The PS5 Pro’s Biggest Fault Highlights A Massive Problem That Affects All of Media

The PS5 Pro has finally been revealed last week, after months of leaks. It’s got people talking but for all the wrong reasons. The biggest issue is the price point, and the lack of a default disc drive, forcing physical media fans to spend an additional sum for an external drive.

The reveal itself seemed a little baffling, with the lack of any big upcoming exclusive that would usually be showcased along with the console, and the lack of many valuable selling points that would make this upgrade worthwhile to both PS5 and PS4 owners.

Disc Drives Seem to Be on Their Way Out With the PS5 Pro

At a hefty $700, the console doesn’t even come with a disc drive, which is a huge problem. If you want a disc drive, that’ll cost you another $80, making the total price for the full package $780.

We can compare this to the original PS5, which launched at $500 with a disc drive included. That’s a $280 price jump for what many are saying are minimal upgrades that might not justify the existence of this upgrade. 

The PS5 Pro does offer better performance, but it’s questionable if the improvements are worth that massive price increase, as the reveal presentation by Mark Cerny and Sony did little to sell it.

This price hike is concerning not only due to the cost but also because it reflects a bigger issue across the entire media industry, which seems to be moving away from physical media and focusing more on digital.

One of the most glaring problems with the PS5 Pro is how it seems to be inching closer to a world where physical media no longer matters. While physical games used to dominate, there’s a noticeable shift towards digital-only content. 

Companies are choosing to release games exclusively on digital and skipping physical releases, cutting down on costs associated with producing physical copies. It’s not just happening in gaming, either. The trend is spreading through movies, TV shows, and music streaming as well. 

This move to digital is often more profitable for companies, as it also prevents players from reselling used games, which can also be bought cheaper secondhand.

In recent times, big games like Alan Wake 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3 are perfect examples of this shift. Both took a long time to get physical releases after their digital versions came out. This is becoming more common, and it seems like it might just be an unfortunate sign of what’s to come. 

What This Means for the Future of PlayStation

When companies make these moves, they force consumers to go digital, which limits how much control players have over the games they own.

If a developer decides to delist a game from the store, or if a platform like PlayStation bans your account, all those digital purchases just disappear, and the pushing users towards digital media ultimately become an anti-consume move.

The removal of disc drives in higher-priced consoles like the PS5 Pro might set a worrying precedent for the future, especially when we start talking about next-gen consoles like the PS6. 

It feels like Sony is already putting one foot out the door when it comes to physical media. If they do release an exclusively all-digital version of the PS6 in the future, it wouldn’t be all that surprising.

While many gamers have already gone fully digital, this move could alienate those who still prefer to own physical copies, especially in non-first world countries.

The ability to trade in games or buy used copies for less is something that physical buyers in different parts of the world have valued for years, and that may be disappearing.

There are still some silver linings in Sony’s strategy. Astro Bot recently released to immense success and is likely to be a frontrunner for GOTY. The great thing about it is that it came with a physical edition, so it seems Sony is still relying on physical copies for its first-party titles.

This all raises serious questions about what owning media will even mean in the future. With physical media on its way out, will we only have the digital option soon? If so, that brings up a whole new set of challenges for users.

Were you disappointed by the reveal of the PS5 Pro? Let us know in the comments.