The PlayStation 5 disc drive has returned to availability at certain U.S. retailers as of mid-January 2025. However, PS5 owners should hurry, as it may not last long on the shelves given recent patterns.
Launched in 2020, the PS5 Digital Edition marked Sony’s first console release without an optical disc drive. Four years later, the discless PS5 Pro made its debut. Both the mid-generation upgrade and the new Slim versions offer a modular design, enabling users to add a separately purchased disc drive. In the United States, many PS5 owners opted for this upgrade, especially since Sony’s official disc drive attachment has been hard to find for several months.
Despite ongoing shortages of the PS5 disc drive in the U.S., some national retailers have managed to restock since the beginning of the year. As of January 15, you can find the disc drive available for its standard price of $79.99 at both Amazon U.S. and Sony’s PlayStation Direct store. Game Rant also discovered a third-party seller on Walmart offering the drive, but they have increased the price by 50%, bringing it to $122. Plus, they only have three units left, making this option more of a last resort than a great deal for enhancing your PS5 with physical disc capabilities.
Where To Buy PS5 Disc Drive Right Now
PlayStation Direct Limits PS5 Disc Drive Orders
On Sony’s digital platform, PlayStation Direct, customers can only order one PS5 disc drive each. This policy has been a long-standing measure to deter scalpers from targeting their popular items. For example, the PlayStation Portal pre-orders were similarly limited to one per person, as were the special 30th-anniversary consoles and accessories from Sony.
PS5 owners have been dealing with a frustrating shortage of disc drives in the U.S. for several months. This issue has also appeared in the United Kingdom since late 2024. The timing hints that these problems are connected to the launch of the PS5 Pro on November 7. Unlike the original PS5, this upgraded version doesn’t come with a disc drive option. Therefore, anyone looking for the ultimate gaming experience in Sony’s ecosystem while still wanting to use physical media will need to purchase the PS5 disc drive separately.
The attachment remains unavailable at Walmart, GameStop, and Best Buy, indicating that shortages in the U.S. are still ongoing. Unfortunately, it’s uncertain how much longer this situation will last.