The big news of the last few weeks in the Playstation world is certainly the announcement of the PS5 Slima smaller and lighter version of the PlayStation 5. One of the most interesting features of the new console is the possibility of having a removable Blu-ray player, which can only be installed if necessary. An certainly interesting solution, which however seems to reserve a small surprise.
In fact, some leaks leaked online report that an internet connection will be required to use the disc player.
Will the PS5 Slim need to be connected to read the Blu-ray drive?
The discovery comes directly from some retailers who, in view of the November launch, have already received a preview of the new console. They noticed a writing on the box that reads: “Internet connection required to pair disc player and PS5 console during setup”.
Additional images of the Modern Warfare III PS5 Slim Bundle
Back says “150GB minimum.” Also says 90GB+ download required to play.
Bundle is available November 10th
(ty @_tlyer) pic.twitter.com/zAhx0lZWdu
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) October 24, 2023
This seemingly insignificant detail was arousing many doubts and criticisms online. Some have wondered whether the online connection will only be necessary the first time you connect the disc player to the console (after all, this is called “during setup”), or whether you will have to repeat the operation every time you remove it and hang up the player.
The main fear is that, in the future, the disc player could become unusable if Sony’s servers are decommissioned. It will basically be impossible to play discs in a distant future where the PS5 Slim will be obsolete.
Why do I require a connection to play disc games?
The reason for this strange request could be related to Digital Millennium Copyright Act, an American law against piracy. This law aims to prevent the installation of firmware on the console’s optical drive. Once upon a time, as those who grew up in the 90s will remember, this technique was used on the first PlayStation consoles to ensure that the device read pirated copies of games. An illegal practice known as “edit”.
The new PS5 Slim can be purchased on the PlayStation store at the recommended price of €549,99 with Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drives and €449,99 for the Digital Edition. According to what Sony announced, the new PlayStation 5 Slim will be available in November in the United States. It will therefore be “released globally in the coming months”. The launch of the PS5 Slim will therefore be added to the console’s current offering, coinciding with the Christmas holidays. It is also likely that the slim version will gradually expand replace the basic model.