PS5 Slim disc drive requires an internet connection on first use
Some eagle-eyed social media users have spied fineprint on the box of the optional disc drive for the new PS5 Slim, which states that an internet connection is required to pair the drive with the console for the first time. Basically, a server needs to verify that you are using an official Sony product and not some third-party hardware. That, in itself, is already a sour point for some users, who’d like to use whichever disc drive they want.
Aside from kind of defeating the point of having a disc drive in the first place, which ideally allows players to enjoy their games offline, this requirement does raise some concerns for the future. After all, these servers registering your hardware may not always be online, either because they are shut down due to the PS5 getting old or because they are being attacked – Sony is not a stranger to having its services assaulted by hackers, unfortunately.
The upcoming PS5 Slim models have shed some weight.
Sony
On the other hand, the fact that Sony requires authentication now does not automatically mean that this will stay so forever. Once the PS5 reaches a certain age and Sony no longer sees any profitability in this verification process, the company could very well drop this requirement. This potential course of action won’t change anything about the current situation, naturally.
The attachable Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive for the PS5 Slim Digital Edition will be sold for $79.99 USD / £99.99 GBP / €119.99 EUR. Sony’s refreshed consoles and their accessories will be sold in the US starting in November 2023.
Digital-only is becoming more and more of a thing even on consoles, where physical discs have been putting up more of a fight than on PC. However, the pressure on users to drop discs grows from year to year and some games straight-up don’t release as physical copies anymore, such as the highly anticipated Alan Wake 2.
