Sony's new PlayStation 5 disc drive add-on, used with the upcoming PS5 Slim console, will require an internet connection to pair the device during its installation.

The detail is listed on boxes for the new PS5 Slim which have begun popping up in the wild ahead of its November launch in the US.

"Internet connection required to pair Disc Drive and PS5 console upon setup," the box warns, in photos shared online today.

To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Manage cookie settings Newscast: Should you buy the PlayStation 5 Slim?Watch on YouTube

Sony may want to use an online check-in to ensure the PS5 Slim disc drive is an officially-licensed peripheral (rather than another kind of disc drive that could enable piracy).

However, it also adds an online step to playing disc-based games that otherwise would not require an internet connection, and begs the question of what happens when Sony turns its authentication server off (or it's offline for some other reason).

Eurogamer has contacted Sony for more details on how this internet connection will work, and the reasons for it being required.

Boxes for the PS5 Slim and a new bundle with Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 are now being shipped to retailers, per photos posted online over the past 24 hours.

Sony is yet to say exactly when it the PS5 Slim will go on sale, and has noted that it will replace stock of its existing PS5 after that runs out. Leaks suggest it will launch around 10th November in the US, with another bundle that includes the newly-launched Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

Uhhhh...if this is the case, that is highly concerning and very strange. Hardware connectivity shouldn't be determined by a server that may not always be available. https://t.co/NT4KU6ShrN

— John Linneman @dark1x.bsky.social (@dark1x) October 25, 2023To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Manage cookie settings

Call Of Duty Modern Warfare III New PlayStation 5 Model Bundle:#CallOfDuty #CallOfDutyModernWarfare3 #ModernWarfareIII #ModernWarfare3 #MW3 #MWIII #MarvelsSpiderMan2 #SpiderMan2PS5 #SpiderMan2 #BeGreaterTogether #Venom @insomniacgames pic.twitter.com/lRFSevTmWr

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The PS5 Slim has a 30 percent decrease in volume compared with the current model and comes with 1TB storage. But its main difference is its detachable disc drive, which allows the console to be sold as a digital-only version or with the drive packed in. (The disc drive will also be available to buy separately.)

If you want to position the vertically, though, it'll cost an extra £25 for a PS5 Slim stand.