PS5: 10 Major Worries Sony MUST Address
6. Differences Between Discs And No Discs
One notable aspect of the PlayStation 5's console reveal was its two versions - one comes with a disc-player that can support both PS5 games and 4K Ultra Blu-Rays, the other does not.
Many would agree the digital console is likely to be cheaper as it removes a chunk of the hardware. Sony's initial success with the PlayStation 4 was fuelled by how they were very committed towards the selling and sharing of physical media. This new console version speaks to a potentially different direction.
Offering both a disc and disc-less version of the PS5, what does this say about the future of gaming? Are we looking at a digital only industry? In the previous generation, Microsoft took a lot of flack for attempting to assert control over physical game sales, requiring a fee for pre-owned games alongside registration of disc copies to one console.
Sony has avoided this pitfall by offering consumers a choice between one system or the other, but what does this mean for gaming as a whole?
Will discs eventually be phased out to minimise production costs? Are we about to forgo the game box in favour of endless downloads?
Following the direction Sony takes over the PS5's life-cycle will reveal the answers.