I can't buy the PS5 Pro – but it's not because I don't want to
I can't buy the PS5 Pro – but it's not because I don't want to
Sony needs to fix this PlayStation 5 Pro issue, and fast
😞 The PS5 Pro is a harder sell than it needs to be
🤔 The digital-only console requires a disc drive, which Sony sells for $79.99
🤷♂️ However, in the UK, it’s still sold out everywhere
🙌 Thankfully, it’s back in stock in the US but could sell out soon
Like a frozen microwave meal left to thaw in the sun, I’ve slowly warmed up to the PS5 Pro. However, I still can’t buy one – even if I wanted to.
The problem isn’t the PS5 Pro’s daunting price tag, which is difficult to swallow at $699.99, or the lack of truly game-changing PS5 Pro enhanced games. I’ve also made peace with the fact I wasn’t lucky enough to get the PS5 Pro 30th Anniversary Edition.
No, the problem is the PS5 Pro doesn’t have a disc drive. And though I’m personally okay with that (I tend to buy all my games digitally anyway) I still have enough physical PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 games that it bothers me. Some are being enhanced for Sony’s new console, too, like Hogwarts Legacy and The Callisto Protocol. Without a disc drive, I’d have to buy these games again digitally to see how they run on PS5 Pro.
An easy fix?
The solution to the PlayStation 5 Pro’s missing disc drive is obvious, of course. Spend $79.99 on the PS5 Disc Drive add-on and the problem is solved. At least it would be if you could buy the damn thing.
Even though the PS5 Pro is set to release on November 7 – and Sony also sold thousands of units of its PS5 Slim 30th Anniversary console last week – the PS5 Disc Drive remains sold out in the UK. Thankfully it’s just come back in stock at some retailers in the US like Walmart, Best Buy, and PlayStation Direct, but we Brits are fresh out of luck and it could sell out again soon.
Predictably, Scalpers took advantage of Sony’s questionable stock allocation when the PS5 Pro was announced, making eBay and other resellers the only place to buy the PS5 Disc Drive, albeit for far more than the MSRP.
We’ve seen this happen countless times before – and while I can begrudgingly look past it when it comes to limited-edition controllers and consoles that are purposefully scarce by design, being unable to buy a costly hardware add-on that people genuinely need is unacceptable.
The PlayStation 5 Pro is already a hard sell for many, and I’ve argued the PS5 Pro doesn’t make sense right now. And even though I still believe that’s the case (it’s very much a luxury purchase), Sony has made it even harder to justify.
Hopefully, a new wave of PS5 Disc Drive stock is on the way for UK gamers, and soon, especially as the PS5 Pro still hasn’t sold out ahead of its release. Until then, I can’t buy the PS5 Pro.
Up next: PS5 Pro vs PC: 5 reasons why Sony's new console is superior
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.