Lack of PlayStation 5 disc drives frustrating fans

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Summary

  • The PS5 disc drive shortage continues since the launch of the PS5 Pro, and scalpers are driving up prices.

  • Both US and UK PS Direct stores are still sold out and stock continues to disappear as it appears.

  • Sony has not yet commented on the shortage.

Recent shortage of separates PlayStation 5 disc drives still continue, much to the frustration of fans trying to pick one up for their PS5 Pro. Sony launched the PS5 plug-in disc drive in 2023 as a peripheral for its digital-only PlayStation 5 offering, but later found newfound use with the reveal and release of the PlayStation 5 Pro in 2024. This updated iteration of the PS5 is only available without a physical disc drive drives, making the previous accessory a prized commodity for gamers looking to upgrade their hardware without giving up their disc games.

However, the resulting demand for the PS5 disc drive has created a product shortage since the launch of the PS5 Pro in November 2024, with PlayStation's internal PS Direct website struggling to keep up with supplies. In areas such as the UK, scalpers have been snapping up PS5 discs and selling them at inflated prices in a situation that mirrored the release of the base PlayStation 5 in 2020. The high prices of these PS5 disc units being sold were for gamers looking to get one as the PS5 console Pros that are bought as an add-on are already quite expensive.

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It doesn't look like the situation will improve anytime soon, as PlayStation Lifestyle reports that the PS5 disc drive is still in short supply at the time of writing. US and UK PS Direct stores are still running out of units and stock is disappearing as soon as it appears. Some third-party retailers, like Best Buy and Target, have provided PS5 drives for the lucky few who managed to be in their stores in time for the random stock drop, but that's still overshadowed by the hordes of gamers who are still without one.

The PS5 disc drive shortage persists

As mentioned earlier, scalpers were quick to catch on to the growing demand for a PS5 disc drive to complement the discless PS5 Pro and seemingly decided to stockpile the drive itself instead of the console for which support was being sought. Sony itself has yet to comment on the ongoing shortage, which many fans consider odd in light of the company's efforts to maintain PS5 production during the height of the pandemic in 2020.

The PS5 Pro's lack of a built-in disc drive has been a major point of controversy since the console was first announced in September, as buying a separate PS5 Slim Disc Drive already adds about $80 to its hefty price tag if you buy one. from first party Sony stores. As scalpers hoard these units and prices escalate as a result, many of them PlayStation 5 fans currently have no choice but to wait for inventory to rise and demand to fall — something that doesn't seem likely to happen anytime soon.

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