Yet another PS5 redesign could be arriving as early as next year, with a pretty formative change in that of a detachable disc drive.
It sounds like the most impactful PS5 redesign yet, according to leaker Tom Henderson via his new website, Insider Gaming (opens in new tab). He claims that the upcoming revision is set to launch around September 2023. And Sony is reportedly going to be shaking things up by selling the console with a detachable disc drive that connects via the USB-C port. Henderson says the new PS5 and its disc drive will be able to be bought separately, or bundled together.
Allegedly dubbed ‘the D chassis PlayStation 5’, this will be the fourth hardware revision since the PS5’s 2020 launch. Although Henderson says not to expect any major changes beyond the detachable disc drive, we can expect it to be slimmer and lighter than the current model. Apparently, it shouldn’t look drastically different from the PS5 as we know it, and the disc drive is said to connect to the console without looking like an obviously external attachment.
He adds that this new PS5 iteration will replace all existing models that Sony has been producing thus far. Prior hardware revisions, the latest of which released earlier this month, have largely focused on weight reduction and the introduction of a smaller heatsink.
The best revision yet?
Having a removable disc drive will be the biggest departure we’ve seen yet from a PS5 console revision. Though I should stress that it won’t be the silver bullet that puts a system in everyone’s homes, I do really like the idea of having a USB-C connected disc drive as an option.
For starters, Sony will effectively be consolidating both the PS5 and the PS5 Digital Edition into one SKU. So post the rumored new PS5 launch, gamers can pick up a single standard edition of the console, with the option of buying the disc drive separately, either immediately or further down the line.
And sure, there haven’t been any widespread instances of PS5 disc drives failing, but the alleged revamp should at least make it easier and cheaper to replace as it’s no longer hard-wired to the console.
Unfortunately, I’m not confident that this’ll help to combat the PS5’s recent price hike, especially considering Henderson’s comments on the console’s hardware remaining largely the same. That would obviously be nice, given pricey peripherals like the DualSense Edge controller and the upcoming PSVR 2 aren’t far off. But I wouldn’t get your hopes up for a price drop, even as late as next September. Still, we can always dream, right?
