Does PS5 Pro have a disc drive? Here's what you need to know
If you have a large library of physical games, the PS5 Pro might not be for you
💰 The PS5 Pro costs $699.99, but you’ll have to pay more if you enjoy physical games
🥲 That’s because the PS5 Pro is a digital-only console
😕 You can purchase a disc drive for $79.99 but supply has been snapped up
🤔 If you have a large library of physical games, it’s worth bearing in mind
Sony’s PS5 Pro promises to deliver meaningful visual and performance upgrades to some of the best PlayStation 5 games. But if you’ve amassed a large library of physical games or prefer discs or digital copies, you’d hope the PS5 Pro would have a disc drive.
Unfortunately, even though the PS5 Pro costs $699.99, the console does not include a disc drive. You’ll even need to spend a little extra if you want to position the console upright, as a vertical stand isn’t included.
The PS5 Disc Drive costs $79.99 and can be attached to the PlayStation 5 thanks to the system’s modular design. However, ahead of the PS5 Pro’s release date, the PS5 Disc Drive sold out at many retailers as scalpers saw an opportunity to restrict supply as demand increases.
Thankfully, the PS5 Pro at least has 2TB of storage, which means you won’t have to rush out to buy one of the best PS5 SSD expansion after downloading each month’s PS Plus free games or after purchasing more PS5 Pro enhanced games.
But still, having to pay more to be able to play your existing physical games or turn the console into a 4K Blu-ray player is a hard pill to swallow. If you own a game that gets updated for PS5 Pro but only have a disc copy, it seems counterintuitive that you’d have to spend $79.99 to enjoy it or be forced to buy the game again digitally.
Before you buy a PS5 Pro, then, make sure that you’re aware the console does not come with a disc drive. That might be okay for some, but if you still prefer buying discs or already have a large collection of games, be prepared to pay $79.99 for the disc drive add-on.
Up next: 8K PS5 Pro games: every title running at the highest resolution on Sony's console
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.