Two weeks ago, the rumors became reality: Sony will release a smaller version of PlayStation 5, popularly known as “PS5 Slim”. Far from being sold as a separate version, PS5 Slim will directly replace the previous version of PS5, which will be sold until stock runs out.
Among the most striking features of this new version of the PlayStation 5 is the ability to mount and dismount its disc drive. Until now, users could choose (when there’s stock, of course) between two PS5 models: the traditional disc drive model and the digital-only model, which lacked a disc drive and only played digital games.
While PS5 Slim will be available in both these models, Sony will allow us to remove the disc drive from our console at any time (presumably for aesthetic reasons) or install one. The disc drives will be sold separately, so if someone buys a digital model and later wants to use discs, they’ll have the option to purchase a drive and install it.
However, this process will have one essential requirement. As seen in a screenshot shared by the CharlieIntel Twitter account of the PS5 Slim bundle with the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, “an internet connection is required to pair the disc drive and the PS5 console during setup.”
This sort of DRM (Digital Rights Management) would allow pairing both hardware components, validating the authenticity of the attached disc drive and thus preventing the spread of cheaper third-party disc drives. However, the good news is that the internet connection would only be necessary during this disc drive installation process, being entirely optional once it’s completed.
As of now, PlayStation has not made an official statement regarding this measure, although they did confirm a few days ago that we will be able to use fourth-generation NVMe M.2 SSD drives in PS5 Slim, similar to the previous version.
