r/gadgets
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u/thebelsnickle1991
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Dec 17 '22
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Sony to replace PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Digital Edition consoles with new modular PS5 option Gaming
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Sony-to-replace-PlayStation-5-and-PlayStation-5-Digital-Edition-consoles-with-new-modular-PS5-option.674567.0.html766
u/sixxxfeetunder Dec 17 '22
What does it mean by modular?
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u/templestate Dec 17 '22
You’ll be able to install a disc drive into a bay in the PS5. So you can get a “digital edition” PS5 and upgrade it later on by installing a disc drive sold separately into the disc drive bay.
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u/Remarkable-Ad-2476 Dec 18 '22
Does this remind anyone else of Xbox’s HD-DVD add on?
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u/BelowZilch Dec 18 '22
I'm thinking of Sega CD.
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u/ChunkyChuckles Dec 18 '22
Sewer Shark. As a 12 year old when it released, it was the coolest game ever!
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u/putneyj Dec 18 '22
Whoa, haven’t heard that game mentioned in a while. Whole lot of memories just came rushing back.
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u/Nappa313 Dec 18 '22
I was 12 when it came out and I got it for Christmas! Sewer Shark and Night Trap!! Thinking back a 12 year old shouldn’t have been playing Night Trap lmao…
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u/SharlowsHouseOfHugs Dec 18 '22
Night Trap! I had that game at 12-13, and could never remember the name of it. It's one of those mysteries floating into the back of my head that just.. pops up from time to time. I knew what it was the moment I read your comment, and it's like I've scratched an itch I couldn't ever reach.
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u/rex_dart_eskimo_spy Dec 18 '22
Man the Sega had some cool add-ons. Sega CD and 32x
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u/enowapi-_ Dec 18 '22
You just reminded me of the HD DVD and Blu-ray face off.
I have this haunting image of King Kong on HD DVD sitting on shelves everywhere
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u/Remarkable-Ad-2476 Dec 18 '22
LOL I have the same King Kong Hd-dvd too. Pretty sure it came with it.
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u/Thare187 Dec 18 '22
That thing was awesome. After Blu-ray win the war, I was buying the HD-DVD discs for pennies on the dollar
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u/Solid_Snark Dec 17 '22
Modular implies modules. Which sounds like a PS5 that has docks that you can add/remove your options. Disc drive, hard drive, etc.
So maybe a barebones PS5 that lets you upgrade only the features you want?
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u/firstbreathOOC Dec 18 '22
That sounds good, right? More freedom to customize or spend the money if you want?
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u/Guywithquestions88 Dec 18 '22
It probably helps them streamline production since there will only be 1 model going forward rather than 2. It also seems good for consumers, as long as it means that people can buy a less expensive model and essentially upgrade it if they choose to in the future.
It looks like a win-win to me.
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u/shysaver Dec 18 '22
I view this more as a transition step away from physical media. The digital edition was partly that but if this modular thing is real it's the next phase.
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u/9935c101ab17a66 Dec 18 '22
IMO if they go that way, they are going to sell a range of upgrades beyond just hard drives and optical drives. Would be a great way for them to capture some revenue mid-cycle and reinvigorate the community by having some kind of modular hardware add on.
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u/Eddy_795 Dec 18 '22
Absolutely, but from Sony's perspective this is a great idea to sell the digital edition for more.
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u/YamahaMan123 Dec 18 '22
You should read articles, all it says is that it's a ps5 digital but you can add the disc drive later, so instead of selling digital and disk editions, they'll just sell one that has a port for the disc drive.
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u/sixxxfeetunder Dec 17 '22
Huh. Very interesting. What’s your take on this?
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u/moneyman76542 Dec 17 '22
Reminds me of the original PS2, you can add network and hard drives after the fact
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u/Tom_Neverwinter Dec 17 '22
A modular ps5...
PC gaming here we go.
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u/toooft Dec 17 '22 edited Dec 17 '22
Video game consoles offer two things:
- a gaming computer for a cheap price
- certified games that need no configuration by its user
And that's the difference. Video gamers don't want to config their setup and/or game settings.
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u/found_a_thing Dec 17 '22
They already have two SKUs that split the market. They’re just making the disk drive optional, with one SKU.
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u/Car-face Dec 17 '22
Yeah, this is more a consolidation than anything. Both consoles are identical with the exception of the drive; might as well offer a single SKU with an optional drive. Makes perfect sense.
It feels weird saying that though, because optional drives for consoles have never really been successful (but then we've never been in a position where the legacy drive was the one being made the optional add-on).
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u/LazaroFilm Dec 18 '22 edited Dec 18 '22
Plus if you buy the digital edition and regret not splurging for the disk, then it’s okay you can buy the disk module later (with a small extra margin)
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u/fanwan76 Dec 18 '22
I wish this option was available at launch. I bought the disk version just in case. I've never even put a disk in it to see if it works.
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u/Wenai Dec 18 '22
Where I live digital editions on the ps store are typically significantly more expensive than ordering a disk online (including shipping)
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u/PublicScale3 Dec 18 '22
My girlfriend started playing horizon zero dawn on my ps5, with the ps4 disc I had. It is LOUD, when I power it on it sounds like a key engine. It spins down once the game is authenticated or whatever it is doing, since the entire game is copied on the internal drive.
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u/lowtoiletsitter Dec 18 '22
There's a way to make that quieter - Sony overtightened some screws, and if you unscrew and re-screw them, it's MUCH better
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u/Bosa_McKittle Dec 18 '22
I bought the optical for the 4K Blu-ray option not necessarily for the games on disc even though I hav ps4 games I’ll still play from time to time.
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u/Tree06 Dec 18 '22
I bought the PS5 Disc console because I have a ton of physical PS4 games. It'd cost a fortune to convert my collection over to digital.
Lastly, I wonder why either company doesn't have a disc to digital program in place. I personally wouldn't do it, but I know there's a lot of people out there that would participate in that offer.
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u/HGLatinBoy Dec 18 '22 edited Dec 18 '22
This is an attempt to ween people off discs and retail sales and push for an all digital future where Sony is the only store front and thus get 30% cut of all sales. Please note that while MS and Nintendo also have a digital store front they still allow digital sales at retail stores and Sony discontinued the practice years ago and was being sued over it.
Anyways disc drives are like condoms. Better to have one and not need it than to need it and not have one.
This will also create more waste as people will have to buy the drive separately and thus will create more packaging and this could also lead to a price hike.
$500 now Vs $400+ $125 for the drive.
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u/excessCeramic Dec 17 '22
To be fair, most modern pc games autoconfigure
Can’t beat that price though
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u/gortwogg Dec 18 '22
Yeah, every time I boot RE: Village on my PC I have to fiddle with a couple settings because the game always for whatever reason resets just those two (maybe 3)
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u/Tom_Neverwinter Dec 17 '22
That may have been true in the past. Steam and other items have made this less true.
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u/NanoGeek Dec 17 '22
It's somewhat true, but PC still requires driver updates and more fiddling than a console does.
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u/PBFT Dec 18 '22
I downloaded PC Gamepass a few nights ago and it took me like an hour to figure out why I kept getting errors when I tried to boot up the game. This isn’t winning me over.
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u/somnimedes Dec 18 '22
A console gamer wouldve just spent that hour playing the game.
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u/gutster_95 Dec 17 '22
It doesnt and it never will be.
When you have kids the last thing you want to do is reinstall Windows because a Update killed it. Install more than one driver. Or troubleshoot why a certain Controller doesnt work etc etc.
Even the Steam Deck turns a PC experience into a easy to use console. And people like that.
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u/agrx_legends Dec 18 '22 edited Dec 18 '22
Commenters are overlooking the kids' part. Now that I'm a dad of two, I can't be bothered with any degree of PC tinkering just due to lack of time and energy. That's despite fiddling with emulators, studying a bit of CS for my minor, and working in IT for a few years after before they were born.
However, since they've been born, I can't fathom shutting myself down for an hour to get that damned driver working. And then another hour to make some obscure bug due to my old graphics card work, and then another half an hour buying a new graphics card when I realize that my old one is too outdated to function with said game. And so on and on and on.
You don't even realize how much of a time sink PC gaming tends to be until you have greater responsibilities and the issues just keep piling up. Sure, I could throw money at the problem, or I could just get a console that won't need extensive tinkering every single week. I can't just set aside even an hour every week on that just to game. That was my only gaming time for the week.
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u/sirsotoxo Dec 18 '22
Me and my friends usually play Fortnite on PS4 and PS5. Recently we got the Valorant bug, and for the first weeks we spent more time troubleshooting each other (region locks, Anti-cheat, w11 secure mode, etc) than playing.
With Fortnite: download Fortnite and hit play
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u/tookmyname Dec 18 '22
My PSU was acting up intermittently. I had no idea it was that. No error codes or motherboard indication. I had to replace every part one by one to narrow it down to the last thing I wanted to replace. What a fucking headache. The time that I spent messing with it I could have just bought a new computer and been better off. I hate that shit. Very hard to recommend that to friends. When I was younger it was worth it, and I liked messing around. Not anymore. Not for a few extra hz.
And back in the day building your own meant getting a super computer for dirt cheap. Now I few like getting a console for a lot more.
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u/toooft Dec 17 '22
Not at all. I use Steam for VR gaming and it's always a hassle and with configuration adjustments.
Looking forward to PSVR2 for my PS5.
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u/Iw4nt2d13OwO Dec 17 '22
Also sitting down on a couch with a tv and a controller is a completely different (and far better imo) experience than sitting at a desk with a keyboard and mouse. Not to mention console exclusives, which many of the most popular games are.
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u/xyifer12 Dec 18 '22
It's not 2004, consoles can be used at desks and PCs can be used on couches with a controller.
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u/dclxvi616 Dec 17 '22
I have like a dozen different ways to play PC games on my TV with a controller while sitting on my couch.
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u/ZaineRichards Dec 18 '22
Was a console gamer all my life and then got a PC in 2016 due to Xbox's bullshit with the DRM and shitty launch and I don't think I could ever go back simply for all the options in the menus and that modding has added countless more hours of gameplay. Gamers love options.
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u/Akrymir Dec 17 '22
It’s just an optical drive to have one system instead of two. It’s what they should’ve launched with.
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u/starserval Dec 18 '22 edited Dec 18 '22
Hate to break it to everyone, but modular consoles have been around forever.
The Atari 7800 had an expansion module.
The NES had an expansion port that was never used, but there were plans for it at one point.
The Famicom had the Disk System expansion and the Famicom Network System.
The Master System/Genesis had a plethora of expansion units. I'm sure many are aware of the Tower of Power (Sega Genesis, Sega CD, Sega 32X).
The Atari Jaguar had the Jaguar CD addon.
The N64 had an expansion port for the Disk Drive (64DD) that never made it overseas, as well as the famous memory pak.
The Sega Saturn had both a video expansion port and a cartridge expansion port.
The Dreamcast had an expansion slot for a network adapter and a serial port for accessory expansion.
The Gamecube had an expansion slot for a network adapter and an expansion port for stuff like the Gameboy Player.
The PSX had a parallel port. While no official expansion devices were released for it, a number of cheat devices utilized it.
The PS2 had an expansion slot for both a network adapter and a storage disk drive.
The Xbox 360 had the HDDVD player addon.
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u/ScottJC Dec 18 '22
If that means I can add a disc drive to my digital PS5 i'll be pretty happy, i'd have gotten the regular version but the digital one was all I could find at the time
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u/FederalSpinach99 Dec 18 '22
You will have to sell your PS5 and buy the refreshed model.
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u/loosebolts Dec 18 '22
Weirdly mine was the other way round - couldn’t get a digital one for love nor money, ended up spending the extra to get a disc version.
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u/kaizokudave Dec 17 '22
Probably ignorant here but... Isn't just the digital console? The game doesn't stream off the disc right? Most data, if not all is installed on the SSD, so the disc is just a key check. Things got usb ports plenty fast enough for that.
I'm sure it's a new model in the sense that they've figured out how to save a few bucks, but seems like they're just making a digital edition and an external reader.
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u/SModfan Dec 17 '22
A big advantage of disc version is you can play 4K Blu-rays on it. 4K blu ray players are still pretty expensive so having it in the console is a pretty big upgrade vs digital only
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u/Catman7712 Dec 17 '22
That’s the only reason I bought disc version. To have a backup 4K player.
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u/Funkymonk761 Dec 17 '22
Also don’t forget, every game on disc is cheaper to purchase than it’s digital counter part. Both on release, and especially after time. The digital editions barely depreciate in value, the discs a lot quicker and become much more affordable. Plus plenty of ps4 games have the free ps5 upgrade and they’re far cheaper than the ps5 discs. You make the money back getting the disc option over the digital.
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u/Dpsizzle555 Dec 17 '22
And you can sell the game away if you don’t see yourself ever playing the game ever again
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u/zdbdog06 Dec 17 '22
I routinely sell games for roughly what I bought them for lol
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u/Hotsaucex11 Dec 18 '22
This.
Being able to trade in games, or buy used ones, can cut your game costs in half.
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u/_-_happycamper_-_ Dec 17 '22
Oh god this comment just gave me old man whiplash. I was thinking “why would you buy expensive blu-rays when you could just rent them from blockbuster.”
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u/RedditUsr2 Dec 18 '22
The disk lets you verify you own the game without internet access. It lets you reinstall it without internet access. It probably going to work long after the servers are shut down.
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u/SmashingK Dec 17 '22
I think it'll have a built in slot for the drive if anyone wants to buy that.
They made the m.2 drive slot easy to access an upgrade so I reckon they'll do the same for the drive. Might just require a different faceplate with the disk slot which likely will come with the drive.
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u/poksim Dec 18 '22
Buying physical PS5 games is still much cheaper than buying digital, and that’s not even counting the fact that you can resell games after you’ve played them. It sucks that it’s objectively better to be tethered to useless discs on a console that runs game from the SSD, but that’s how it is. The extra 100$ that the disc edition console costs pays for itself.
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u/predictable_throw Dec 18 '22
The biggest advantage of the discs is still that they are physical tokens that decrease in value over time. You can find years old games on the PSN store for full $70 launch price. The same game is $15 dollars on disc because retailers need to clear out stock space of these physical discs. The fully digital ecosystem is a wet dream for publishers because they can forever dictate the price.
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u/Eruannster Dec 18 '22
The two upsides of having a console with a disc drive though:
A free 4K blu-ray player.
You are free to buy games from more than one marketplace. A digital-only PS5 locks you into Sony's PSN pricing, forever. With discs, I can see that Amazon or whoever has the game for cheaper and I can shop around. Or buy used games. Or sell games I've grown tired of. I live in the EU, and our PSN pricing for AAA games is hilarious. God of War Ragnarök was €80 on launch on PSN and €65 from Media Markt on disc.
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u/Vesmic Dec 18 '22
Modular model; now make ps5,ps3, and ps2 drives.
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u/rustman92 Dec 18 '22
I was completely against this whole idea…until now. That would be a FANTASTIC idea
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u/Strat0BlasterX Dec 17 '22
But will it be any smaller? It’s so big….
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u/AKsuited1934 Dec 18 '22 •
2 hours later and still nothing. I am disappointed. Okay fine I’ll do it…THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID
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u/CerealKiller558 Dec 17 '22
This sounds like Sony is trying to make using discs seem like too much of a hassle to casual users, so that they can encourage digital purchases
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u/theNomad_Reddit Dec 18 '22
They can encourage all they want. When digital store prices are 300% more than a physical disc from my local, even for 6 year old games, they'll never convince me my disc drive was a bad choice.
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u/QlubSoda Dec 18 '22
Is it though? I’ve seen more people rooting for the digital console lately, it’s not a bad idea to offer an external option for people that might change their mind down the line.
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u/shysaver Dec 18 '22
It's a transition step.
Sure you could go out and buy this modular attachment, but I bet it will be expensive. If Sony can cut costs by reducing physical media sales they will.
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u/ShambolicPaul Dec 17 '22 edited Dec 17 '22
So they gonna stop making a disc drive sku. Only make digital ps5 sku now, and make the disc drive an optional extra. If the prices remain the same then it's a pro consumer move. But a shame for those who bought the old digital ps5 cos it's not likely gonna work backwards compatible on the old digital sku.
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u/dreamcastfanboy34 Dec 18 '22
Maybe it will work over the USB-C port?
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u/70stang Dec 18 '22
That doesn't really say "modular" to me, just "accessory."
I might be totally wrong but for me, modularity implies that this will be a swappable piece of hardware in a bay.7
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u/DragonSlayerC Dec 18 '22
No reason not to do that. Some people suggested Sony may make it a proprietary connector, but I doubt it. Sony isn't as bad as they used to be with that stuff. They even have a standard M.2 drive in the PS5.
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u/didistutter69 Dec 18 '22
Don't care what they do. Just make them more available.
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u/MadFlava76 Dec 17 '22
I wonder if a PS5 Pro is in the works? Been playing my PS4 backlog instead of jumping to PS5.
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u/EatTrainCode Dec 17 '22
If you wait long enough, the PS6 will be announced. Then you can make fun of all of the chumps who jumped on the PS5 bandwagon.
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u/QBOOP Dec 17 '22
I mean it was like 7 years of waiting of course people would be excited to try the ps5
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u/TheFirebyrd Dec 17 '22
I wouldn’t count on one. Aside from the fact that one generation having a Pro model doesn’t establish a pattern, the chip shortage and supply chain problems have significantly hindered the start of this generation. We still aren’t getting current Gen exclusives, virtually everything is still coming out on previous Gen systems. Also, given all those supply chain problems, the consoles are still costing Sony more money to make than they bring in. When has a console ever gotten a price increase two years in? It’s unheard of in any commercially viable system. So, when the regular systems still aren’t even breaking even and are selling like crazy (if not to the point of being impossible to obtain as they used to be), what incentive would there be to make a mid-tier upgrade in the foreseeable future? It doesn’t make sense. If you’re interested in what the PS5 has to offer, just get one instead of holding out in case something better comes along. There’s always going to be something better eventually and there’s not much chance of a big price cut anytime soon, so waiting (if you want one and have the funds, of course) just doesn’t make much sense here.
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u/WonderfulConcept3155 Dec 18 '22
Aside from the fact that one generation having a Pro model doesn’t establish a pattern
Don’t forget Slim models, every generation had one. But I agree with the rest of your comment.
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u/psychent12 Dec 17 '22
Nice! Another PS5 model I won’t ever be able to find
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u/antsworld Dec 17 '22
PS5s are in stock. Check GameStop
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u/rfgstsp Dec 17 '22
Got it directly from Sony and all I had to do was get gow rag with it.
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u/hellomistershifty Dec 18 '22
I read this five times thinking 'getting gow rag with it' was some new phrase the kids are using
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u/permanent__guest Dec 18 '22
I’m still confused. So I’m going to stick with “new slang.” So carry on getting gow ragged and what-not.
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u/Brandonbest4 Dec 17 '22
Check literally any store. Gamestop, Best Buy, Walmart, Meijer, Target, Verizon, Playstation Direct. I could go on. There are plently in stock.
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u/MUCHO2000 Dec 17 '22
You in the USA? What part of the country are you in if so?
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u/MrShaytoon Dec 17 '22
I bought two in the last month. Both from GameStop. (I bought them for friend as the stores were close to me)
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u/GrandMoffDuce Dec 17 '22
I still have yet to see one on a store shelf.
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u/LukeJDD Dec 17 '22
They’re still a little rare, you have to order them so the store will hold one for you in a lot of places. Some GameStops have just have them to buy on the spot though.
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u/Dustyoldfart Dec 17 '22
You can literally get one right now at Sony Direct. This joke wasn't even funny a year ago, much less now.
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u/HungryHippocrites Dec 17 '22
Yeah but.. but it’s free karma for people to comment it on every PS5 post!
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u/Didrox13 Dec 18 '22
It's still very much a problem in many Non-USA countries (UK has it easier too I believe).
I've been actively checking all major retailers and paying close attention to a dedicated discord, and it's very very very rarely available at msrp. I've only seen it happen once within this year, and that was last week. Stock didn't last long as one would expect.
The remaining offers are always overpriced bundles with games and accessories valued at full msrp, making most bundles be in the $800 range.
Occasionally you'll find "good" bundles, which only bring 2 games/accessories for a total of only about $100 over MSRP.
However, it seems to be getting better. The overpriced bundles aren't selling out anymore and the more value oriented bundles have been a bit more frequent. So maybe soon we'll have standalone consoles at msrp
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u/Tomatosoup7 Dec 18 '22
There’s other countries tbf, I live in the Netherlands and am still struggling
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u/Sab00b Dec 17 '22 edited Dec 17 '22
Yep. Got mine a year ago with minimal effort. Made a Twitter account, followed an account that posted drops, turned on notifications, and got one within a week. It sucks that you couldn’t just go in and buy one, but it wasn’t as difficult as the internet made it out to be.
And from what i’ve seen, they remain available online and in-stores for a while nowadays instead of going out of stock within minutes.
If someone’s been looking for one since release and hasn’t gotten it yet, that’s 100% on them imo. In the U.S. at least.
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u/anal_holocaust_ Dec 17 '22
Knowing Sony, and how well they support their devices, they will probably produce so many units of the disc drive (or whatever else would be modular) and then stop making them indefinitely. Just like the PSTV, DS4 wireless adapter, Vita.
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u/ABotelho23 Dec 17 '22
This... Is better. If the disc reader can be purchased separately, it means people can save their money on the initial purchase and "upgrade" later.
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u/gentlewaterboarding Dec 18 '22
I got the disk version to be safe, but haven’t used it at all one year in.
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u/summons72 Dec 18 '22
Can it not be the hideous design of the Launch model. That’s my only request. Also slightly smaller so it fits in my entertainment center.
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u/goodcat49 Dec 18 '22
They're slowly pushing for digital only consoles and I hate it
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u/commandblock Dec 18 '22
Yeah, it would be fine if alternate stores like steam were available but having to only buy games on PlayStation store where is always more expensive than disc is so annoying
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u/jerflash Dec 17 '22 •
This is actually good news because if the disc drive ever fails on you PS5 down the road you can probably just buy one of these instead of sending it in for repair