Next-Gen Consoles May Ditch Disc Drives Due to Supply Chain Collapse

Sony and Microsoft are facing a significant challenge in their next-generation console plans. The companies may not be able to offer disc drives, even as optional add-ons, due to a collapsing supply chain for these components.

The issue began earlier this year when Sony confirmed its plans to go all-digital for future PlayStation releases. As part of this transition, the factory responsible for manufacturing physical PS5 game discs started re-tooling itself for an entirely different product line, backed by new investment from Sony.

According to a report from Windows Central, the few remaining companies still producing specialized components required for disc drives are pivoting to other markets. This is causing a shortage of these components, leading to a sharp increase in the cost of manufacturing disc drives.

The rising costs could push the price of a drive up by hundreds of dollars. Disc drives were once cheap and widely available, but they have become niche hardware with shrinking manufacturing support.