It’s not really new though. They launched with a digital only PS5, too
The positioning there was a bit different. The “PlayStation 5” was presented first with the primary name while “PlayStation 5 Digital Edition” was presented as a secondary optional variant.
Oddly even the blog post of the announcement didn’t include it in its main list of compatible hardware:
PS5 Pro fits perfectly within the PS5 family of products and is compatible with the PS5 accessories currently available, including PlayStation VR2, PlayStation Portal, DualSense Edge, Access controller, Pulse Elite and Pulse Explore. The user interface and network services will also remain the same as PS5.
It does mention it later but the change in focus from disc drive as default in 2020 to digital only as default in 2024 is a new position for the company.
The positioning there was a bit different. The “PlayStation 5” was presented first with the primary name while “PlayStation 5 Digital Edition” was presented as a secondary optional variant.
https://youtu.be/RkC0l4iekYo
In comparison for the Pro the digital nature of the console is not mentioned in the announcement video at all.
https://youtu.be/6HaRMiTfvks
Oddly even the blog post of the announcement didn’t include it in its main list of compatible hardware:
https://blog.playstation.com/2024/09/10/welcome-playstation-5-pro-the-most-visually-impressive-way-to-play-games-on-playstation/
It does mention it later but the change in focus from disc drive as default in 2020 to digital only as default in 2024 is a new position for the company.
The actual difference is that you can add it after the fact. The original digital edition never promised you’d ever be able to add a drive.
They still listed it as starting at $399