Sony Not Including Disc Drive In PS5 Pro Is About ‘Giving Players Choices,’ Says Toshi Aoki

Toshi Aoki, Senio Principle Product Manager for Sony, has revealed that the decision not to include a disc drive in the PS5 Pro is about ‘giving players choices.’

The PS5 Pro is set to launch on November 7, 2024 for $699.99/£699.99, but if you want to play physical media, you’ll have to fork out an extra $79.99 for the Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive.

With the PS5 Pro, we are offering all these new tech innovations, and we added the two terabyte SSD, as well as the Wi-Fi 7. For the disc drive, it is an option for players. Not all players have discs, even though most players may…but we have the option for being able to add that for those players. So I think it’s more of the balance of the value proposition that we’re giving.

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The PS5 Pro is a more powerful version of the standard PS5 that launched nearly four years ago, allowing for vastly improved visuals, frame rates, and other high-end technical advantages. One of the major features is Sony’s PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), which uses AI to upscale images, and the PS5 Pro Enhanced label, which greatly improves the performance of compatible titles.

Preorders for the PS5 Pro went live in the UK yesterday on PlayStation Direct, and sold out quickly. However, major retailers will be opening their own preorders next month, so you still have time to secure a console.

[Source – IGN]