Sony has announced that they will be ending the production of physical software on physical discs on the PlayStation platform as of January 2028. This shocking announcement follows closely behind the reveal that the upcoming title from Rockstar, Grand Theft Auto VI, will forgo a physical disk, instead opting to push a digital version, with a physical version only including a code in the box. With Grand Theft Auto VI expected to dominate sales charts, and so many games planning their release to avoid it, the move to release digitally was expected to have industry-wide ramifications. Not this soon, though.
Sony made this announcement via a PlayStation Blog post, with the shift marking an end to physical disc production for “all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles.” In this post, they stated:
As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028. Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only. This transition has no impact on games that already released, or will be releasing, prior to January 2028 in disc format.
The post went on to say:
We’ll continue to prioritize 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.
This is somewhat of a shift if true, given Sony’s industry leader status, allowing the company to largely opt away from digital purchases on their platforms. This includes selling currency but rolling back the ability to purchase individual games. Sony has also stated that this decision will also have an impact on titles released before 2028 that were released in disc format. This news also comes shortly after Sony won the internet, with the upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine confirming it would include a disc.
Industry Analyst Piers Harding-Rolls of Ampere has referred to this as “a watershed moment for the industry.” He stated in a tweet:
Console gaming is the last hold-out for physical media in the gaming sector, but physical product has been declining in importance. Back in 2013 when the PS4 launched, Ampere data shows that only 13% of total full games unit sales for Sony consoles were digital (including digital-only games). Fast forward to 2025, and this digital share of full game purchases stood at almost 80% of the total.
Inevitably there will be concerns from PlayStation gamers around various aspects of this announcement including choice, accessing older physical games on new consoles, the ability to collect physical games, and game preservation, however the purchasing trends of gamers are clear.
These changes are sure to have some major ramifications for the industry, especially for consumers. Rockstar came under fire for their choice to release Grand Theft Auto VI digitally only, but with this news, there might be some recontextualization there. The next console from Sony, the PlayStation 6, has long been rumored for release in 2028, so there is a possibility of the timeline for this choice building up to the reveal of a purely digital platform. Only time can tell.
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