The digital versions of the PS5 are great, truly. Slim, cheaper than the base models, and they have plenty of fast storage.
But, digital PlayStation games are incredibly expensive compared to physical discs. Particularly when you consider older games, and the second-hand market.
Sure, there’s no financial benefit to Sony by having a second-hand market. So they’re not missing anything by making more money off digital releases.
However, those of us that still have Blu-Rays and want to catch-up on older games, can benefit in a big way.
So, we took the punt and bought the official drive to add to our digital PS5. And whilst the results are exactly what we hoped for. We have to talk about how easy it was to do!
Easy as pie
We cannot over-state quite how simple this process is. There are instructions in the box, all the gear you need, too.
But it took all of 5 minutes, even being super-careful.
Here’s our quick guide to help you out, if you’re giving it a go, too.
For the Original PS5 Digital Edition:
- Power Down and Disconnect: Completely power off the PS5, and unplug all cables.
- Position the Console: Lay the console on its side with the PlayStation logo facing down. This orients the console so the correct side panel is accessible.
- Remove the Bottom Panel: The panel without the PlayStation logo needs to be removed. This is typically done by gently lifting the corner and sliding the panel off.
- Expose the Drive Bay: With the panel removed, you will see the empty bay and the electronic connectors where the disc drive is meant to be installed.
- Attach the Drive: The official disc drive is designed to align with specific mounting points and connectors within this bay. It should be carefully positioned and then clicked securely into place.
- Replace with the New Cover: The original plain cover is replaced with a new one that comes with the disc drive. This new cover has a slot for inserting discs.
For the PS5 Slim Digital Edition:
The process for the PS5 Slim is even more streamlined, as the console was designed with this modularity in mind from the outset.
- Power Down and Position: As with the original, ensure the console is off and unplugged, then lay it on a flat surface.
- Pop Off the Lower Panel: The bottom half of the side panel is designed to be easily removed by hand, exposing the disc drive bay.
- Align and Click: The disc drive is then aligned with the two designated holes and the connector, and pushed in firmly until it clicks into place.
- Attach the New Panel: The original panel is replaced by the new panel included with the disc drive, which features the disc slot.
In both cases, the installation is an external attachment to a dedicated port under the side panel, not an insertion through the front of the console. Upon restarting the PS5, the system will prompt you to connect to the internet to register the new drive to your console for the first time.
It just works!
If you’ve followed the steps above, or the ones in your box. You’re done!
Never did we think that something so seemingly complicated would be so quick and easy. Our PS5 is disc-ready. We’re saving money on games and playing our films (so old….).
Sony have truly outdone themselves with this one. It’s genuinely blown our minds.
PS5 and disc-based consoles still have a place in our hearts and minds. Well done Sony.
