Ironically, I said on our gaming podcast, Spectator Mode Podcast, just the other day that I wouldn’t be surprised if more companies went digital-only, and that physical media might be on its way out entirely. Now PlayStation has officially announced that as of January 2028, it will stop producing physical discs for new games. If you’ve been paying attention to the gaming landscape, this is something that’s been a long time coming, with companies testing the waters for years before finally making the leap.
Sony’s own blog post frames it plainly: physical disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028, after which new titles will be available on PlayStation Store and at retail in digital format only. Games that have already released, or that release before the cutoff, aren’t affected. Sony calls it “a natural direction… to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs.”
That tracks. PlayStation’s digital game sales have climbed steadily for years, with a massive spike during the COVID-19 era, and PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, and other digital storefronts have seen sales grow right alongside that shift.
Then there...
