Another PS5 redesign could arrive next year, with a rather formative change to that of a removable disk drive.
It looks like the most impactful PS5 redesign yet, according to leaker Tom Henderson via his new website, Insider Gaming (Opens in a new tab). He claims the next revision is expected to be released around September 2023. And Sony is reportedly shaking things up by selling the console with a removable disk drive that connects via the USB-C port. Henderson says that the new PS5 and its drive can be purchased separately or as a bundle.
Supposedly dubbed "PlayStation 5 Chassis D," this will be the fourth hardware revision since the PS5 launched in 2020. Although Henderson says he doesn't expect any major changes beyond the removable disk drive, we can expect it to be slimmer. and lighter than the current model. On the surface, it shouldn't be drastically different from the PS5 as we know it, and the disc drive would plug into the console without looking like an obviously external accessory.
He adds that this new iteration of PS5 will replace all the existing models that Sony has produced so far. Previous hardware revisions, the latest of which was released earlier this month, have largely focused on weight reduction and the introduction of a smaller heat sink.
The best review so far?
Having a removable drive will be the biggest change we've seen to date since a PS5 console revision. While I must stress that this won't be the silver bullet that will put a system in every home, I really like the idea of having an optional USB-C attached drive.
For starters, Sony will effectively consolidate the PS5 and PS5 Digital Edition into one SKU. So, after the supposed re-release of the PS5, gamers can buy a single standard edition of the console, with the option to buy the disc drive separately, either immediately or at a later date.
And sure, there haven't been widespread cases of PS5 drive failures, but the supposed redesign should at least make replacement easier and cheaper since it's no longer attached to the console.
Sadly, I'm not convinced this will help combat the PS5's recent price hike, especially given Henderson's comments about the console's hardware remaining largely the same. That would obviously be nice, given that expensive peripherals like the DualSense Edge controller and the upcoming PSVR 2 aren't far behind. But it wouldn't make you expect a price drop, not even next September. However, we can always dream, right?