Following Rockstar’s announcement that Grand Theft Auto VI will be a digital-only release, Sony has come forth with an even more ambitious plan to kill physical media forever. The company has announced that starting January 2028, production of physical disc games for new games will be ending for all games releasing on the PlayStation platforms.
In simpler terms, every game launching on PlayStation consoles after January 2028 will only be available digitally through the PlayStation Store or as a PlayStation Store code through other retailers. This applies to new games only, and not for games that are already out or will be releasing prior to January 2028.
The company cites consumer preferences and broader entertainment industry shifts as the reason for this decision. Sony claims most of its community prefers to purchase games digitally.
Physical media has been a selling point for game consoles since the very inception of the platform. Being able to purchase a game and simply sticking it into the console to play it has always been the driving factor for what made consoles so appealing.
However, it has also undeniably been a thorn in the side for game publishers and platform owners like Sony, because unlike digital codes, physical media can be shared, transferred, or resold. It’s not uncommon to share a game among friends, sell it off after playing it to recover some of the cost, or to purchase a used copy from someone else. Offline retailers could also choose to discount games as and when they pleased to drive sales. It kept the cost of the games low, and kept publishers and platform owners out of the loop after the initial purchase, something they obviously hated.
Aside from just being able to share it, physical media also allowed you to own your purchase. Own it truly, by being able to hold it in your hands, and having access to it forever without worrying about it disappearing from some online store. It also lets the media be played into perpetuity, so even if the game publisher, platform owner, or the platform itself goes away in the future, as long as you have a functioning console and a physical version of the game, you can always play it.
For years, publishers and platform owners have been trying to devalue the physical disc. First, by simply not launching the game on physical media whene
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