The disc is dying. Sony has announced that from January 2028, new PlayStation games will no longer be released on physical discs. Instead, games bought in shops will come with a digital code only.
The move, confirmed in a blog post, comes just days after Rockstar said the hotly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto VI would similarly launch without a physical disc. It marks a significant moment for an industry that has increasingly relied on digital distribution.
“Sony will stop releasing PlayStation games on discs from January 2028, replacing them with digital codes.”
Sony framed the decision as following consumer trends. “As consumer preferences and the broader entertainment industry continue to shift away from physical discs to digital,” the company 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.”
But the announcement has faced sharp criticism. Gaming journalist Vikki Blake called it a “body blow to consumer rights”, warning of consequences for game conservation and for gamers with lower incomes who rely on part-exchanging or loaning games. “Just one console cycle ago, Sony made a tongue-in-cheek advert about how easy it is to share games on PS4 as a dig at competitor, Xbox,” she said. “It's not funny anymore, is it?”
Christopher Dring, editor of The Game Business, said the news surprised him despite digital being the “dominant form of buying PlayStation games today”. He noted that “millions and millions of PlayStation games are sold as physical goods” and called it “tough news for retail”.
Lootbox Gaming, an independent retailer in Delaware that declined to stock the discless physical edition of GTA 6, said the move was “an attack on not only gamers and collectors, but also developers, publishers, distributors and retailers around the globe”. A spokesperson added: “Essentially, this is an attack on anyone who cares about video games or cares about the right to own your purchases.”
Sony said the change would not affect games already released or those launched before January 2028.
The disc phase-out comes amid wider controversy over digital ownership. Sony has attracted criticism for pulling more than 500 films and TV shows purchased on the PlayStation Store from people’s collections with no compensation. The company said its arrangement with the production company StudioCanal has ended, meaning it no longer has the rights to sell those titles, which will disappear from users’ libraries on 1 September.
Gamers had previously told the BBC they were concerned about GTA being among the titles affected by the shift to digital-only.