Best answer: Yes, physical discs will still be supported on the PlayStation 5, which includes an Ultra HD Blu-ray player.
- Go digital instead: PlayStation Store Gift Card (From $10 at Amazon)
- Preorders incoming: PlayStation 5 (See at Amazon)
PS5 Can I use physical discs?
Yes. Mark Cerny, lead architect of the PS5, confirmed that the PS5 has an Ultra HD Blu-ray player, which will allow the console to play games from physical discs as well as digital media. Cerny also confirmed that PS5 games are going to ship on 100GB Blu-ray discs. It’s important to note that there are two PS5 models and unlike the regular edition, the PS5 Digital Edition does not include a disk drive.
Using larger discs help prevent games from needing to ship on two discs, which is what started happening on PS4 with games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and The Last of Us Part II. Because games will be installing on an SSD, you should also see faster load times, though the exact boost of how much quicker games load will vary depending on the game and how it was designed.
PS5 What about my PS4 discs?
Your PS4 discs will also play on the PS5, as the console is being designed as backward compatible with the PS4. If you have a collection of physical PlayStation 4 games, you’ll be able to use them on the PlayStation 5 as well. PS4 games will also be able to take advantage of the speed boost provided by being installed on an SSD, though they will probably not take advantage of it as well as a PS5 game.
PS5 Can I watch my physical movies or shows?
Naturally, this kind of improved optical drive means the PS5 will also be able to play 4K Blu-ray movies. You should also be able to watch regular Blu-Ray discs or DVDs that you’ve collected.
Our pick
PlayStation Store Gift Card
From $10 at Amazon
Grab what you need.
If you’re not interested in staying with discs moving forward, grabbing some PlayStation Store gift cards is a great way to easily pick whatever digital games or add-ons you’d like to play.
Holiday 2020
PlayStation 5
See at Amazon
See at Best Buy
See at Walmart
Sign up for notifications
The PS5 isn’t available for preorder just yet, but a few retailers are letting fans sign up for notifications, so they don’t miss out. PS5 games should be able to support ray tracing and have more realistic lighting effects than ever before.
