Sony announces end of physical disc production for video games starting early 2028
From January 2028 onwards, Sony will no longer produce physical copies of its video games. In a blog post on their website, the media conglomerate said the move reflects a shift in consumer behaviour.
Following this date, new games will only be available in digital formats at retailers and on the PlayStation Store.
Several video games companies dismayed by move
The company said this is a “natural direction” to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media “significantly outpaces” physical discs.
But Sony also stressed that this would not affect titles that are already in circulation.
They added: “This transition has no impact on games that are already released, or will be releasing, prior to January 2028 in disc format.”
Regardless, the announcement did not go well with all their colleagues in the same industry.
On X, iam8bit, a company known for physical games merch, said they were “profoundly disappointed” by the move.
“Physical games are vital to games preservation, ownership, and consumer choice,” iam8bit said.
According to GameSpot, many other companies focused on consumer rights have echoed the same sentiment.
The announcement is likely to have massive ramifications for the second-hand video game market, threatening an avenue that has made games more accessible for those with lower purchasing power.
Consumers upset about Sony’s announcement
As for the public response, Sony received over 8,000 comments on their blog post at the time of writing. Many of the top comments expressed disappointment in the move.
Source: PlayStation
When the news was shared on Reddit, one commenter lamented the loss of second-hand purchases that allowed them access to many games they would have otherwise missed out on.
“I still see very old games going for €40-50 (S$59-74) digitally,” they wrote.
Source: Reddit
The move also worried many, who fear the loss of a physical copy meant that access to their purchased items may be withdrawn at any time. One commenter even shared links to efforts to preserve consumer rights in this matter.
Source: Reddit
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Featured image adapted from Kerde Severin on Unsplash.
