Die PS6 wird einen abnehmbaren optischen Laufwerk behalten. Dies ist die letzte Hartnäckigkeit von Sony.

It has been over five years since the release of Sony's most profitable game console to date, the PlayStation 5 (hereinafter referred to as the PS5), and the development of a new next - generation console has been put on the agenda. Regarding the PlayStation 6 (hereinafter referred to as the PS6), in addition to being concerned about its performance, players are also focusing on whether Sony will follow in Microsoft's footsteps and accelerate the phasing - out of physical game discs, shifting to a purely digital game distribution model.

Recently, overseas game media Insider Gaming has given everyone a sense of reassurance. It is reported that the PS6 will adopt a detachable optical drive design similar to that of the PS5 Slim. This means that players can choose to buy a digital - only console separately, or a traditional console bundled with an optical drive, and they can also purchase an optical drive separately at a later time. According to relevant sources, unless there are last - minute changes, Sony is "firm" in this decision because the detachable optical drive of the PS5 has met all the company's internal targets.

In fact, the detachable optical drive of the PS5 Slim is definitely a very creative design, as it greatly helps to reduce manufacturing costs. Although the digital and optical - drive versions of the PS5 look similar, they are actually two different SKUs. The presence of the optical drive results in significant differences in the motherboards and wiring of different PS5 versions, and different assembly lines are required for the assembly process. However, with the detachable optical drive, the manufacturing cost of the PS5 Slim has significantly decreased.

The flexibility brought by the detachable optical drive to the console can meet the needs of both the physical and digital game markets while reducing costs. If the news from Insider Gaming is true, it means that physical games can at least survive for one more generation. Sony has ultimately shown a glimmer of kindness to physical disc enthusiasts and has not chosen to fully embrace digitalization like Microsoft's Xbox.

Yes, even Sony, which once claimed that "PS4 disc games can be played without an internet connection," has actually made plans to bid farewell to physical game discs. So why have physical discs become obsolete? Firstly, it is the unavoidable cost issue. Phil Spencer, the head of Microsoft's gaming business, once revealed the truth: "Home game consoles have become the last consumer electronic devices in the contemporary era to use optical - drive hard drives. The decrease in the number of optical - drive suppliers and buyers, as well as the cost - effectiveness, are all issues we need to consider."

As electronic media represented by flash memory have become increasingly mature and the use of burned discs has gradually declined, at present, except for game consoles, no other consumer electronic devices use discs. In other words, the only current use of discs in the consumer electronics field is almost to serve game consoles, which in turn forces optical - drive suppliers to set high prices in order to maintain their product lines.

In addition, the second - hand game trading market derived from physical discs has curbed game sales. After all, the audience for a game is ultimately limited. When a player buys a second - hand disc from another player, the game manufacturer will receive one less share of the revenue. This is why as early as 1998, Sony joined hands with major Japanese game manufacturers to file a lawsuit locally, demanding a ban on the trading of second - hand physical games.

Moreover, the sales of physical discs are highly dependent on offline retailers, who naturally take a share of the sales revenue. For example, if a PlayStation game priced at $60 is sold in the form of a physical disc through GameStop, the largest offline game sales channel in the United States, the latter can directly earn $15. However, if the game is changed to a pure digital version, this $15 becomes a share that Sony and game developers can divide.

Finally, and most importantly, due to the fierce market competition, in order to meet players' pursuit of graphics and content, game manufacturers' investment in art and level design has changed dramatically compared to twenty years ago, and development costs have skyrocketed. The significant increase in game production costs has led to a series of consequences. Japanese game manufacturers represented by Capcom have fallen behind and started to re - release remakes, while European and American giants represented by Ubisoft have entered a formulaic development model based on IPs.

In addition, game manufacturers' development strategies have now shifted to GaaS (Games as a Service). As a result, many games are only semi - finished products when they are released and will be gradually improved during subsequent operations. The most typical example is CDPR's masterpiece, "Cyberpunk 2077." The experience of the initial 1.0 version is vastly different from that of the latest 2.12 version. The advantage of this approach is that even if a game fails, the losses can be minimized. Once there is an opportunity for long - term operation, gradual updates can also save the game's reputation.

When GaaS becomes the industry mainstream, the existence of physical discs has become even more awkward because the disc has, to some extent, become a "launcher." Players still need to connect to the internet to download relevant content to truly experience the game. At this time, the symbolic meaning of the physical disc far outweighs its actual function. It only provides players with psychological comfort, but even when holding the disc, the statement "purchase does not equal true ownership" still holds.

So, when physical game discs are destined to decline, and Sony can't make good use of this option, coming up with a "detachable optical drive" is already quite good.

This article is from the WeChat official account "3eLife" (ID: IT - 3eLife). The author is 3eLife Jun. It is published by 36Kr with authorization.