Sony is reportedly releasing a redesigned PS5 hardware model next year, and its biggest change will be a removable drive. According to reliable reporter Tom Henderson, writing for a new website called Insider Gaming, gamers will have the option to plug in a UHD Blu-ray drive via an additional USB-C port on the back of the system. However, it won’t be required by fans who want to go all digital. According to Henderson’s report, the new system will be sold in two variants: on its own, similar to the existing PS5 Digital Edition, or bundled with the removable drive. Players will also be able to purchase the drive individually if they choose to adopt physical media later down the line – or, indeed, need to replace a broken part. Excitingly, the article claims that the drive will match the aesthetics of the redesigned device, meaning you’ll be able to fit it into the device so it looks like it’s part of the original hardware – even though it’s technically a stand-alone accessory. It’s worth mentioning that the anonymous sources cited in the story do not indicate that there will be changes to the platform’s performance as part of this redesign. So it’s not a PS5 Pro. However, it’s likely that this redesign will also be lighter and smaller than the existing model – regardless of whether you plug in the drive or not. The new unit is expected to go on sale sometime around September 2023, with Sony ordering 18.5 million units of the new console and just 12 million units of the current model. While this is a surprising story on the surface, it makes sense. The PS5 Digital Edition has generally been hard to find, so offering the drive as an optional add-on – either as part of a bundle or as a separate standalone purchase – would give consumers more flexibility in this increasingly non-physical age. Henderson has leaked hardware like the DualSense Edge in the past, so we have no reason not to trust his sources – but it goes without saying that this is an odd rumor, and so the details could either be wrong or change. However, it does potentially give us an exciting glimpse into Sony’s plans – we’ll check with the manufacturer and see if they have anything to add.
