Earlier today, the newly formed Insider Gaming revealed new changes coming to the PlayStation 5 in 2023 in the form of a major overhaul. According to Insider, the PlayStation 5 will receive detachable disc drive in its upcoming model, which launches sometime next September 2023. Sony had been no stranger to improvements made on their latest console. However, this development seemed to be their biggest yet.
Insider’s sources alleged that the next iteration of the PlayStation 5 would “completely replace” the previous versions that had been in production since its initial launch. It’s alleged to have nearly identical hardware to its previous versions, except for a detachable disk drive. The sources say that the new disc drive would be connected to the PlayStation 5 by an extra USB-C port on the back of the console.
Despite no official images of the upcoming PlayStation 5 model existing, the sources claimed that the detachable disc drive wouldn’t “…ruin the aesthetics of the console and will attach to it without looking external…” In all likelihood, the new PlayStation 5 model would emulate the design of the existing model. However, there is speculation that the newer model might be “slimmer and lighter,” akin to what Sony did with the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5’s latest models.
Due to the disc drive being detachable, the sources alleged that the PlayStation 5’s upcoming model could be sold separately or in a bundle. They also alluded that the disk drive could be sold separately, so users wouldn’t need to go through the hassle of buying a new console if it broke.
With the newest iteration of the PlayStation 5 on the horizon, Sony has anticipated its release. Insider’s sources said that the company expects to produce 18.5 million units of the upcoming PlayStation 5 model in the 2023 Fiscal Year; and scaling back production of the PlayStation 5’s previous version, the A-C chassis consoles, to only 12 million units as they are phased out.
Sony has yet to speak on this information, but if what Insider’s sources alleged is true, it likely won’t be long until we hear from them before the end of the year or by Spring 2023.