Overview
- Sony announced in early July that it will stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation games starting January 2028 and that titles released before the cutoff can still be pressed or reordered.
- Industry tracker Circana reported that only two PlayStation games sold more than 10,000 physical units in the U.S. in the week ending July 11 and that seven PlayStation titles have sold over 100,000 physical copies year‑to‑date, figures the company’s analysts say justify Sony’s move.
- Sony has begun operational changes consistent with the plan, including reports that its last disc plant in Thalgau, Austria is being repurposed and that retailers will shift to boxed download codes rather than discs for new releases.
- The decision has provoked large online petitions and public criticism focused on resale rights, long‑term access and game preservation, and legal and regulatory complaints have been filed or prepared in several jurisdictions.
- The shift builds on a longer trend toward digital sales—PlayStation has reported roughly 78–80% of full‑game revenue is digital—and analysts warn the change will shrink the second‑hand market, which industry estimates valued at about $7.2 billion in 2025.