Sony plans to stop production of Phyical games in 2028

Yeah, I'm not terribly upset about it either (PS games going digital), I wasn't much of a disc collector myself and once games did become available digitally, I'd mostly purchase the digital version.

As for lower sale prices, that doesn't bother me too much. I find the digital storefronts typically the same sales pricing (Sony, Xbox, Steam, Nintendo). One issue that I would have is that if Sony pushes forward with their 'dynamic pricing' that they were testing out. I don't want to all of a sudden start paying more or never seeing sales on JRPGs (mostly the only genre I play on PS) because Sony knows that's what I'm interested in.
 
Dion said:
clowns are using ps4 data to twist narratives lol. ps4 started as a physical disc system..

ps5 is mainly digital sales only.. Look it up for yourself lol.

ps6 will be only digital.. Not surprising... Like i said look at PC 10 years ago.. Thats usually the route consoles go. PC is the trend setter for consoles.
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I looked it up and as of July 2026 it's 85% digital vs 15% physical. So even though you're correct, it was completely unnecessary for you to post bogus percentages.

https://www.pushsquare.com/news/202...oftware-was-purchased-physically-last-quarter
 
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Dion said:
ps6 will be only digital.. Not surprising... Like i said look at PC 10 years ago.. Thats usually the route consoles go. PC is the trend setter for consoles.
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We will age ourself, but 20 years ago would be more what to look for the PC world than 10 I think.

Steam launch in 2003, by 2014 it already won gamers virtually completlelty who decided to favor steam conveniance, ease to reinstall all your game after a format from a button, space in the house, price, launching game without putting a disc in (do not even remember if by the end we still had to do it... or the cd-dvd was meaningless for a while) etc... over game ownership and physical media on PC, it was already 75% on digital with many new pc launched without dvd drives on them, 2016 it was already well over (95%+ digital), with many of the most popular title not even having release at all for a while now.
 
zehoo said:
https://xcancel.com/i/status/2072707625028833749
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2021 (the most recent title here and a bit of "collectible" director cut edition)) will already be ~7 years away from 2028

In 2021 PS5 digital edition were not that available, sony able to only make more expensive disk version and sales all of them and people able to get their hands on console at the time being a bit intense.

If the trend continue:
death-of-physical-games-2010-2025-v0-0kdcxa9vggyf1.png


Physical seem to be less than 45% than what it was in 2021 by 2025, could have naturally become less than 20% of what it was by 2028.
 
I don't get all this "no disc, no buy" bullshit. People have been buying less and less physical media each year. It's to the point now where most people haven't bought a physical copy of a game in years. Sony is simply adjusting to the habits of its customers and people want to freak out about it now? Seems odd to me. You should have done more bitching and voting with your wallet instead of buying everything on Steam. How many people bitching have a Steam library and no physical copy of more than half the shit on there?
 
Dan_D said:
I don't get all this "no disc, no buy" bullshit. People have been buying less and less physical media each year. It's to the point now where most people haven't bought a physical copy of a game in years. Sony is simply adjusting to the habits of its customers and people want to freak out about it now? Seems odd to me. You should have done more bitching and voting with your wallet instead of buying everything on Steam. How many people bitching have a Steam library and no physical copy of more than half the shit on there?
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And I have a bunch of (3)DS(i) games, several vita games, and a few switch and PS5 games as well.
 
Super old shit doesn't count. That hardly makes the argument for retaining physical media in the modern era.

Again, I think people are overreacting, when they themselves are partly responsible for the shift away from physical media. That said, if I had it my way, we'd always have the choice that way the games in their original forms would always be preserved. As we've seen, censorship can be retroactively applied to anything that's digitally distributed. We've seen this primarily with movies and remakes/remasters of classic games.
 
Dan_D said:
I don't get all this "no disc, no buy" bullshit. People have been buying less and less physical media each year. It's to the point now where most people haven't bought a physical copy of a game in years. Sony is simply adjusting to the habits of its customers and people want to freak out about it now? Seems odd to me. You should have done more bitching and voting with your wallet instead of buying everything on Steam. How many people bitching have a Steam library and no physical copy of more than half the shit on there?
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Because I can get the physical game at Walmart for $25 as little as a few months after release instead of $70 on PSN. Sony owns a monopoly since you are not able to buy PS digital games anywhere else. PC you have various different store front to buy games from. I have always been physical and I won't be able to play any of my PS4/PS5 games on the PS6.
 
Dan_D said:
Super old shit doesn't count. That hardly makes the argument for retaining physical media in the modern era.

Again, I think people are overreacting, when they themselves are partly responsible for the shift away from physical media. That said, if I had it my way, we'd always have the choice that way the games in their original forms would always be preserved. As we've seen, censorship can be retroactively applied to anything that's digitally distributed. We've seen this primarily with movies and remakes/remasters of classic games.
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:rolleyes:
Not my fault they (Sony) barely have any decent games recently, and the ones they have that I might like aren't advertised to me. I thought I had a PS5 game, but I actually have zero physical PS5 games, only 7 PS5 games total, and most of them are either PS4 games that were ported, or the like. I do generally check for a physical game before buying any game.

Animal Well is a really nice PS5 game, btw. You should give it a look if you haven't.
 
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Nobu said:
:rolleyes:
Not my fault they (Sony) barely have any decent games recently, and the ones they have that I might like aren't advertised to me. I thought I had a PS5 game, but I actually have zero physical PS5 games, only 7 PS5 games total, and most of them are either PS4 games that were ported, or the like. I do generally check for a physical game before buying any game.

Animal Well is a really nice PS5 game, btw. You should give it a look if you haven't.
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Even if your the exception, it doesn't matter. The data is clear. People do not buy their games on physical media. The last PC game I ever bought on physical media was Mass Effect 3 Collector's Edition in 2012. I purchased some physical games in the early XBOX OneX days, but nothing since. I think I have five games for that. I haven't bought a console or a physical copy of a game since then.
 
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PlayStation India is reportedly blacklisting some media outlets over their coverage of Sony’s decision to end physical game discs.

According to a report from High Chaos Run, some Indian media organisations were allegedly told they would no longer receive access to PlayStation games, including Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Wolverine and Phantom Blade Zero.

The report claims PlayStation India’s marketing team cited their coverage of the physical-disc decision, saying the reporting put PlayStation in a “bad light” and was done for “views.”

It also alleges that some individuals were blocked on WhatsApp by PlayStation’s PR agency.

https://highchaosrun.com/2026/08/25/playstation-blacklists-media-for-reporting-disc-demise/

https://x.com/RishiAlwani/status/2092116178588316117?s=20
 
Marees said:
PlayStation India is reportedly blacklisting some media outlets over their coverage of Sony’s decision to end physical game discs.

According to a report from High Chaos Run, some Indian media organisations were allegedly told they would no longer receive access to PlayStation games, including Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, Wolverine and Phantom Blade Zero.

The report claims PlayStation India’s marketing team cited their coverage of the physical-disc decision, saying the reporting put PlayStation in a “bad light” and was done for “views.”

It also alleges that some individuals were blocked on WhatsApp by PlayStation’s PR agency.

https://highchaosrun.com/2026/08/25/playstation-blacklists-media-for-reporting-disc-demise/

https://x.com/RishiAlwani/status/2092116178588316117?s=20
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How to ruin a brand in these 5 easy steps.
 
I had a PS5 from Spring 2021 to Spring 2024. Most of my purchases were physical. And that's because of multiple reasons:

1. More pricing competition
2. Used market (related to point #1)
3. Easy to share


For probably 15 years now-----I don't actually enjoy "collecting" physical media for games and movies. As its a real pain when its time to move. And in many of my rental situations, I also haven't had accommodations to neatly place them for both accessibility and also for display.

However, those above 3 benefits are important.
 
https://www.tomshardware.com/video-...ith-no-disc-decision-despite-several-lawsuits

Sony threatens to cut off customer support and pursue legal action over harassment as backlash to PlayStation’s physical-disc phaseout intensifies — company to move forward with no disc decision despite several lawsuits​

News
ByEtiido Uko
Published5 hours ago
Company list excessively asks for apologies as customer harassment.


Sony Japan has officially implemented a new customer harassment policy to address ongoing customer backlash, following the company’s controversial announcement to phase out physical PlayStation game discs by January 2028. In an official publication on September 1, the company outlined prohibited customer behaviors to protect the dignity and safety of its employees and threatened to suspend customer service if the behaviors continued.
“The dignity and safety of our employees must not be threatened by customer harassment, such as words or demands from customers that exceed what is considered reasonable according to social norms,” the publication read. “If any behavior constituting customer harassment is confirmed, we may restrict or suspend customer service in order to protect the safety of our employees.”
Some of the examples of customer harassment detailed in the publication include “persistent and repeated, or prolonged, demands; excessive or unreasonable demands for compensation; abusive language, threats, slander, and other similar behaviors; requests unrelated to products or services; intimidating attitude; discriminatory or sexual conduct; and attacks and demands against individual employees.
The company also listed “forcing someone to prostrate themselves,” visiting company grounds without permission, and excessively asking for apologies as customer harassment, expressing willingness to use legal force if necessary. “We will take a firm stance against such actions and aim to build healthy and sustainable relationships while respecting both our customers and employees,” it said. “If we deem it necessary, we will cooperate with the police, lawyers, etc., and consider taking action, including legal measures and criminal proceedings.”
The new policies appear to be in response to the intense backlash over Sony's decision to end physical disc production by 2028. The decision was met with immediate, widespread backlash from the gaming community, which argued — among other things — that ending physical discs was equivalent to eliminating true ownership. Critics also argued that digital purchases were rentals and placed too much power in the company's hands, which could restrict access at will. Just 6 days after the July 1st announcement, a Change.org petition to stop the move had amassed 200,000 signatures and is now approaching 400,000.

The company doesn't appear to be backing down. After a class action lawsuit related to Sony’s decision to kill physical discs, the company moved to force the case into out-of-court arbitration, arguing that “reasonable consumers would not be misled into believing they own digital games.” The plaintiffs allege that Sony misleads consumers by using "Buy" buttons for digital PlayStation games without clearly disclosing that buyers are only purchasing a temporary, revocable license rather than actual, permanent ownership of the game.
Several other related lawsuits are ongoing. Regardless, Sony has said it will "cautiously move forward" with its decision despite “strong views” from players. The company hopes its new customer harassment policy will curb some of the backlash individual employees are currently facing. The policies also align with Japan's recent law that mandates companies to take measures to prevent customer harassment towards their workers.
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The fact is the majority of people don't buy physical games anymore. If people cared as much as the Internet thinks they do, more than 15% of game sales would have been physical. People participating in the "boycott" also wanted an exception as soon as the Modern Warfare IV beta dropped. Reminds me of the Modern Warfare 2 "boycott" on PC from 2009 over dedicated servers.
 
Armenius said:
The fact is the majority of people don't buy physical games anymore. If people cared as much as the Internet thinks they do, more than 15% of game sales would have been physical. People participating in the "boycott" also wanted an exception as soon as the Modern Warfare IV beta dropped. Reminds me of the Modern Warfare 2 "boycott" on PC from 2009 over dedicated servers.
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I buy mostly digital on my ps5, on pc it's all steam or blizzard.

The few I have on disc for my ps5 (usually some amazon sale) tend to annoy me with the sound of the drive spinning up or I am already couch comfy and want to play something else lol. I would rather just click a menu item and launch a game. The alternative to this would be if I could fully install a physical game and not need the disc maybe more than once a few months to validate.
 

Microsoft is Asking Fans if They Want the Next Xbox to Support Physical Discs​

On Sep 21, 2026, by Ediz Guner

A New Survey is Asking Xbox Fans What Features they Want in Project Helix​


According to images that Power Up Gaming has obtained from a now-deleted post by X user @XBOXTIMDOG, it appears that Microsoft is currently asking fans whether they want the next Xbox to support physical discs. Sources have told us that a survey has recently gone live on the Xbox Insider Hub app on Xbox consoles. The images in question, we’re told, show segments of this survey.

The survey seems to be asking fans want they want from the next-generation Xbox.

Of particular interest, though, is the part of the survey where it asks participants if they want the next-generation Xbox to let them “install games from a physical disc.”

https://powerupgaming.co.uk/2026/09...want-the-next-xbox-to-support-physical-discs/
 
Seems like an easy PR win for Microsoft - even if the disc drive is sold separately and only for Blu-Ray viewing and B/C on previous generation games.
 
Sony and steam should be able to handle this without too much issue, enough power to sway publisher to let them sales irrevokable instead or revokable license ?

The NBA delisting feel irrelevant, that just similar to a game not being on store shelve anymore, you can still download it and it has an offline mode, the law change nothing to that scenario and it is a bit to show how little of an issue it has been yet that were not able to come up with an actual example mainstream enough people would care about.
 
My biggest beef with "no disc" doesn't have anything to do with games. Usually I play them once or twice, then forget about them. The thing that makes me mad about discs going away is the low quality replacement for Blu-Ray. Streaming bitrates stink.

I think MS should include a disc drive on the next XBox if for no other reason than to stick it to Sony. Make it optional, but offer one. Also since the next XBox is basically going to be a PC... allow any standard USB drive to work and jump through the hoops with the movie industry to allow it to play 4k Blu-Ray. Last I checked the only way to "officially" play a 4k Blu-Ray on a computer involved having an 11th gen Intel proc and using the integrated video.

As far as game discs go I don't really want a disc right when a game comes out. They're always full of bugs. I want a disc with the finished game. Ok, so I don't really look at this as a case of big evil corp taking away the game I paid for while they're still selling it. No, it's more like losing access years from now. If I really like a game I'd like the final edition on a disc. All the DLC is done, most of the bugs are fixed, active development is over. Now it's time to press discs for posterity.
 
zandor said:
I think MS should include a disc drive on the next XBox if for no other reason than to stick it to Sony. Make it optional, but offer one.
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I would imagine Sony will do the same for the PS6 (offer an optional drive so you can install older PS5 game or watch movies) and would not feel bad too much if Microsoft do the same, they will get a cut from them for the BR license.
 
Northern are going to offer a discount drive with their next consoles. They both been w a nting to go all digital. MS more so with GP.
 
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