The upcoming digital PS5 Slim‘s optional disc drive apparently requires an internet connection to install properly. This tidbit of information comes from the new Modern Warfare 3 PS5 Slim bundle, which is set to release on November 10 alongside the game.
Pictures of this bundle were first shared on Twitter by CharlieIntel, who credited user @_tlyer (though the images are not available on that user’s page):
Additional images of the Modern Warfare III PS5 Slim Bundle
Back says “150GB minimum.” Also says 90GB+ download required to play.
Bundle is available November 10th
(ty @_tlyer) pic.twitter.com/zAhx0lZWdu
— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) October 24, 2023
At first blush, the box doesn’t appear to feature anything out of the ordinary. Users in the replies, however, were quick to notice a message on the side of the box which reads “Internet connection required to pair Disc Drive and PS5 console upon setup.”
Obviously, this is a concern for most users. The entire point of physical media is to avoid downloads, whether because of poor internet speeds or a lack of internet connectivity altogether. Granted, if you’re concerned about these things, it doesn’t make a whole heap of sense to buy a digital-only PS5 to begin with. If we consider a hypothetical worst-case scenario where someone who doesn’t understand the difference buys a digital PS5 Slim and then wants to get the attachable disc drive to remedy their situation, they might still be out of luck if they need to connect to the internet to get it set up.
Ultimately, this issue will likely affect a very miniscule percentage of users. It’s possible this feature exists to prevent users from easily modifying the disc drive to run games or other media that the PS5 can’t run on its own. Nonetheless, it’s still a frustrating feature to see.
In other PS5 news, Sony’s newest accessible controller drops on December 6. You can check it out here.