I hate that Sony is ditching physical discs for the PlayStation

Sony has just revealed a landmark shift in its distribution strategy: from 2028 onward, all new titles will be released exclusively in digital form, with physical discs phased out entirely. The company described this move as a “natural direction,” citing market data that shows a clear consumer pivot toward digital purchases.

Before you dismiss my perspective, let me offer a brief background: I began my gaming journey with the PlayStation 1 in the late 1990s, progressed through the PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, and now the PlayStation 5. My handheld experience spans the Nintendo Switch Lite and the Switch OLED.

Even during the Xbox 360 era, I initially favored physical discs, but as the advantages of instant checkout, rapid downloads, and the absence of wear and tear became apparent, I gradually shifted toward digital purchases—mirroring the broader market trend.

Today, I’m fairly neutral between formats, though I still gravitate toward physical copies when a “special” edition is available or when the price offers a clear advantage. On the PlayStation 5, roughly 80 % of my recent titles have been digital, largely thanks to the convenience of my PlayStation Plus subscription.

While I tend to favor digital purchases, I still believe that physical copies hold a distinct advantage—especially on home consoles. A disc typically arrives in a case featuring striking artwork that you can hold, touch, and admire at any moment.

The tactile experience of a physical disc lets you appreciate its design whenever you wish, rather than merely scrolling through a thumbnail on the PlayStation home screen. This factor heavily influences my buying decisions. Although Sony’s wording suggests that physical retailers will continue to carry games, they may only offer boxed download codes, as seen with GTA VI.

Perhaps the most compelling benefit of physical media is its role in preserving games. Digital storefronts often lose titles when licenses expire, studios shut down, or servers go offline—Sony’s recent announcement of shutting down the PlayStation 3 and Vita stores exemplifies this trend.

With a physical disc, the risk of DRM enforcement is lower, because a sudden failure—such as a music license expiring and rendering a PlayStation disc unusable—would provoke strong backlash and damage consumer trust.

Digital titles are routinely removed when licenses lapse, whereas physical copies rarely face this issue unless developers embed server‑based license checks at launch. Such practices are uncommon, making physical media a more reliable long‑term investment for players.

Game preservation thrives on PC thanks to communities that specialize in cracking and emulating titles. While piracy is a concern, the net effect is that games persist in some form. On consoles, cracking is technically possible but far less common, and most players find it inaccessible compared to the DIY culture on PC.

I take issue with Sony’s decision because it effectively eliminates game sharing and essentially wipes out the second‑hand market. Digital purchases are bound to a single account, with no legal avenue for transferring ownership.

When Sony enforces its 2028 policy, the ability to share games will disappear for most users, restricting titles to household members only. Sony is unlikely to introduce a free sharing mechanism without charging extra.

Sony recently dropped a razor‑sharp, tongue‑in‑cheek video that lampoons Microsoft’s Xbox game‑sharing policy, reminding us of the days when such content was a staple of the gaming community.

From a corporate standpoint, abandoning physical discs is a savvy move for Sony, eliminating printing expenses and other cost‑of‑goods items, thereby boosting its profit margins. Yet those savings are unlikely to trickle down to consumers.

While Sony enjoys a stronger bottom line, players will still face prices of $70 or more for titles that are now sold exclusively as digital downloads. Prices are not expected to decline; in fact, they may rise, as seen with the forthcoming $80 GTA VI.

This shift also casts doubt on whether a future PlayStation 6 will include a disc drive. If Sony is truly committing to digital distribution, installing a legacy drive that modern titles no longer require seems pointless. For those of us who bought a disc‑capable PS5 solely for that flexibility, this move feels like another erosion of consumer choice.