Sony has released a new Playstation 5 in a 30% smaller format than the original. Named Playstation 5 Slim or PS5 Slim by gamers to differentiate it from the original, it has been available since November 1, 2023.
It has a 1 TB SSD instead of 825 GB.
It comes in a kit:
- Digital edition without disc drive
- Edition with disc drive included.
- Disc drive sold separately.
- Bracket to hold the console upright
It is therefore possible to add the disc drive separately after purchasing the digital edition. It is cheaper to buy the edition with the disc drive than to buy the digital edition and the disc player separately. Unlike the original PS5, the stand to hold the console upright is not included and is sold separately.
But the fault comes from the disc drive. Whether it’s purchased separately or not, when you want to use it on a PS5 Slim, you need an internet connection. Did you buy the console, your Spider-Man 2 game or Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart in a box? You will need to register online with the console and disc drive connected to the machine in order to play your game.
Why is this a problem?
Every few months, or years, companies shut down the online servers of their consoles and games. We’ve seen Playstation shut down and discontinue the PSP, PS3 and PSVita.
We’ve seen Nintendo shut down and discontinue the Wii, Wii U and 3DS.
This will make this PS5 Slim model unusable with no way to play games over the internet when services are shut down in 10 or 15 years.
Apparently, it is a DMCA law in the United States that requires this registration.
This is a huge loss for the preservation of video games. And it’s paramount to keep the work done by thousands of video game developers and make it available to the public. It is a heritage that is being lost.
The video game industry is constantly maintaining the planned obsolescence of its devices and games. Access is constantly being restricted. Even if a game has been released in a better version before, its access will be cut off sooner or later to maximize sales of the current version of the game. Backwards compatibility should be something standard. And with each console generational change, thousands of games suddenly become inaccessible because they aren’t ported or remade.
Until now, Nintendo Switch games and consoles can be kept with their cartridge format, when the game is actually on the cartridge, which is not always the case.
The same goes for the original PS5 with disc drive. They can be preserved.
Remember that Xbox Series X and S consoles cannot be used without internet access.
The Does It Play website goes out of its way to list which games you can play offline and which you can’t. If you’d like to support them, here’s their Patreon.
According to DoesItPlay1’s X/Twitter account, which specializes in video game preservation, it is not even possible to register the console and change disc drives without any problems, in case it no longer works:
To differentiate the original PS5 from the PS5 Slim in photos online or in-store, look for the black line right in the middle of the console’s chassis. If there’s one, it’s a PS5 Slim.
Featured image credits: Sony Playstation
