A few months ago, there was a leak that claimed Sony was working on an upgraded version of the PS5. There was no mention of the PS5 Slimbut for the data it is clear that this new model should comply with everything that could be expected from the Slim version of the mentioned console: reduced size, more efficient operation and minor changes at the hardware level that would reduce costs without sacrificing performance.

However, the new PS5 version will have important news, a change we’ve never seen on a console, which is that it could have a removable optical drive. It may not make much sense at first glance, but in fact the opposite is true. Releasing a console with a removable optical drive would allow Sony to no longer have to offer two versions of the PS5, one with an optical drive and one without.

The Japanese company could thus reduce its offer to a single PS5 console and already it would be the user who would decide whether to purchase a removable optical drive or not. For Sony, this change would be a master move as it would allow it to simplify the production of its console and this could affect the final cost and help it maximize the profit obtained from each unit sold.

According to Tom Henderson, a very reliable source in the video game industry, this new console is already done and got into the hands of the developers. The presence of this removable optical drive is unofficially confirmed and is said to work perfectly. The same source says that Sony could end production of the two current PS5 models in 2023, and that it will only produce this new console with a swappable optical drive from then on.

We still don’t have details about other possible changes at the hardware level, but as I said at the beginning of this article, we can wait minor modifications to reduce size, consumption and cost. Keep in mind that the new cost reduction would not in itself mean a drop in selling price, in fact the opposite happened with the PS5. Sony managed to cut production costs on several occasions and still decided to increase the price of your console by 50 euros.

As long as demand remains high and production remains so low Sony will be able to keep the price of the PS5 at whatever level they see fit. Fortunately, we have alternatives, the Xbox Series X is easier to get at the recommended price and the Xbox Series S is a very interesting option if we play in 1080p, especially now that its price has occasionally dropped to 250 euros.