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17h ago

Sony to Stop Making PlayStation Game Discs in January 2028, Drawing Publisher Support and Wide Consumer Backlash

The company says rising digital sales and higher margins justify the shift and has already begun repurposing disc production, which critics warn will end resale options and threaten long‑term access to games.

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Yves Guillemot, chief executive officer of Ubisoft SA, at the company's headquarters in Paris, France, on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. The five Guillemot brothers have forged a common vision for Ubisoft which they founded in the 1980s in a sleepy northwestern French town, catapulting it into one of the largest stand-alone studios in the $200 billion global video games industry. Photographer: Nathan Laine/Bloomberg via Getty Images
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Yasuyoshi Chiba / Getty Images

Overview

  • Sony confirmed earlier this month that it will cease producing physical PlayStation game discs from January 2028 and move distribution toward the PlayStation Store and retail download codes.
  • Major publishers publicly signaled they can adapt, with Ubisoft’s CEO saying the change should not greatly disturb the industry and Sega’s president calling digitalisation crucial while still valuing physical media.
  • Consumer and creator opposition has been intense, with a Change.org petition topping roughly 330,000 signatures and prominent developers warning the decision removes options for collectors, lending, resale, and trade‑in value.
  • Analysts and market reports estimate the global second‑hand games market was about $7.0–7.2 billion in 2025 and say removing discs risks wiping out used‑game pathways that help fund new purchases and support brick‑and‑mortar retailers.
  • Sony has started operational moves consistent with its plan, including retraining staff and investing about €30 million to repurpose its Thalgau, Austria disc plant, while legal complaints and regulatory scrutiny have been signalled in several countries.