On July 1st local time, video game giant Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) officially announced that starting from January 2028, all new games released on the Sony PlayStation platform will no longer come with physical game discs.
Although Sony explained that this move was in response to the trend of consumers preferring digital games, this “major step” still caused quite a stir among the global PlayStation player community. Many people are worried that this move will affect players’ choices when purchasing games, their ownership of games, and their ability to collect physical games.
In recent years, as the sales proportion of digital games has rapidly increased, the digital transformation of game sales seems to have become an irreversible trend. American technology media lament that physical discs, once a significant part of the gaming culture, are now gradually declining in importance. For today's players, this might be a "mixed" situation.
SIE Content Distribution Senior Vice President, West Germany Shueman issued a statement on the PlayStation official blog stating: "As consumer preferences and the trend of the entire entertainment industry shift from physical CDs to digital versions, starting January 2028, all new games sold on PlayStation consoles will cease production of physical discs. Subsequently, new games will only be released in digital form through the PlayStation Store and retail outlets."
The statement emphasizes that this adjustment will not affect games that have been released or are planned to be released by January 2028.
Sony's statement
Regarding this decision, Schumann explained in a statement that consumers' preference for digital media has surpassed that for discs. Therefore, following the changing trends of consumption is a "natural choice." "This shift will enable us to better meet the ways in which most players obtain and play games today."
The statement concluded that Sony will continue to invest resources in fostering innovation in the way players access games, while also allowing players to choose their own channels for purchasing games.
This means that after the relevant adjustments are officially implemented, offline retailers and other channels may start selling games on the PlayStation platform through digital download codes.
AFP noted that this seems to be Sony's latest step towards digital transformation. In 2020, Sony released the latest generation of gaming console, the PlayStation 5. This console offers two options: a digital version and a disc-based version. The digital version is cheaper, but it does not come with a disc drive.
According to sales data published on Sony's website, as of March 31, 2026, the cumulative global shipments of the PlayStation 5 exceeded 93 million units, and the number of monthly active users on the PlayStation platform reached 125 million.
Analyst Piers Harding-Routledge of Ampere Analysis, a market research firm, stated that while PlayStation and other console game platforms have long been considered the "final frontier" for physical games, this status is declining as more players increasingly turn to digital products.
According to Sony's financial report for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025, digital versions account for 85% of the sales revenue of game software on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 platforms, while physical versions account for 15%.
Harding-Roell wrote on social media, "The changes in players' purchasing trends are evident," and Sony's latest decision could become a "watershed" for the gaming industry.
August 21, 2025, Sony store in Hangzhou: PlayStation 5 console with IC photo
In addition, Harding-Rolls speculates that Sony's decision may also be related to the cost of gaming consoles. The company's next-generation gaming consoles might completely eliminate optical drives. He pointed out that as the artificial intelligence industry develops, memory becomes in short supply, and eliminating optical drives could help reduce the production costs of Sony's next-generation gaming consoles.
German media analysis suggests that consumers prefer digital versions of games for various reasons, such as the convenience of purchasing digital versions and the risk of damaging or losing physical discs. However, Sony's discontinuation of physical discs means that PlayStation players with limited disposable income will not be able to purchase used discs, nor will they be able to exchange or borrow games with friends.
In recent years, the sales of physical games have shown a decline. Console platforms and an increasing number of game manufacturers are gradually shifting to digital download methods. For example, some games on the Nintendo Switch 2 platform now use a "keycard" method, where the card no longer contains complete game data and requires online download. Last week, the much-anticipated game "GTA 6" also announced that it will no longer be released as a physical disc; the physical version will only include a digital download code.
However, Sony's decision to completely eliminate physical discs for all new games on the PlayStation in the future still raises concerns among gamers around the world.
Game industry analyst Christopher Delin said that although digital downloads are "the main way to purchase PlayStation games at present," he was still surprised by SIE's decision to abandon physical discs. He believes that the sale of physical discs still has a certain scale and is popular among many players.
Game journalist Vicki Blake criticized Sony's decision as a "heavy blow" to consumers' rights. "This is a huge problem for game preservation, and it's also a major challenge for players with limited disposable income. They have to rely on trade-in programs or borrowing games from friends to cope with the high prices of 3A games."
Harding-Roards pointed out that the complete elimination of physical discs will affect players' choices, their collection of physical games, and issues related to game ownership. Sony's actions will inevitably cause concerns among PlayStation players.
Recently, Sony has notified users in some regions that, according to content licensing agreements, the Studio Canal library content purchased through the PlayStation Store will be removed from the store on September 1, 2026. At that time, users will no longer be able to access the purchased content. This removal primarily affects users in the UK, involving over 500 movies. Many players are concerned that digital games may face similar issues in the future.
Famous Japanese game producer Hideo Kojima reposted his comment posted in 2021 on social platform X. He wrote, "In the end, even digital data will no longer be owned by individuals. Whenever the world, nations, governments, ideologies, or trends change, access to it may be cut off. We will not be able to freely access the movies, books, and music we love. I will become a person with nothing left—this is what I fear. It's not greed."
Although physical games have not disappeared, the transformation of game sales to digital channels seems to be an irreversible trend. American technology media outlet TechCrunch lamented that physical game discs were once an important part of the gaming culture, and for today's players, saying goodbye to physical discs might be a "mixed blessing."
