For most people in 2026, you no longer need an optical drive — streaming, downloads, and USB drives have replaced CDs and DVDs for nearly everything. But there are still real reasons to keep one: playing physical discs, ripping old collections, installing legacy software, or archiving data on discs. Whether you need one comes down to whether you still deal with physical media at all.
I have built plenty of PCs without an optical drive and never missed it — but I have also helped people who genuinely needed one and were surprised new PCs skip it. Let me lay out honestly who still needs an optical drive and who can happily leave it behind.
Why optical drives disappeared
The optical drive — the tray that reads CDs, DVDs, and Blu-rays — used to be standard in every computer. It faded for simple reasons. Software moved to downloads, music and movies moved to streaming, and USB flash drives took over for transferring files and installing operating systems. Manufacturers dropped the drive to make laptops thinner and desktops cheaper, and most people never noticed.
Today, a new laptop almost never includes one, and many desktop cases no longer even have a bay for it. For everyday computing, that is completely fine — nothing in a typical day requires a disc.
Quick reference: do you need an optical drive?
| You want to… | Need one? |
|---|---|
| Stream, download, browse, work | No |
| Play physical DVDs or Blu-rays | Yes |
| Rip old CDs or DVDs to digital | Yes |
| Install old disc-based software or games | Yes |
| Burn discs for archiving or sharing | Yes |
| Install a modern OS | No (use a USB drive) |
Who can skip it entirely
If your computing life is streaming, browsing, working in the cloud, gaming through digital stores, and moving files with USB drives or the internet, you do not need an optical drive at all. That describes the majority of people today. Operating systems now install from a USB stick, which is faster and more convenient than a disc ever was. Skipping the drive saves money, space, and weight, and frees a case bay for extra storage instead — a fast SSD is a far better use of that room, as our comparison of SSD vs HDD explains.
Who still genuinely needs one
There are real, valid reasons to keep an optical drive. You need one if you still watch physical DVDs or Blu-rays, if you want to rip a music or movie collection to digital before the discs degrade, or if you run older software and games that only came on disc. Some professions and hobbies also still hand off data on discs, and burning a disc remains a cheap, long-lived way to archive files offline. If any of that is you, an optical drive is not obsolete — it is essential.
The good news is you do not have to choose at build time. Because internal drives have largely vanished from new machines, the flexible answer for most people is external.
External optical drives: the easy solution
If you only occasionally need a disc, an external USB optical drive is the smart buy. It plugs into any laptop or desktop over USB, works when you need it, and tucks away in a drawer the rest of the time. That way your main machine stays slim and modern, and you still have disc access on the rare occasions it matters. External drives are inexpensive and come in DVD and Blu-ray versions, so you can match one to what you actually play or burn. You will want a spare USB port for it — our guide on the USB hub buying guide helps if your ports are limited.
Better alternatives for most tasks
For the jobs optical drives used to handle, modern alternatives are usually better. To move or store files, a USB flash drive or an external hard drive holds far more and is reusable. For backups and archives, external drives or a network-attached storage device beat stacks of discs. And to install software or an operating system, a USB stick is faster and more reliable. Discs still have a place for playback and long-term offline archiving, but for everyday storage and transfer, they have been comfortably surpassed.
What to do with your old discs
If you are moving away from optical media, do not just box up your old discs and forget them — discs degrade over time, and a scratched or aged disc can become unreadable. The smart move is to rip anything you want to keep to digital while you still can, using an optical drive one last time. Store the resulting files on an external drive or in the cloud, backed up properly. Once your music, movies, and important data are safely digital, the physical discs become optional keepsakes rather than a fragile single copy of something irreplaceable. It is a small weekend project that protects collections built up over years, and it is worth doing before the discs deteriorate further.
Frequently asked questions
Do new computers still have optical drives?
Rarely. Most new laptops and many desktops no longer include an optical drive, since software, media, and file transfer have moved to downloads, streaming, and USB drives. External drives cover the occasional need.
Do I need an optical drive to install Windows?
No. Modern operating systems install from a USB flash drive, which is faster and more convenient than a disc. You only need an optical drive for disc-based media or legacy software.
Should I get an internal or external optical drive?
For occasional use, an external USB drive is best — it works with any computer and stores away when not needed. Choose internal only if you use discs constantly and your case supports it.
Can I still play DVDs and Blu-rays on a PC?
Yes, with an optical drive that supports the format and suitable playback software. If your PC lacks a drive, an inexpensive external DVD or Blu-ray drive plugged in over USB does the job.
Are optical drives obsolete?
For everyday computing, largely yes. But they remain useful for playing physical discs, ripping old collections, running legacy software, and offline archiving. They are niche now, not entirely gone.
The optical drive has gone from essential to optional, and for most people that means skipping it entirely and reclaiming the space. But if you still live with physical discs, keep one around — ideally an external drive that gives you disc access without weighing down a modern machine.
Marcus has been building and tuning custom PCs for over a decade, from budget first builds to water-cooled overclocking rigs. He writes about components, cooling, and squeezing the most performance out of every dollar.