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Sony is set to release a new version of their current-gen PlayStation console just in time for Christmas. It is a digital PS5 Slim that comes with an attachable disc drive. Packaging for the machine has appeared online, and the PS5 Slim disc drive comes with an internet connection requirement. This requirement has fans worried that it always needs to be online to work.
Sony revealed their first look at the new PS5 console earlier this month, and the machine is set to launch in November in the United States first. There are reports of a PS5 Slim bundle with MW3 and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 slated for November 10th, but these haven’t been confirmed by Sony as of writing. The size and dimensions of the PS5 Slim are, as you’d expect, smaller than the base console, and its price makes it a very expensive Christmas gift.
Does the PS5 Slim disc drive need to always be online?
The PS5 Slim disc drive does not always need to be online to work. Packaging has been shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, by Thunder_Clart. This packaging says ‘Internet connection required to pair PS5 disc drive and PS5 console upon setup’. Some users have responded with concerns that an internet connection is always required for it to work, but the wording says the internet connection is required for initial setup only. Therefore, you should be able to play your games using the disc drive while offline.
Although an internet connection is only required for the initial setup, Eurogamer’s John Linneman says the warning is ‘highly concerning and very strange‘ as ‘Hardware connectivity shouldn’t be determined by a server that may not always be available’. Responding to fans, he shared a worrying scenario in the future where, years later, you may need to swap your disc drive but the verification servers are no longer online. So, basically, while you should be able to use your disc drive offline after set up, there is the concern that the disc drive will not be replaceable in the future if verification servers are shut down.
There is no specific date for when you can pre-order the PS5 Slim, but it is launching in November in the United States first. It will then be released globally in the following months. If you haven’t bought Sony’s current-gen machine yet, then the PS5 Slim will be the perfect opportunity to enjoy all of Sony’s brilliant exclusives. These exclusives include the newly released Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 which is one of the best reviewed games of the year.
In other PlayStation news, the release date for the PS Plus November 2023 free games is slightly later than usual.
