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The story
Sony has announced that the “PlayStation 5 Digital Edition Midnight Black (Japanese language only)” will go on sale November 19 at a suggested retail price of ¥55,000 (tax included). Pre-orders open October 20. On 5ch’s “Hardware/Industry” (Geha) board, the thread buzzed about the simultaneous release of a matching black disc drive, as well as an official notice mentioned in the thread stating that “games released from January 2028 onward will be sold in download-only format.” Some posters also pointed out that despite the relatively discounted pricing, domestic sales have been sluggish, and opinions were divided over the narrowing weekly sales gap with the Switch2.
What people said
Pre-orders open sequentially from Tuesday, October 20, at PlayStation® retailers and e-commerce sites across Japan.
For more details ⇒ play.st/4ykYmw7
It says right on the site that it's coming out at the same time.
Plus they're hiding how much storage you'd actually need.
[Important Notice]
Starting January 2028, any newly released PlayStation games will be sold only in download format on the PlayStation Store and at retailers. Disc-based games released before January 2028 will remain usable as before.
If they're spelling it out this clearly, there's no way they'd ever walk it back now.
It's actually good news, but I can't even enjoy it honestly, and it's put me in a bad mood since this morning.
Well, that's because you're a Switch fanboy ("nishi" — 5ch slang for Nintendo diehards).
Funny how threads titled "[Good News for PS]" barely get any replies at all.
And yet it's still been losing to it in weekly sales this whole time, lol.
I want something that can actually beat a PC, but can they do something about how weak their first-party lineup is?
The gap between them is already down to like 10,000 units or so…
That's just jailbreak demand padding the numbers — nothing to brag about, lol.
And on top of that, they're dumping more console stock onto shelves under a separate SKU.
Because only old guys get excited about those.
Isn't it because the circuit board is sensitive to light?
Though honestly, being able to see a leak would be handy, lol.
It's covered in shield plates and heat sinks, so even with clear material there wouldn't be much to actually see.
Once PS pulls out of hardware, you won't even be able to re-download your games anymore.
Sony cuts things off fast.
Didn't they stop selling the Wii U and 3DS pretty quickly too though?
You can still re-download those, though.
Oh, so you're not denying that Sony will pull out AND cut off re-downloads? lol
So the fact that it's still not selling domestically just shows how little anyone actually wants it.
It's pricier than the original launch price, the games aren't that popular, and these days you basically need a monitor too.
That was just as true for the PS3 and Vita, and they're still being sold fine.
That's exactly why people are talking about a console pullout.
Still better than doing nothing, I guess.
Meanwhile Nintendo's got a three-pronged lineup: the Ocarina of Time limited edition, the pick-your-own-game bundle, and the Monster Hunter Wilds set.
There's a Wolverine model too, lol.
There isn't, though.
The point is it's not selling because of that uncertainty.
Nintendo keeps pushing forward for the next thing even at a loss,
but Sony only cares about profit, hence killing discs.
And even if Sony pulls out of consoles, they've still got anime, insurance, and movies to fall back on.
Nintendo ditched the Virtual Boy and Wii U without hesitation too — what "sense of security" are you even talking about, lol?
What do you mean "that's why"?
Don't you get that the original point was premised on them pulling out?
How many years ago are we even talking about here?
If we're talking about now, SIE is doing great — what are you even on about?
It's Sony overall that had the good earnings.
SIE on its own is struggling.
So what was all that talk about discs possibly disappearing?
In reality, people are buying it bundled with the disc drive almost every time…
Source: Amazon's sales figures.
Background and Key Points of This Topic
The PS5 “Digital Edition” has been a disc-drive-less model since launch, and this release simply adds a black color option for the console body. Since a black disc drive is being sold separately too, commenters confirmed that the two can be paired for a matching look. Another key point raised in the thread is the notice that “games released from January 2028 onward will be sold in download-only format.” Previously released disc-based games will remain playable, so this doesn’t mean the entire PS5 lineup is going fully digital overnight — but it’s being read as a sign that support for new disc releases will gradually shrink going forward. Opinions in the thread were split over why domestic sales remain sluggish despite the discount, and over the narrowing weekly sales gap with the Switch2 — commenters disagreed on how to interpret those numbers (whether it reflects the console’s appeal or other factors). One point readers might misread: this release doesn’t mean the PS5 lineup as a whole is going digital-only — existing disc-based games and disc-drive bundle configurations remain available just as before.
※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry, “Geha”) thread “[Bad News for Switch Fans] “PlayStation5 DE Midnight Black (Japanese only)” Launches November 19 for ¥55,000 (tax included).”
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