Sony will stop releasing new PlayStation games on discs from January 2028, the company announced on Wednesday, marking the end of an era for physical gaming. Future titles will still be sold in shops but will contain only a digital download code, a move the firm said reflected "consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital".
The announcement comes days after Rockstar confirmed Grand Theft Auto VI, predicted to become one of the biggest-selling cultural products of all time, would also launch without a physical disc. Sony began its transition with the PlayStation 5 in 2020, offering a discless version alongside a disc-drive model. According to Ampere Analysis analyst Piers Harding-Rolls, digital sales have soared from 13% at the PS4's launch in 2013 to nearly 80% in 2025.
“Sony will stop releasing new PlayStation games on discs from January 2028, following consumer shift to digital.”
The decision has provoked fierce backlash. Gaming journalist Vikki Blake called it a "body blow to consumer rights", warning it was "of huge concern for game conservation and a massive problem for gamers with lower disposable incomes who rely on part-exchanging or loaning games from friends". She recalled Sony's tongue-in-cheek advert mocking Xbox over sharing games on PS4: "It's not funny anymore, is it?"
Christopher Dring, editor of The Game Business, said the news surprised him despite digital being "dominant", noting that "millions and millions of PlayStation games [are] sold as physical goods" and the shift is "tough news for retail". Lootbox Gaming, an independent retailer in Delaware that refused to stock the discless GTA 6, called the move "an attack on not only gamers and collectors, but also developers, publishers, distributors and retailers around the globe".
Sony insisted the change would not affect games released before January 2028. But it has also faced criticism for pulling over 500 films and TV shows from users' PlayStation Store collections – without compensation – after a licensing agreement with StudioCanal ended, with content disappearing on 1 September. Gamers had previously expressed concern about losing access to purchased titles.
"It's a catastrophe," said YouTube content creator Conkerax. Harding-Rolls noted that concerns would include "choice, accessing older physical games on new consoles, the ability to collect physical games and game preservation". The announcement has renewed speculation that the next-generation PlayStation 6 will be digital-only.