PSA: Don't Put Your PS5 Discs In The Wrong Way

Like the PlayStation 4 before it, PS5 can be oriented either vertically or horizontally, with a cleverly designed stand coming right in the box. Sony has most commonly shown the PS5 in a vertical orientation, and if you're planning on following suit, you should be mindful not to allow your old PS4 habits to cause you to put discs in the wrong way.

If you used a PS4 vertically, you'll be accustomed to placing the discs in with the label side facing to the right. On PS5, it's the opposite: The label should face to the left, which might feel a little counterintuitive because it means the "read" side of the disc isn't facing the bulk of the machine. While putting it in the wrong way isn't a huge issue, you might want to know this in advance, lest you have a brief moment of panic as you think your shiny new console's disc drive isn't working correctly. (When the console is placed horizontally, you still put the disc in label-side up.)

Whether you're using a disc or not, you'll need to install PS5 games to the SSD. PS5 games can't be played from an external drive, but PS4 ones can be. You also can't store PS5 games on an external drive, so you'll want to be mindful of your storage situation. If you have a strict bandwidth cap, disc-based games might help to keep you from re-downloading games over and over.

For much more on what to expect from the new console, be sure to read our in-depth PS5 review.

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