Sony Confirms PlayStation Will Discontinue Physical Game Discs In 2028, Reveals Reason

In a shocking announcement, Sony said that "in response to shifting trends in consumer preference", it will stop producing physical discs for all new games released on PlayStation consoles starting January 2028. This move marks one of the biggest shifts in console gaming since the CD replaced cartridges. Digital downloads accounted for about 80% of Sony's full-game software sales in fiscal 2025, with recent counts putting digital purchases at roughly 85%. The broader industry has been moving away from discs for years. 

Beginning in January 2028, new PlayStation titles will be sold through the PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only. The company says the move affects "all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles" after that date. Games already released or scheduled for disc release before January 2028 won't be impacted.

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Revealing why, Sid Shuman, who is the Senior Director, Sony Interactive Entertainment Content Communications, on Wednesday wrote, "As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital, physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028." 

"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," Shuman added. 

"This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today."

"We'll continue to prioritize our resources to drive innovation in how players can access games and provide choices as to where players prefer to purchase new games, whether that's at retailers or PlayStation Store.

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"A watershed moment for the industry"

Piers Harding-Rolls, who is a games industry analyst, called it a "watershed moment". "Console gaming is the last hold-out for physical media in the gaming sector, but physical product has been declining in importance," he added.

"Back in 2013, when the PS4 launched, Ampere data shows that only 13% of total full games unit sales for Sony consoles were digital (including digital-only games). Fast forward to 2025, and this digital share of full game purchases stood at almost 80% of the total."

"Inevitably, there will be concerns from PlayStation gamers around various aspects of this announcement including choice, accessing older physical games on new consoles, the ability to collect physical games, and game preservation, however the purchasing trends of gamers are clear."

What about existing discs and consoles?

As already mentioned, discs for games released before January 2028 will still work on consoles with disc drives. Today's announcement indicates the PlayStation 6 will likely be disc-free, though Sony will reportedly offer a detachable disc drive at launch.