PlayStation Is Abandoning Physical Media, to the Detriment of Consumers
Sony phasing out discs by 2028 is a bad sign for gamers everywhere.
Sony announced Wednesday that it will stop making discs for its PlayStation games beginning in 2028, in the name of “consumer preferences.” Instead of finding their releases in retailers, PlayStation fans will have to purchase games in the PlayStation store on their consoles. This announcement came right after Rockstar Games informed fans that GTA 6, the biggest incoming release of the year, will not have a physical release and instead will only be available digitally (though they will sell game boxes with codes inside for those who want a box).
By doing this, PlayStation is not only betraying the tradition of physical media that has been the heart of the gaming industry for decades, but also harming the buyers who have made their company successful.
The shift to digital is unfortunately in line with recent consumer behavior. The 2025 Sony corporate report revealed just 3% of PlayStation sales came from discs. Some video game business analysts have even claimed digital sales account for 80-90% of PlayStation and Xbox game sales.
Despite this shift, there are numerous problems associated with digital purchases that will ultimately cost gamers more. Purchasing a physical disc ensures its owners are able to hold onto it long-term. For example, buying a Halo 4 Xbox 360 disc allowed you to play Halo 4 on all future Xbox consoles, even if for some reason servers would shut down or its publishers would stop selling it. Purchasing the same game digitally does not allow this preservation to exist; if you purchased Halo 4 digitally, its publishers can revoke your ability to play the game at a moment’s notice. You bought Halo 4, but you don’t really own it. Even if you digitally transfer it over to every Xbox console you buy, at any point you could be locked out from playing it.
Additionally, gaming companies are making it increasingly difficult for people to purchase consoles with disc drives. A PlayStation 5 with a disc drive costs at least $649.99, and an Xbox Series X with a disc drive will cost $799.99. Unless players want to spend exorbitant amounts of money, they are essentially locked into this lack of ownership.
We have not yet lived in a world where digital stores are the only option for buying games. Every current video game fan has memories of going to Game Stop or another local store and purchasing a new release they were looking forward to, or just browsing for something new and grabbing the game with the flashiest box art.
For some fans who relied on purchasing used discs from these stores in order to play games in the first place, that is no longer going to be an option. Buying a used disc is going to be impossible for any games that are sold exclusively on digital for their full market price, which is not exactly affordable.
Those memories are always going to stay memories, but the ability to make new ones is slowly atrophying. Gaming companies are locking people out from buying discs and preserving their passions while also limiting who can actually participate in the gaming industry. Resisting the recent trends in purchasing games online rather than in stores is no longer about personal preference, but rather now about ensuring the gaming industry remains accessible and fun.