Overview
- Sony announced this month that it will stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation titles starting January 2028 and said games released on disc before that date will not be affected.
- The company told partners they can place re-orders for discs of games released before January 2028, but said the ordering process will change while its last disc plant in Austria is being repurposed to make optical microlenses.
- Publishers may sell future PlayStation games at retail using digital download codes instead of Blu‑ray discs, a model already used by Rockstar for Grand Theft Auto 6 that industry observers say accelerated the shift.
- The announcement has sparked strong backlash from players, developers and preservation groups, driven petitions and public comments from figures such as Hideo Kojima, and added urgency to debates over digital ownership after PlayStation store closures were set for older systems.
- Analysts warn the change could shrink the second‑hand market, alter retailer roles, raise questions about game preservation and likely influence PlayStation 6 design and pricing by reducing the need for built‑in disc drives.