Sony PlayStation: This seems like an end of an era, as Sony has decided to stop the production of physical discs of new gaming titles for PlayStation starting from January of 2028. This will have mixed reactions, as some might support the push towards digital ownership, but it will come as bad news for people who love collecting discs, as that has been the standard for gaming for many gamers out there.
ALSO READ: Lenovo Tab Plus Gen 2 Launched In India With Android 16, 10,200mAh Battery And JBL Speakers
Sony has cited that shifting consumer preference towards digital ownership rather than physical discs is the current industry trend and has said, "Physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting in January 2028." After this date games will only be available in digital form on the PlayStation Store, and even retailers will have them in digital form only.
Although Sony has mentioned that this will not impact any gaming title already released or will be making its way to the shelves prior to January 2028. Sony, in its PlayStation Blog, stated, "Following this date, new games will be available on the PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only. " This transition has no impact on games that already released, or will be releasing, prior to January 2028 in disc format."
This means that gamers will have the option to take it from the PlayStation Store itself, and even at retail stores they will get a code copy. This is something that gamers can already see happening with the GTA 6 release, as physical copies are slated to come with the code only and no physical disc will be provided as of now, and this title is already being predicted to be one of the biggest game launches in a decade, as Rockstar has already pushed its pre-orders.
What About the Secondhand Market?
Social media is already a buzz with this news, and worries about the second-hand sale market being choked by this are rising. Sony has expressed in its statement that it aims to adapt to the natural shift happening towards digital ownership of titles and said, "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."
PS6 To Be Only Digital?
Sony began this move towards digitisation of gaming titles back in 2020, especially with the PS5, as two versions of the consoles were released: physical and digital only. This might also point towards PlayStation's philosophy with its next console, the PlayStation, which might just be available as a digital-only console. The release of its new console could land as soon as next year itself, but looking at the current chip shortage and rise in parts of such core components could also mean a delay.