It's the basis for account sharing and works beyond regions.
They have to do it right if they want to be a real option.
ArtHands
Thinks buying more servers can fix a bad patch
Well I hope one day they will change their policy, whereby they wont revoke access to your library at all even if they ban you like on Steam
Last edited:
Putonahappyface
Gold Member
So let me get this straight? You purchase digital media and if you get your account banned you can't play your purchased games?
ap_puff
Banned
correct
Putonahappyface
Gold Member
ap_puff
Banned
Welcome to the modern world where all laws are created by lawyers working for billion/trillion dollar multinational corporations. It's a contract that you technically agreed to, that's why they have all these longass EULAs and contract terms with the "I agree" button that no one ever reads.That can't be legal? 100% if or when gaming goes fully digital I'm out.
ArtHands
Thinks buying more servers can fix a bad patch
Seem that is the case, but I am sure Sony isn't that unreasonable when they ban people right?
Bojji
Member
You (and me and all of us) are not purchasing anything, that's the problem - just the license to "borrow" and use their games that can be revoked at any point.
Hmmm, I have no idea. But for sure consumers aren't protected at all against shit like this.
Lord Malachite
Member
I feel like there's a lot of double talk going on with this entire situation. Once the PS5 Pro was officially unveiled with its formal specs, design, lack of SKU with a disc drive and $699.99 price tag, most of the industry immediately wrote it off as an uber niche product few would pay the price to upgrade over. Yet all of a sudden, the scarcity of the PS5 add-on disc drive; which was always an extremely niche and borderline unnecessary product until the reveal of the PS5 Pro; is now some kind of major crisis in gaming. Bearing in mind this should only be an issue for people who fall into the very small Venn Diagram overlap of People who own a PS5 Pro and People who want a disc drive for their PS5 Pro.
Anyone who wants a standard PS5 can just get the SKU that comes with the disc drive installed, so this entire situation is the result of the PS5 Pro and its lack of included disc drive.
Apparently, the thirst for the PS5 Pro is real and people are either upgrading from their OG/Slim models or jumping into PS5 right at the Pro level. Either way, this rather expensive elite console seems to be selling a lot better than most of us on this forum expected. That includes myself. And I own both a PS5 Pro and the disc drive add-on for it, having traded in my launch day OG system for this upgrade.
As I've posted in the other threat dedicated to this subject, there's really not much to be done. If you want a PS5 disc drive, you can get one. But you will pay scalper prices. I have personally seen them going for between $120 and $200 at varying times. I paid $145 for mine and accepted the gouge as my penalty for stupidly not buying one over the summer. If you aren't willing to be gouged, you'll either have to keep making "flybys" of retail stores hoping to get lucky with a restock, or spend your days refreshing etail sites hoping to catch a stock refresh. Or just be digital only, at least for awhile.
It's a crummy situation, but one Sony isn't going to be in a hurry to fix. First of all, the product was never a priority. Until the PS5 Pro launched, the only people this add on serviced was the even smaller venn diagram overlap of people who own a PS5 Slim All Digital Edition and People who own a PS5 Slim All Digital Edition and changed their minds wanting a physical disc option. Considering the PS5 Slim can be purchased with the disc drive already installed, it was a very niche product few would actually feel a need to buy. So understandably, Sony didn't make too many of them.
Now that the PS5 Pro has facilitated an exponentially higher demand, Sony can't just push a button and make their assembly lines magically generate tons of these drives to meet it. Manufacturing is set in place months in advance, so there is no "whoops we need tons more of these crank up the speed" option short-term.
Long-term, it's not a problem Sony will feel a big urgency to address. People buying digital games through the PS Store is a big plus for them. And there's no indication that this issue is affecting sales of the PS5. Obviously, PS5 Pro sales are high enough to warrant this issue to begin with, and unless/until the core PS5 starts to slip in sales as a result of the disc drive shortage, there's not exactly a huge impetus for Sony to step in and try to alleviate the problem. It's unlikely the demand for the Slim PS5 decreases considering you can get one with a drive easily.
The greater likelihood is that the market will correct itself. The PS5 Pro is still less than a month old. As we get past the holidays, demand for it will likely fall off sharply. As the months wane on, those that have it will start catching restocks of the add-on drive and upgrading their Pros until things settle down to normalcy. Until then, if you're sitting on a Pro and no disc drive for it, either pay the scalper price, keep trying to get lucky, or just wait for the wheel to turn and the market to settle down. Sadly there's not much else you can do.
Anyone who wants a standard PS5 can just get the SKU that comes with the disc drive installed, so this entire situation is the result of the PS5 Pro and its lack of included disc drive.
Apparently, the thirst for the PS5 Pro is real and people are either upgrading from their OG/Slim models or jumping into PS5 right at the Pro level. Either way, this rather expensive elite console seems to be selling a lot better than most of us on this forum expected. That includes myself. And I own both a PS5 Pro and the disc drive add-on for it, having traded in my launch day OG system for this upgrade.
As I've posted in the other threat dedicated to this subject, there's really not much to be done. If you want a PS5 disc drive, you can get one. But you will pay scalper prices. I have personally seen them going for between $120 and $200 at varying times. I paid $145 for mine and accepted the gouge as my penalty for stupidly not buying one over the summer. If you aren't willing to be gouged, you'll either have to keep making "flybys" of retail stores hoping to get lucky with a restock, or spend your days refreshing etail sites hoping to catch a stock refresh. Or just be digital only, at least for awhile.
It's a crummy situation, but one Sony isn't going to be in a hurry to fix. First of all, the product was never a priority. Until the PS5 Pro launched, the only people this add on serviced was the even smaller venn diagram overlap of people who own a PS5 Slim All Digital Edition and People who own a PS5 Slim All Digital Edition and changed their minds wanting a physical disc option. Considering the PS5 Slim can be purchased with the disc drive already installed, it was a very niche product few would actually feel a need to buy. So understandably, Sony didn't make too many of them.
Now that the PS5 Pro has facilitated an exponentially higher demand, Sony can't just push a button and make their assembly lines magically generate tons of these drives to meet it. Manufacturing is set in place months in advance, so there is no "whoops we need tons more of these crank up the speed" option short-term.
Long-term, it's not a problem Sony will feel a big urgency to address. People buying digital games through the PS Store is a big plus for them. And there's no indication that this issue is affecting sales of the PS5. Obviously, PS5 Pro sales are high enough to warrant this issue to begin with, and unless/until the core PS5 starts to slip in sales as a result of the disc drive shortage, there's not exactly a huge impetus for Sony to step in and try to alleviate the problem. It's unlikely the demand for the Slim PS5 decreases considering you can get one with a drive easily.
The greater likelihood is that the market will correct itself. The PS5 Pro is still less than a month old. As we get past the holidays, demand for it will likely fall off sharply. As the months wane on, those that have it will start catching restocks of the add-on drive and upgrading their Pros until things settle down to normalcy. Until then, if you're sitting on a Pro and no disc drive for it, either pay the scalper price, keep trying to get lucky, or just wait for the wheel to turn and the market to settle down. Sadly there's not much else you can do.
Last edited:
Putonahappyface
Gold Member
rofif
Can’t Git Gud
yep. I can understand that decision.
Physical gaming is very important and sony is screwing themselves over with forcing digital
Cakeboxer
Member
No, they are not. Some people may be pissed, but there are many advantages for Sony: No production costs, no shipping costs,, no storage costs, no overproduction, no reatailer cut, no second hand market.
A digital only PS6 will make Sony truckloads of money even if 10% of the PS5 owners would go pc. Those would still buy at lleast buy the exclusive games and most likely full priced in Sony's own pc launcher.
rofif
Can’t Git Gud
advantages for sony. not for us
Bojji
Member
Only shareholders and rabid fanboys will be happy about it.
What fucks me up that there are "normal" gamers that want physical media to die.