In a recent update, the team at Sony Interactive Entertainment revealed a drastic shift coming for the world of PlayStation. In a paradigm change, PlayStation is moving away from physical discs to an all-digital landscape, ceasing the production of discs in response to ‘shifting trends in consumer preference.’
This is a massive overhaul to the gaming space that meets the increasingly digital nature of the business head-on. It’s a fairly obvious move, but it’s sure to rub some gamers the very wrong way.
Read on to learn when PlayStation discs will stop being made and what this means for you as a gamer.
Will All Sony PlayStation Games Be Digital?
From January 2028, all new PlayStation games will be digital only, Sony confirmed in a blog post published on July 1, 2026. This means that any games released on or after January 2028 will not have a traditional disc.
Instead, publishers and retailers will have to rely on codes in a box or on the digital storefronts that have quickly become the number-one destination to buy new games.
In the blog post, the team explained:
This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs. This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today.
This move does not impact any games released prior to January 2028, so don’t worry. It’s not like you’ll wake up on January 1, 2028, and be met with an inability to play discs in your PlayStation 5 console.
How Does This Change Impact Me as a Gamer?
The most critical way this impacts you as a gamer is in your purchasing habits. This will effectively eradicate most game sharing (between friends), second-hand, and physical sale markets going forward. There will still be a back catalogue, but it’ll eventually fade away over the following years.
If you’ve always loved physical media such as discs, you’ll be taking a knock when this change lands in January 2028. Every new PlayStation game you buy beyond that point will be 100% digital.
It’s a safe bet that the PlayStation 6 will launch without a physical drive, but owners should have the option to bolt one on for backwards compatibility purposes, assuming the PS6 accommodates that function.
Additionally, Sony has announced the impending closure of digital stores for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita platforms. By July 2027, both of these digital storefronts will be closed globally, bringing an end to twenty years of gaming history.
What do you think about this update? Are you mad at PlayStation for scrapping the production of discs? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
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Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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