Sony to replace PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition consoles with new modular PS5 option

It seems that Sony is moving closer to releasing a PlayStation 5 (PS5) console with a detachable disk drive, nearly three months after the rumour first emerged. For context, the rumour originated with Tom Henderson, an industry insider who correctly predicted the DualSense Edge's launch months before Sony announced the controller. While the alleged change is not the introduction of PS5 Pro or Slim models, it should mark a more significant refresh of the PS5 series than the AMD Oberon Plus revisions that arrived earlier this year. With the PlayStation 6 rumoured for 2028, the PS5 with a detachable disk drive could serve as a mid-cycle refresh too.

Purportedly, Henderson has now 'heard from two people' that Sony has started distributing test kits of the unreleased console, a major step towards its public release. Henderson adds that these test kits are said to operate 'flawlessly', implying that they work as well as would be expected of retail units. Henderson stresses that this modular PS5 will replace the two models Sony currently sells, rather than serving as a third option.

The move should allow Sony to reduce manufacturing costs, but it remains to be seen whether the external disc drive will be compatible with current Digital Edition units. Although Henderson has yet to outline when Sony will release this version of the PS5, he asserts that we will 'hear more about it officially soon'. Additionally, he writes that Sony will stop producing regular PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition models by the end of 2023. Hence, Sony may only sell the PS5 with a detachable disc drive in 2024 unless Slim or Pro models arrive.

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