Sony will phase out disc drive model PS5 starting Sept '23 with usb one

It actually makes from a few stand points. It allows them to continue do the digital only vs disc drive thing but rather than produce two completely different models you essentially produce a single unit now, with the disc drive being something that can be added on, literally. Supposedly the drive will not ruin the aesthetics or look like an add on when attached. They are designing it in such a way that it looks natural either way.

Not only streamlines production but opens the doors to digital only players changing their mind down the road and adding a disc drive if they want to for some reason.

Probably not a reason they are doing it but long term it will make repairs easier. Disc drives are a common failure point on consoles over time, so the ability to just swap a new one in easily is a great idea I'm surprised nobody has thought of yet.

Will this help at all with global stock?

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It's going to suck having to pay full price for games though when they finally go away.

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For the most part I'm able to find games on sale digitally for less or equal to physical copies (used or not) but I still like the option. Its gonna suck when you want to play an older game but its simply not available digitally anymore. Hell Sony cant even get backwards compatibility right.

Sony is having some issues.

They need to make it cheaper. They are raising the cost of PS5 outside of US Markets, because of falling currencies.

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What's most interesting about this development is that Sony is no longer willing to absorb losses from its PlayStation hardware sales, and that Sony doesn't really have much of a safety net if the bad press slowly erodes PS5 sales the way it did the Xbox One.

Microsoft took a substantial hit during the Xbox One generation with the console's original $499 MSRP--so much so that the new CEO at the time, Satya Nadella, had asked why Microsoft was in the gaming business at all.

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Xbox transform from a console into a platform. Microsoft joined Xbox One consoles with PC using Windows 10 and created a cross-platform ecosystem. Then in 2017, they rolled out Game Pass, one of the most transformative value-oriented subscription services that ultimately "saved" the Xbox brand as a whole.

Microsoft no longer had to worry about hardware sales. Xbox earnings were on the rise thanks to services and game sales across a combination of platforms. Game Pass sparked earnings growth, eventually earning Microsoft a record $16 billion in FY21.

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While Sony is doing well now and shows no signs of being hit with significant losses in the near or even mid-term future (Sony can literally just coast on revenues generated from third-party games for many years in a row and does not have to release first-party heavy-hitters in order to make billions a year), we have to wonder how this will affect Sony in the long term. Will the company be able to juggle all of these spinning plates while taking the big risks of live and mobile games?

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https://www.tweaktown.com/news/88144/sony-now-faces-the-very-thing-that-crippled-xbox-one/index.html

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For the most part I'm able to find games on sale digitally for less or equal to physical copies (used or not) but I still like the option.

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This is true, especially on PC. With stuff like Game Pass and what PS just did with PS+, this is the normal moving forward.

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It gonna suck when you want to play and older game but its simply not available digitally anymore.

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Honestly, I purchased the disc copy and haven't put a disc in it yet. I keep saying this, but never pull out an old game to play. So, for me, it isn't a big concern at this point. Unless....

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Hell Sony cant even get backwards compatibility right.

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.....this gets fixed.

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Honestly, I purchased the disc copy and haven't put a disc in it yet. I keep saying this, but never pull out an old game to play.

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And in the past few years the many discs dont come with hardly any game data on them and you have to download it anyway. I used to never play older titles once I was done with them but since some older 360 stuff has been making its way to the MS Store and Gamepass I ve been going back and replaying them. I'd like to do the same with older Playstation titles but PS Now plays like shite.

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Games releasing broken and unfinished

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has happened ever since gaming started. Do i need to remind you of the fabled ET game? At least not games can be fix/rectified after release. Cyberpunk being a fine example. a broken mess at launch is now an enjoyable play.

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Ballooning game budgets resulting in fewer games released overall and fewer developers willing to take risks.

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Or you could look at it as these huge budgets allow for some pretty god damn spectacular games that 10 year old me could have never imagined possible. On top of that with a VERY strong indie scene and multiple platforms compared to previous decades are you seriously telling me there less games now? GTFO with that

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Predatory DLC now seen as normal and even "anticipated by some"

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While i dont like the practice its quite easy not to engage. Companies are just providing what consumers are willing to pay for. If gamers are supporting this system you only have them to blame. DLC can also be a very positive thing as well. Witcher 3 was a fantastic release game, and each DLC after release made it even better. PC gaming has been doing expansions forever.

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The slow, long game phase out of physical media so that you don't truly own "any" game you play. License can be revoked at any time. Games can be removed from sale at any time.

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I dont support the phasing out of physical media myself so you wont get much argument from me there. That being said they complete erasure of a game from history is pretty rare. It does happen but for this to be expressed legitimate concern is kind of fear mongering. Not entirely untrue but of any real significance?

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Publishers will have full control over the price of their games. Despite no longer having to spend money on manufacturing physical media, games will somehow remain full-price and/or become more expensive

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You know how much games cost back in previous eras compared to now? Its shocking how flat gaming prices have remained over DECADES. the average snes cost in the early 90s was 54.99. in todays dollars that 135.00. You know why? because of increased competition. These companies need to stay competitive and cant afford to sky rocket prices. it wont happen.

whats better now compared to then?
-Higher accessibility to all products
-More ways to reach out and be a part of the gaming community and game online
-more acceptability from general public
- more genres
- better tech (duh)
- a striving indie scene

sorry, no one will convince me that gaming is worse compared to the old days. You either didn't game then or need to take your nostalgia glasses off.

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Nope. I’ve been gaming since Atari days. I’ll take weird modern day stuff compared to real challenges to gaming in the past.

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Modern gaming is weird because in many ways gaming is clearly better than it's ever been but in some other important ways it's gotten worse.

People fixate on either the good or bad aspects but the full truth is complicated.

There are really good youtube videos that go in depth on the subject.

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Modern day gaming is so awful

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I dont know..id have liked to have had my series x next to my NES when I was 6

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People fixate on either the good or bad aspects but the full truth is complicated.

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That's very true. I could never have dreames of some like elden ring as a kid. 3D gaming? What?