Rumor: PS6 to Have Digital Edition and Model With Detachable Disc Drive - News
by William D'Angelo , posted on 08 September 2025 / 7,713 Views
The PlayStation 6 will reportedly have a model that comes with a detachable disc drive at launch, according to several sources that spoke with Insider Gaming.
The PlayStation 5 Slim model introduced a detachable disc drive, which let users who purchase the Digital Edition to buy a disc drive later on.
The sources, who remained anonymous as they are not allowed to talk about Sony's next-generation plans, claim the PS6 console will be available with two models. This includes a digital model and a model that includes the detachable disc drive. The detachable disc drive will also be available to purchase separately for those who purchase the digital model.
One source claims PlayStation is "firm" on its decision with a detachable disc drive for the PS6 as the system for the PS5 Slim hit all of Sony's internal targets. This was done to reduce manufacturing and shipping costs during "uncertain times."
The PS6, due to these "uncertain times" will have a simpler design than the PS5 in order to "maximize efficiency, shipping space, weight, and so on."
Reliable leaker Billbil-Kun last week revealed Sony is going to decrease the size of the SSD in the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition in at least Europe.
The current PS5 Digital Edition comes with a 1TB SSD and the leaker claims a new version that comes with an 825GB SSD will go on sale on September 13 in Europe. The leaker also states despite the smaller SSD the price of the PS5 Digital Edition will remain the same in Europe at €499.
A life-long and avid gamer, William D'Angelo was first introduced to VGChartz in 2007. After years of supporting the site, he was brought on in 2010 as a junior analyst, working his way up to lead analyst in 2012 and taking over the hardware estimates in 2017. He has expanded his involvement in the gaming community by producing content on his own YouTube channel and Twitch channel. You can follow the author on Bluesky.
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Makes perfect sense.
Physical media lives for another generation on PlayStation it seems
Not necessarily... drive could be used for back compatibility primarily
If they are releasing a home console and handheld with a shared library... most or all games with likely still be digital only
I don't think there would be a whole retail SKU just for BC. They would just sell the disk attachment as a standalone . If this news is true it definitely leans towards physical media for PS6. It's logical anyway, physical still represents 30% of sales for most big AAA releases.
Even with the hybrid system as an option, that is down to consumers to decide whether they'd like to go digital for the benefit of that shared library or not. I doubt Sony expects most of their users to double dip on 2x PS6s anyway, so they're probably expecting most to decide between the hybrid or the home console, not both. This is ignoring the obvious possibility for them to create a digital lisense system for physical discs (i.e intsallation and use is only allowed on one account/console family at a time)
Hopefully it does not need an internet activation for it to work like it does with the PS5. It would be a very minor inconvenience now but it may make all PS6 physical games might just become useless for people wanting to play then decades later.
That internet activation is a one time thing and hackers might find a way to spoof it in 20 years. I like attachable disc drives because it's a replacable standardized part. And the disk drive is almost always the first part to die in an old console.
Even as an one time thing, you may be relying on hack and whatnots just like you said.
Just don't ask for it, the console being modular is a good thing as any other, but requiring an internet connection, even once, is just nonsense.
New video discussing the report the PS6 will include a detachable disc drive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpodQZcYlmE
Hope we can use current PS5 drive on PS6. Imo, chances are small, but one can dream.
Being detachable, will give developers reason to make more and more digital only games. If only a small portion of PS6 users purchase the disc drive, they will have no incentive to putting out a million physical copies. We might see more limited releases, or what Lairian does with Baldur's Gate only selling it on their website after it's been out awhile.
An option to have one is still better than game key cards.
People would also complain if they had to pay $100 for a 128GB micro sd card physical 3rd party Switch 2 games. We're already seeing developers say they looked into putting games like Star Wars on the SD Card but that the read/write speeds are too slow for streaming assets.
Most games on Xbox are game keys... with an increasing amount on PS5 as well
The way I understand this article there would be a version with a detachable disc drive pre-installed (similar to the current PS5 slim with disc drive). So I don't think physical media will be more or less relevant on PS6 then it currently is on PS5.
I'm really curious how the PS Switch will work (if the rumors are true and that will be a thing). Most likely it would be digital only, which would be kind of a shame.
If PS6 has no way to play physical games at all, I think I'm out and would save up money for a Gaming PC. But seeing as this rumor seems logical and will probably be true, I probably will get one.
Given how many games came out for ps4, I will buy a PS6 3 years into its cycle at the earliest.
On the bright side, I’m happy to see Sony continuing their support for physical media. Hopefully this approach sticks around beyond just the PS6 gen…though I’m afraid that might be wishful thinking.
Primarily being digital while still having the option for those who prefer physical is a smart way to go. Whether that lasts to the PS7 though......
Can't believe we are talking about ps6 already. We haven't even got a major exclusive yet from A major dev, except for death stranding 2.
Watch them overcharge for the disk drive. Plus if Devs stop putting all the content on the disk, what even is the point anymore.
Another console with disc drive? Looks more like downward compatibility than interest in physical media in general, since Blu-rays are already pretty dead and the discs only work as a dongle to play the game after installing it. SD cards, from which you can read the game without installing it, should have been the way to go.
Discs are much cheaper to produce.
I figured you would have a negative spin on it considering you were predicting PS6 would be digital only.
microSDs or especially SSDs for a game medium are more expensive than Blu-ray and UHD Blu-ray. It's that simple.
Also, switching PlayStation and Xbox away from UHD Blu-ray for physical games would mean no physical backwards compatibility.
Way too expensive.
