Overview
- Sony announced on Wednesday that production of physical discs for all new PlayStation games will end in January 2028, and titles released or scheduled in disc form before that date will not be affected.
- From that date new PlayStation releases will be sold only through the PlayStation Store or as download codes sold in retailers, and the policy applies to both first-party PlayStation Studios titles and games from third-party publishers.
- The decision prompted immediate concern from players and retailers about ownership, resale and long-term access to games, a worry sharpened by Sony’s planned staged closures of older PlayStation digital stores such as PS3 and PS Vita.
- Sony cites shifting consumer habits and internal data showing a large majority of full-game sales are digital by 2025, a rationale analysts say will lower hardware and supply costs and make a drive-free next PlayStation more likely.
- Practical effects will include retailers selling codes instead of discs, greater collector value for existing discs, reduced secondhand markets, and new preservation risks because digital purchases are account-linked licenses rather than standalone physical copies.