PlayStation has announced that it will discontinue physical game disc production for all new games starting January 2028.
The company's parent, Sony Interactive Entertainment, cited shifting consumer preferences and broader trends in the entertainment industry as the reason for the decision.
"The general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs," the company said in a statement. "This transition will enable us to align more closely with how most of our community prefers to access and play games today."
The shift toward producing games in a digital-only format will not impact games previously released on physical discs, and new PlayStation games will be available for purchase only through the online Sony store and other digital retailers.
The news has received negative feedback from PlayStation fans, with some expressing concerns that digital games have no resale value, making sharing and selling games more difficult.
"All this does is funnel everyone into digital storefronts where PlayStation and co. control the pricing operation," said game developer Matty Schroeder. "This is not about upcoming handhelds or even that digital purchases outweighing physical. It is about maximizing the dollar spent everywhere and cutting out the middle man."
BlazeMedia columnist Auron MacIntyre described the decision as part of a broader trend, saying that the average person will no longer be able to own their computing power and will rent it through AI models.
While some users expressed outrage, others said they didn't mind the decision, citing their own preference for digital games.
"I personally don't care that there aren't going to be anymore physical discs for PlayStation," said Tee DeVane, a user who reviews technology products. "I haven't bought a hard copy game in 10 years. I play the game, enjoy it and that's it."
