Sorry, everyone, the “high demand” purchase limit on the PS5 disc drive accessory isn't a sign of a revolution from all the whining about the digital future, as it's been in place for quite some time.
Although the past few years have been undeniably bad for the gaming industry, the past few weeks have been the worst yet. Xbox started in the spotlight when reports of mass layoffs and possible studio closures began to circulate, but PlayStation 'stole' the show with its gut-punch of an announcement.
From January 2028, PlayStation will cease disc production for all games, effectively ending physical releases and confirming that the PS6 and future consoles will be all-digital. It's a very scary time to be a PlayStation fan, and everyone is making their feelings known with boycotts and cancellations. Not everything is a big revolution, though, as recent trends have proven.
Don't take the PS5 disc drive high demand warning too seriously
It's been like that for over a year
Over the past few days, there have been several attempts by PS5 gamers to let Sony and PlayStation know that their move to all-digital won't be well received, from canceling subscriptions to slamming a tweet about Spider-Man. So, when some pointed out that the PS5 disc drive add-on was being limited to one per customer due to “high demand”, many thought it was related.
I wish I could tell you that physical collectors were rallying to show that they wanted to be able to play discs by buying a disc drive, but unfortunately that's not the case. This is nothing but painful irony, as the high demand warning has been in place for over a year, as evidenced by snapshots of the Wayback Machine.
In fact, I remember seeing this warning when I got the PS5 Pro last year and rushing to return my order.
There's a new addition to the list as PlayStation added an “important notice” about moving away from physical games from January 2028, making it all a little more painful. If nothing else, as scary and controversial as it may be, it seems more certain than ever that this decision will not be reversed.
- brand
-
Sony
- Original release date
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November 12, 2020
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$499, €499, £449, ¥49,980 (base) // $399, €399, £359, ¥39,980 (digital),
- operating system
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Orbis OS
If you desperately want one, please buy a PS6
With rising costs, a lack of exclusives and no physical media – why bother with the PS6?
