History repeats itself for Sony. After the difficulties in supplying the PS5 between 2020 and 2022, it is now the turn of external disk drive to default.
This accessory, essential for owners of games in physical format displays ” out of stock “ at Amazon, Fnac, Micromania and all major resellers. The days when you could get the reader at the official price of 119.99 euros now seem like a distant memory.
Resellers are taking advantage of the situation
On eBay, prices are already soaring. Ads for the detachable 4K Blu-ray player are reaching new heights, with prices reaching 350 euros. An artificial inflation which directly penalizes consumers, especially since the price of the PS5 Pro is already damn steep.
Sony has not officially reacted to this situation, nor announced measures to counter speculation during a possible restocking.
A commercial strategy that raises questions
Sony’s choice not to integrate the player directly into its new premium console raises questions. This decision deprives the PS5 Pro of a popular function, namely the playback of 4K Blu-rays.
Gamers with a collection of physical games find themselves in a tricky situation, forced to look for an accessory that had become rare even before the release of the console.
A shift towards fully digital technology
This shortage does not seem to worry the Japanese giant too much. For several years, Sony is actively pushing towards a complete digital transition.
This strategy, which maximizes profits by removing traditional intermediaries, could explain lack of willingness to resolve the external drive situation. Difficult to say if this break is a way for the PlayStation branch to test the waters of all-digital, or simply synonymous with the enormous success to come of the new console.
It will obviously be interesting for the Japanese to see what impact this break will have on sales of the PS5 Pro, as well as that on sales of games from the PlayStation Store.
- PS5 Pro external disk drive is out of stock globally
- Prices explode on resale sites, reaching up to 350 euros
- Sony remains silent, visibly favoring its all-digital strategy
