Key conclusions
- The PlayStation 5 Pro's lack of a disc drive upset fans, but now Sony has provided its rationale.
- According to Toshi Aoki, it's all about giving gamers “choice,” which is why it wasn't included, even though the company believes the PS5 Pro is excellent value.
- However, Sony also admitted that “many” will likely have discs, making it difficult to understand what the “choice” is.
In case you missed it, the PlayStation 5 Pro is real. It costs $699.99 and comes with 2TB of storage. Oh, and it doesn't have a disk drive.
The latter part upset fans, as the drive costs an additional $79.99 and immediately became hard to come by. Those with a PS5 on launch day can't remove an existing disc, a feature that only became available on the slim version.
Now, in a new interview with IGN, PlayStation Senior Chief Product Manager Toshi Aoki has revealed the reason behind Sony's refusal to bundle peripherals with the console. After all, if the console is already $700, what's an extra $50-$60 for fans to play their discs? Reasoning, according to Aoki, boils down to “choice.”
Is it really a choice?
First of all, Aoki defended the console's high price, telling IGN that the technology behind the console, along with the SSD and Wi-Fi 7 capabilities, help complete a package that has “exceptional value” for gamers, especially the brand's most “engaged gamers “who are they targeting.
As for the disc drive, Aoki said it's about “giving players a choice.” The same thought process also applies to the vertical stand, another component not included with purchase.
He added:
“The disc drive is an option for players. Not all players have discs, even though most players can…but we have the ability to add them for those players. So I think that's more of a balance of the value proposition that we offer.” .
Perhaps what stands out most in the rationale is that Sony openly admits that “most” players probably have discs, even if they're not game-related, since the disc drive can also play 4K Blu-ray. That being said, it really isn't that much of a choice. Because if you have a collection of CDs and want to use them, then you to have buy a disk drive to avoid selling them and convert your library to digital.
Moreover, if the disk drive is constantly sold out, wouldn't it make sense to include it in the first place to reduce this? Sure, the console could have been more expensive, but when you're already paying $700, is an extra $50 a lot? After all, the console is aimed at enthusiasts, who would probably buy it at any price anyway.
It seems unlikely that Sony will revise its PS5 Pro packaging with the disc in mind, especially this late in the cycle. Although maybe there is a subsidy band for buyers or something. Because as it stands, it's not an option for most gamers.
