The PlayStation 5 turns five years old in November, and talk about the yet-to-be-announced PS6 has begun picking up lately. One idea that the proposed successor console could reportedly adopt from the current PlayStation hardware generation is a detachable disc drive.
According to Insider Gaming, having a detachable disc drive will allow Sony to reduce production and shipping costs of the PS6. This is also seen as a way to protect the company during “uncertain times”, likely a reference to ongoing turbulence in the market brought on by US president Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Essentially, this will allow consumers to choose between either a PS6 with a disc drive–a more traditional option–or a cheaper digital model that they can later upgrade with the add-on. In comparison, the PS5 console first launched with either a built-in disc drive or an all-digital model, and people who bought the more affordable console had no option for upgrading at the time with an add-on accessory. This changed when the slimmer PS5 console revision was introduced, and last year’s launch of the PS5 Pro did not include a disc drive at all–although one can still be attached to it.