The PS5 Disc Drive May Work on PS6 — And Sony Saw It Coming
Xbox fired the first shot with Positron, turning discs into digital licenses, while Sony stays silent and physical game fans hold their breath. But according to Moore’s Law Is Dead, PlayStation’s answer might have been sitting in your home for months—inside an accessory millions already own.
Ever since the announcement that physical PlayStation games will end in January 2028, questions about the future of disc collections have been piling up. Xbox’s answer is called Positron: it links each disc to your account, granting a digital license so you can play without the disc. The system is already in public Insider testing, with over 800 compatible games. On PlayStation’s side, nothing similar has been announced. But Moore’s Law Is Dead—a YouTuber known for reliable AMD hardware leaks—has a concrete theory: the detachable disc drive from the PS5 Slim and Pro could simply plug into the PS6.
Image credit: Sony
The PS5 disc drive is already multi-console: a key technical precedent
Even before talking about the PS6, there’s a crucial detail that often gets overlooked: the disc drive for the PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro was designed from the start to be detachable. It can connect to any compatible PS5 console, as long as you pair it online the first time you use it. Sony has already laid the groundwork for a modular drive that isn’t tied to a single machine.
This design choice is no accident. The accessory isn’t permanently locked to the console it was sold with—a radically different approach from previous generations’ built-in drives. Sony’s investment in modularity opens up long-term possibilities. And the timing fits: the PS6 isn’t expected until 2028, the same year physical PlayStation games are set to disappear. A drive that can already move between consoles would be perfectly positioned for the next generation.
The MLID rumor: plugging the PS5 drive into the PS6 (and its portable)
This is the heart of the rumor. According to Moore’s Law Is Dead, Sony could let future PS6 owners physically connect their PS5 disc drive to the new console. The YouTuber goes even further: the accessory could also work with the dock for the portable PS6 version. So players wouldn’t need to buy anything new to keep using their discs.
MLID says he’s heard this from developers: “They recently sent me info showing how the PS4, PS5, and supposedly PS6 interfaces have all been made uniform and compatible,” he explains. If this standardization is real, it would make it easy for next-gen hardware to recognize the PS5 drive—no adapter or special firmware required.
Should we believe it? MLID has a strong track record with AMD hardware—he nailed several PS5 Pro specs before they were official. But his claims about Sony’s business strategy are harder to verify, and he doesn’t cite sources for every detail. Neither Sony nor any official spokesperson has commented since the video dropped on August 29. PlayStation’s silence on the issue of digital ownership remains total.
Why Sony can’t copy Positron (and why it doesn’t matter)
Xbox’s Positron system relies on a specific trick: each disc has a unique ID, letting it be linked to an account and turned into a digital license. If you sell or lend the disc, the license is revoked and transferred to the new owner. It’s elegant—but impossible for PlayStation to copy. PS4 and PS5 discs don’t have unique IDs per copy: the DADC codes are identical for every disc in a given batch. This technical fact is confirmed by Redump Forum data and highlighted by MLID in his video.
This limitation makes the YouTuber’s other two ideas less convincing:
- A complex digital verification system to authenticate discs without unique IDs—technically shaky
- A mail-in program where players send in their discs to have a serial number added after the fact—a logistical nightmare
Ironically, not being able to copy Positron actually makes the hardware solution more relevant. Instead of cobbling together a software workaround for discs never designed for it, Sony could just lean on an accessory already in players’ homes. It’s less flashy than Positron, but it’s free for gamers—a big deal as Sony’s silence fuels community anxiety.
The clarification Sony published today—that Blu-ray production at its Austrian plant will drop by 10%, not to 10% of capacity—suggests the company hasn’t totally given up on physical media. Upcoming patent filings or a statement during financial results could bring this hardware compatibility rumor to life—or shut it down for good.
