PlayStation news met with severe backlash
Sony, owner of the PlayStation brand, has announced that it would stop releasing new video games for the gaming console on disc in January 2028.
From vinyls to CDs to streaming, we’ve seen this evolution before.
Through platforms such as Steam, games have also shifted from physical discs to digital downloads.
PlayStation recently shared on its official blog that it would be scrapping physical game discs entirely.
“Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only," the company said.
In practice, that means gamers will have to download directly from Sony's PlayStation store or will obtain a download code when purchasing a title from a retailer.
The announcement comes as the upcoming, exclusively digital release of 'Grand Theft Auto VI', predicted to become the biggest-selling cultural product of all time, has caused some consternation among gamers.
And the gaming community are not having it.
There was grumbling on social media that the lack of a physical disc would eliminate any second-hand market for the title.
Here are just a few of the responses:
Digital only by 2028. That means no more used games, no more borrowing from friends, and no more shelves full of cases. Just a library that can disappear if servers go down.
— Kamanzi Claudine (@AgriShoot) July 1, 2026
Companies when it's time to make everyone's experiences worse for no reason pic.twitter.com/ZgOPEPhAV1
— chuck_is_dead_vay_aq 🇹🇷 (@chuckisdeadlmao) July 1, 2026
— Seth Joseph (@SethJoseph95) July 1, 2026
The pizza restaurant chain Domino's also decided to chime in:
makes about as much sense as us changing to digital pizzas
— Domino's Pizza UK (@Dominos_UK) July 1, 2026
Sony said the upcoming shift "has no impact on games that have already been released, or will be released, prior to January 2028 in disc format."
Sony began its move towards digital downloads in 2020 with the release of the PlayStation 5, which came in a version without a disk drive.
"This is a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs," the company said.
"We remain committed to delivering a world-class gaming experience to our fans," it added.
Piers Harding-Rolls at Ampere Analysis said, "The purchasing trends of gamers are clear."
In 2013, when the PS4 launched, only 13 percent of game sales were digital, but had risen to nearly 80 per cent in 2025, he noted.
That didn't stop gamers from complaining, however.
"It's a catastrophe," said gamer and content creator Conkerax on YouTube.
"Inevitably, there will be concerns from PlayStation gamers around various aspects of this announcement, including choice, accessing older physical games on new consoles, the ability to collect physical games, and game preservation," said Ampere's Harding-Rolls.
He noted that the shift towards digital would negatively impact specialist games retailers and the second-hand market.
The announcement renewed speculation about the next-generation PlayStation 6 console.
Sony's announcement "pretty much confirms PS6 will be digital only", said Daniel Ahmad at Niko Partners, a video game market research firm.
Harding-Rolls agreed and said it will likely mean a delay.
"Ampere’s current expectation is that the console will launch at the end of 2028," he said
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Image: AFP