Summary
Scalpers in the United Kingdom are selling the optical disc drives that can be used with thePlayStation 5 Profor inflated prices. While the upcomingPS5 Prohas garnered buzz for its enhanced technical capabilities in comparison to the standard PS5 model, fans have noted a few concerns and drawbacks that could leave them thinking twice before trading in on November 7. One of the most noteworthy is the lack of a built-in physical disc drive, which could be a problem for gamers who prefer physical media or have a large collection of PS4 and PS5 titles on disc.
Luckily, Sony already has a solution on the market for those who wish to play physical games on their new PS5 Pro consoles: theattachable PS5 Slim Disc Drivethat was launched in late 2023. Interest in these disc drives naturally skyrocketed following the official unveiling of the PlayStation 5 Pro back in September, causing them to sell out at online retailers. However, this isn’t a perfect solution, as many have pointed out that the drives add about $80 to the already hefty price tag of the PS5 Pro.
This could be even more costly in the UK, where the PS5 Slim Disc Drives are currently unavailable to purchase outside of secondhand resellers. According toPushSqaure, these scalpers have been charging as much as £400 (or about $521.22) on websites like eBay, whereas theofficial PlayStation storeonly charges £99.99 ($130.29). Other, less expensive options are being listed at £151.00 ($196.76) and £200.00 ($260.61), with some even adding postage charges. This is in addition tothe PlayStation 5 Prothat these units are presumably going to be paired with, which will cost £699.99 in the UK and $699.99 in the United States.
UK Scalpers Are Making The PS5 Pro Even More Pricey
Despite the massive price of admission, the PlayStation 5 Pro has already become the best-selling console at retailers like Amazon, at least in the US. Sony has even addressed the lack of a physical disc drive that serves as the underlying issue of this UK scalping dilemmaon the PS5 Pro’s packaging, though some players who would rather use discs are puzzled at this seemingly being listed as a good thing.
As noted before,the PlayStation 5 Pro is a heavy investmenteven for the most diehard Sony enthusiasts, especially those would wish to compensate for the console’s lack of support for physical media by ordering a PS5 Slim Disc Drive alongside it. Unfortunately, not everyone can easily find this helpful add-on at the moment, leaving scalpers to capitalize on the shortage like they did when the original PS5 launched during the pandemic of 2020.
PlayStation 5 Pro
Sony’s PlayStation 5 Pro is the mid-generation evolution of the PS5, one that comes with an improved GPU and 2TB of storage space. The graphics card is advertised to offer 67% more compute units than the base PS5, along with 28% faster memory. The PS5 Pro also uses AI to offer an enhanced resolution for 4K TV and Advanced Ray Tracing.The console does not come with a disc drive or a vertical stand, both of which are sold separately.
