Sony to Launch New PlayStation 5 With a Detachable Disc Drive, Sources Suggest

The PlayStation 5 is set to get a unique overhaul in the middle of FY 2023, with the new console launching around September 2023, say sources. 

Sources familiar with Sony’s plans have shared details under the condition of anonymity outlining the next iteration of the PlayStation 5. It’s been suggested that this new console will completely replace the A, B, and C chassis that have been in production since the console’s launch.

The console, currently named the D chassis PlayStation 5, will have almost identical hardware to the existing consoles already on the market.

The most surprising new feature of the new this new PS5 though, is that the console will have a detachable disc drive. The detachable disc drive will be connected to the PlayStation 5 using an extra USB-C port on the back of the console.

It’s understood that this new PlayStation 5 console will be sold on its own, or, in a bundle with the detachable disc drive. It’s also understood that the disc drives can also be purchased separately, so, if it gets busted, there’s no need to buy an entirely new console. 

Sources have implied that although the new detachable disc drive is portable, it will not ruin the aesthetics of the console and will attach to it without looking external, presumably meaning the new PlayStation 5 will look similar to the existing model. 

However, the new detachable disc drive could entail that the new iteration of the PlayStation 5 will be slimmer and lighter, which is something Sony has been trying to implement effectively with its latest PS5 models.

It’s understood that Sony is anticipating producing 18.5 million units of the new PlayStation 5 console in FY 2023 and only 12 million units of the A-C chassis consoles as they begin to be phased out.

Sony Interactive has reported that as of June 2022, the company has shipped over 21.7 million PlayStation 5 consoles. If these production figures are to be believed, it suggests that the company is expecting a significant ramp-up in the next couple of years as hardware components start to become more readily available.

UPDATE:

Sources have confirmed that the prototype of the console has been in the hands of the developers for a number of months. My update on this on my Twitter account led some to believe that the console is in the game developer’s hands, but this is not the case. It’s in the hands of people at Sony and not at individual developer studios.

The new console does not need to be in the developer’s hands because it will have almost identical specifications to the original PlayStation 5, sources said. In addition and after many questions from the community, sources said that they don’t believe the detachable disc drive will be compatible with the existing digital version; but that could change with major software updates.