Key recommendations
- The PlayStation 5 Pro's lack of a disc drive has angered fans, but Sony has now made its case.
- According to Toshi Aoki, it's all about giving players “choices,” which is why it wasn't included, even though the company thinks the PS5 Pro is great value.
- That said, Sony also admitted that “many” will probably have discs, which makes it hard to see how things are a “choice.”
In case you missed it, the PlayStation 5 Pro is real. It costs $699.99 and comes with 2TB of storage. Oh, and it doesn't have a disk drive.
That last part upset fans, as the drive cost an extra $79.99 and instantly became hard to come by. Those with PS5s on launch day cannot remove the existing drive – a feature that only became available on the slim edition.
Now, in a new interview with IGN, PlayStation Senior Product Manager Toshi Aoki has revealed Sony's rationale for not bundling peripherals with the console. After all, if the console is already $700, then what's an extra $50-$60 to make sure fans can play their discs? Reasoning, according to Aoki, boils down to “choice.”
Is it really a choice, though?
First, Aoki defended the console's high price, telling IGN that the technology behind the console, as well as the SSD and Wi-Fi 7 capabilities help round out a package that's “an exceptional value” for gamers, especially the brand. the most “involved players”, which they target.
As for the drive, Aoki said it's about “giving players choice.” The same thought process applies to the vertical stand, another component not included in a purchase.
He added:
“For the drive, it's an option for players. Not all players have discs, even though most players can… but we have the option to be able to add that for those players. So I think it's more of a balance. of the value proposition we offer.”
Perhaps what stands out in terms of rationale is that Sony openly admits that “most” gamers probably have discs, even if they're not game-related, since the disc drive can also play 4K Blu-rays. With that in mind, it really isn't much of a choice. Because if you have a collection of records and want to use them, then you they have buy a disk drive so you don't sell them and convert your library to digital.
Furthermore, if the hard drive is constantly running low, then wouldn't it have made sense to include one in the first place to help mitigate this? Sure, the console might have been more expensive, but if you're already paying $700, then what's an extra $50 worth? After all, the console is aimed at enthusiasts, who probably would have bought it at any price anyway.
It seems unlikely that Sony will revise its PS5 Pro packaging to account for a unit, especially this late in the cycle. Although maybe there is a band to subsidize it for buyers or something. Because as it is, it's not really a choice for most players.
