After some previous leaks, Sony has officially announced a new, sleeker version of the PlayStation 5. The smaller console comes out in November and will have the same specs as the current PS5 consoles already out on store shelves.

With little fanfare or teasing, on October 10 Sony revealed details and images of two new slimmer PS5 models which will, eventually, replace the current versions of the popular console.

In the US, Sony says the new, smaller PS5 will cost either $500, for the version that comes with an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive, or $450 for the digital-only version without a disc drive. This appears to be a price increase over the current digital-only PS5, which at the moment costs just $399.

What’s different about this new PS5?

According to a blog post from Sony, the new PS5 has “been reduced in volume by more than 30%” and apparently weighs less, too. This time around there are four separate cover panels that can be removed and swapped out, with the top panels sporting a glossy finish and the bottom panels staying matte, like with the current PS5.

Last year, rumors claimed that Sony was going to sell a new version of the PS5 that would let you add a disc drive. This detail was backed up by leaked info and images of a new, smaller PS5 that hit the web in August. Those rumors (and the leaked pics) were authentic, it seems, as Sony confirmed today that folks who buy the new slimmer PS5 digital edition can later add a Blu-ray disc drive. This separate add-on will cost $80 in the US, which makes going this route more expensive than just buying a new PS5 with a disc drive pre-installed.

Internally, the slim PS5 will come with 1TB of storage, an increase over the only 800 GB available in the old models. That appears to be the only real difference inside the machine. So don’t expect a PS4 Pro-like upgrade of the PS5 with this new slimmer variant.

Noted in the blog post, Sony says this new version of the PS5 will become the only model available “once inventory of the current PS5 model has sold out.”

The new PS5 launches in November. Here are prices from around the globe:

• U.S.— PS5 with disc drive – 499.99 USD| PS5 digital only – 449.99 USD
• Europe — PS5 with disc drive – 599.99 EUR | PS5 digital only — 449.99 EUR
• U.K. —PS5 with disc drive – 479.99 GBP | PS5 digital only 389.99 GBP
• Japan — PS5 with disc drive — 66,980 JPY (includes tax) | PS5 digital only – 59,980 JPY (includes tax)

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Sony’s forthcoming smaller PlayStation 5 will make the disc drive swappable, allowing owners to remove or connect it as they wish. However, a new leak of the upcoming slim redesign points to an internet connection being required for the Blu-Ray player’s initial setup, igniting fears it will one day become an obsolete solution for playing old PS5 discs.

The surprise requirement was discovered through a new leak of the PS5 slim’s box as retailers begin stocking the console for its November launch. Shared with Call of Duty news account CharlieIntel, the images show a disclaimer on the box that reads, “Internet connection required to pair Disc Drive and PS5 console upon setup.”

As the requirement began circulating online, it struck some as unusual and pernicious. “Uhhhh…if this is the case, that is highly concerning and very strange,” tweeted Digital Foundry’s John Linneman. “Hardware connectivity shouldn’t be determined by a server that may not always be available.”

It’s not immediately clear if the internet connection requirement will truly be a one-time thing needed only the first time the console and disc drive are paired, or if it might be necessary every time the drive is taken off and reattached. One concern is that the requirement could make new PS5s unable to read discs at some point far in the future, if the servers utilized by Sony for the pairing are eventually taken offline. If so, it would be another big blow to video game preservation as the medium goes all-digital.

Read More: PS5 Slim Is A Lot Smaller Than We Thought

It’s possible that the requirement is just the company complying with an archaic bit of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act intended to prevent piracy. As pointed out by Lost in Cult CEO Jon Doyle and others, Section 1201 of the law makes it illegal to “circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a copyrighted work.”

That includes optical drive firmware, and it’s long been a thorn in the side of right to repair advocates. As Wired reported back in 2020, the language has led a lot of older consoles to end up in landfills rather than get resold or re-gifted. Section 1201 was re-examined by the U.S. Copyright office in 2021. While some protections for repair were expanded, it stopped short of adding a full exemption.

According to Dealabs’ billbil-kun, the slimmer PS5 will officially release on November 8. While the standard model with the disc drive will be $500, the all-digital one will cost $450 with the stand-alone disc drive priced at $80. Sony has confirmed that once all current stock of launch PS5 consoles sells out, the slim models will be the only ones available.

Update 11/10/2023 4:31: PS5 slims are now out in the wild, including its detachable disc drive. So how exactly does the DRM work? Well in addition to needing to sync it to the console online first before it can be used, it apparently has to be reconnected to the internet everytime the PS5’s database is rebuilt, something players do from time to time to keep the system working well or because an update or reset demands it.

As the preservation account “Does it play” wrote, “In this scenario, once the service you need to connect to is gone, you can no longer use the disc drive.”