The problem is, Sony doesn’t really want you to buy physical. It’s been less aggressive than its rivals at phasing out its retail presence, but make no mistake, it’d rather you shop on the PS Store. That’s one reason why the PS5 Pro comes without a disc drive.
Now we actually give the company some degree of credit for being flexible here. While we’ve complained about the overall cost of the PS5 Pro plenty, we do think there’s merit in allowing consumers to choose whether they’re interested in physical media or not.
The big problem is that the platform holder’s come completely unprepared. As we’ve reported previously, the optional PS5 Disc Drive accessory has been selling for an enormous mark-up on auction sites, and Sony’s done a terrible job replenishing stock.
At the time of writing, the add-on is still unavailable at PlayStation Direct in the UK and USA, and we’ve heard from various readers that the situation is similar across Europe as well. British chain Currys has had some stock in today, although it’s pushed the price up from £99.99 to £109.99 due to its scarcity, knowing it can profit from the overall lack of availability. It’s since sold out, too.
On sites like eBay, resellers are charging anywhere up to £149.99 for one of these, which isn’t quite as high as it was a couple of weeks ago, but is still extraordinary for an accessory that shouldn’t be hard to find. All in all, it’s leading to significant frustration within the fanbase.
Now if stores like Currys are beginning to get stock, then it means Sony is shipping out units and this issue should be resolved in due course. But it should never have come to this, and the company deserves criticism for putting consumers in this position.
We have our doubts, but let’s hope the stock situation is resolved come Christmas.
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