With the news that the PS5 Pro would be launching without a disc drive, the disc reader upgrade that was originally released as an accessory for the PS5 Slim suddenly started to seem very valuable to a lot of people. A week later, the PS5 disc drive appears to be selling out at all major retailers, and for scalpers who have spent all this time profiting off of the mere fear of shortages, it seems like lunchtime is about to begin in earnest.
Shortly after the PS5 Pro was announced last week, the disc drive accessory began selling out at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. But it didn't actually sell out. completelyIt was available on the official PlayStation Direct store for most of last week, with new units appearing sporadically at other major US retailers.
As I write this, Best Buy just announced that the drive is back in stock, but as of just a few hours ago no major retailers had it in stock, and it seems likely that those drives will disappear fairly quickly as well. Listings for the disc drive are all over eBay right now, and they tend to sell for around $120. Since Sony managed to keep some Units are arriving at various retail warehouses, so it's probably worth keeping an eye out for suitable retail listings if you still need a drive, but it's starting to look like scalpers are winning out.
This will be especially worrying for all the potential PS5 Pro buyers out there who, like me, are now looking forward to the 30th Anniversary Edition in a “very limited supply” alongside the console itself. Let’s hope that Sony’s protections against scalpers work, because I fear PS5 Pro pre-orders are going to be a bloodbath.
Here it is Where to pre-order the PlayStation 30th Anniversary Collection.