Overview
- Sony announced in July that it will stop producing physical game discs for new PlayStation releases starting January 2028 and has reaffirmed the plan in recent investor comments.
- CFO Lin Tao told investors the move is driven by the growth of digital full‑game sales and will be pursued 'cautiously' while the company works with regional retail partners.
- Images and retailer reports show new PS5 boxes carrying a printed consumer notice about the January 2028 cutoff and Sony has told stores they can sell boxed products containing download codes instead of discs.
- Player groups have organized a weeklong PSBlackout protest and a 'Don't Kill the Disc' petition has hundreds of thousands of signatures while lawmakers in Mexico have filed an antitrust complaint challenging the decision.
- Publishers and industry data show most sales are already digital—Capcom says roughly 90% of its unit sales are digital and Sony reports about 82%—a shift that underpins the business case but raises concerns about resale, lending, preservation, and retail jobs.