Sony has surprisingly announced it will cease the production physical discs for PlayStation games, starting with new games launching from January 2028.
Sony says that the policy only applies to new games launching on PlayStation consoles from 2028 onwards. From then on, new games will only be available digitally from the PlayStation Store and from retailers selling digital codes.
PlayStation adds that games being released in physical formats before that date will not be affected. It appears, but isn’t explicit, that discs will continue to be made for games arriving before January 28.
In a blog post today, PlayStation claimed the decision was being made to account for the “shifting trends in consumer preferences”
“This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” writes Sid Shuman, the senior director of Sony Interactive Entertainment content communications. “This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.
“We’ll continue to prioritise our resources to drive innovation in how players can access games and provide choices as to where players prefer to purchase new games, whether that’s at retailers or PlayStation Store. We remain committed to delivering a world-class gaming experience to our fans and we thank you for your continued support.”
The news is unlikely to be greeted joyously by brick and mortar game stores, which are already struggling badly amid the overwhelming shift towards digital, with editions of consoles not even having disc-drives anymore. And it’ll clearly drive more sales to the PlayStation Store, while completely eradicating the second hand games market.
The $80 physical version of Grand Theft Auto 6 will just be a plastic box with a digital code inside. And that looks like it’ll be the norm for new games in 18 months time.
The absence of a physical media option is also inherently bad for consumers. It means there’s no option for re-sale and leaves open the possibility of the game being pulled or changed after the fact. Just earlier this week Sony removed 551 previously purchased movies due to licensing changes.
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